Presidential races

Obama gets dinner with Anthony Bourdain in Hanoi

President Obama dined with chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Monday.  

The two men sat down for dinner at Bún chả Hương Liên, a restaurant near the city’s old quarter. The conversation will be featured on an episode of Bourdain’s CNN travel and food show, “Parts Unknown,” in September. 

{mosads}

Bourdain tweeted that he paid for the (very inexpensive) meal:
 
Obama’s celebrity dining outing attracted a large crowd of onlookers, who watched his motorcade travel from his hotel to the destination.

Hundreds of others gathered on the streets outside the modest-looking restaurant, trying to catch a glimpse of the president, according to a pool reporter.  

The interview is part of the White House’s strategy to reach new audiences through non-traditional outlets.

During a trip to Alaska last September, Obama taped an appearance on Bear Grylls’s NBC outdoor survival show. 

The outspoken Bourdain has often criticized Republicans but has also expressed disappointment with Obama. 

“A disappointment to me personally for someone I admired,” he said during a 2011 appearance on an Australian TV show.  

“I was very happy when he was elected president,” he added. “I certainly voted for him, and I was very happy when he was elected. I wish he’d get angry.”