Anthony Bourdain Tries 'Ass-Burning' Sze Chuan In Chicago Episode Preview

By Sophie Lucido Johnson in News on Apr 28, 2016 5:00PM

Anthony Bourdain makes his way to Chicago in the next episode of his show Parts Unknown, and he's definitely not spending his screen time eating a dog and using a selfie stick at the bean. Instead, Bourdain gets lessons on how to kill (in terms of comedy, that is); and he also uses the word "ass-burning" (for all the reasons you'd think).

In the first preview clip CNN posted today, Bourdain joins power-chef Stephanie Izard of the Girl and the Goat, and her colleague Peter Wong to dine at a busy Chinatown restaurant. Izard recently opened her own Chinese-inspired eatery in the West Loop called Duck Duck Goat, and she's excited to show Bourdain the best-kept secret of Chicago: Its ethnic food. Outsiders might think that as a food city, Chicago offers hot dogs, deep dish, and peanuts from Wrigley Field; but the true culinary draw is the diverse cuisine to be found in many of the city's neighborhoods. Bourdain says that he knew about Chicago's diverse neighborhoods, but the outstanding (and very spicy) food caught him by surprise. "This I didn't know about," he says in the preview. "Now I do."

In a less-edible endeavor, Bourdain heads to Second City to talk comedy. He chats with a seasoned sketch comic about the rise of Saturday Night Live greats, and takes a peek into the green room to see how the stage-worthy get ready. Although he mentions Second City's "probably unhealthy symbiotic relationship with Ale House" (referring to the Old Town Ale House around the corner from the theatre), Bourdain seems less interested in the food and more interested in the comedy.

"If you're funny in America, chances are you spent some formative years here, getting the sh*t hammered out of you," he says.

"Parts Unknown: Chicago" debuts on Sunday at 8 p.m. CT on CNN.