Producers behind an Anthony Bourdain hit reveal new show highlighting hidden gems across Canada
The Canadian producer behind the hit Anthony Bourdain show Parts Unknown is a part of the team launching a new docuseries that spotlights Canadian hidden gems.
We don’t know about you, but there’s been a Parts Unknown-shaped hole in our hearts ever since Anthony Bourdain’s untimely death in 2018.
The show centred around the illustrious Bourdain travelling to the far corners of the world, sampling food that all too often flies under the radar and acquainting himself with the culture.
It even led some featured eateries to gain worldwide recognition, like Vietnam’s Lunch Lady, which has since gone on to become a hotspot in both Vancouver and Toronto.
While no one could possibly replace Bourdain and, thus, no show could replace Parts Unknown, Canadian fans of the show will soon be treated to something that might just curb the craving.
Coming to CBC this October,Ā Locals WelcomeĀ is a new docuseries produced by the same team behindĀ Parts Unknown, but this time, it’s all taking place on home soil.
In the role of leading man, it’s esteemed Sri Lankan-Canadian food writer Suresh Doss, whose writing has been featured in a swath of publications from the Globe and Mail to the New York Times, and who served as the resident food guide on CBC’s Metro Mornings.
The show will see Doss weave his way across Canada, exploring the food scenes and immigrant communities in cities across the country, like diving into Iranian cuisine in the GTA, Chinese in Richmond, B.C. and Haitian in Montreal, to name only a few.
He won’t be alone, though. Special guests include Matty Matheson,Ā Great Canadian Baking Show‘s Ann Pornel and chef David Schwartz of Toronto’s Michelin-approved Mimi Chinese, Sunnys Chinese and, most recently, Linny’s.
“Growing up in a diverse city like Toronto has given me the privilege to share the immigrant
experience with so many of us that now call this place home,” Doss says. “We eat each otherās food. Our kids go to school together. Weāre intertwined yet unique. Weāre a mosaic.”
Locals Welcome, he explains, is his opportunity to explore every little hidden fibre of the cultural tapestry we call Canada.
“I could spend my entire lifetime exploring [Canada’s] depth and history, meeting people Iāve never met. Eating foods I havenāt eaten,” he says.
“I hope youāll join me and Locals Welcome on this journey, as we celebrate why this country is so unique… plate by plate and face by face.ā
Locals WelcomeĀ premieres at 9 p.m. local on Sunday, Oct. 5 on CBC and CBC Gem.