Ep 1. Laos

In the season 5 premiere of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, host Anthony Bourdain ventures to Southeast Asia to explore the cuisine and culture of Laos. Beginning in the capital city of Vientiane, Bourdain takes in the sights and sounds while sampling local dishes such as laap, a spicy meat salad, and mok pa, or steamed fish in banana leaves.

Moving on to the riverside town of Ban Huay Xai, Bourdain learns about the traditional method of bamboo paper making, before traveling upstream to a remote village where he joins in on a traditional Baci ceremony. He also has the opportunity to try some of the local moonshine called lao-lao, made from fermented rice and often flavored with herbs and spices.

Bourdain then makes his way to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Luang Prabang, where he begins his day with a trip to the morning market, where he samples such delicacies as crispy fried river weed and bamboo shoot salad. Later, he visits a village where the locals cultivate and cook with mulberries, before partaking in a feast of lemongrass-stuffed frogs, bee larvae, and water buffalo jerky.

As the episode concludes, Bourdain reflects on the beauty and simplicity of Laotian life, particularly the way in which the locals incorporate food and communal sharing into their daily routines. He discusses the country's tumultuous history and the impact it has had on the culture and cuisine, ultimately leaving viewers with a newfound appreciation for this oft-overlooked gem of Southeast Asia.