Former President Barack Obama reacted to the news of Anthony Bourdain’s unexpected death on Friday, saying, “He taught us about food — but more importantly, about its ability to bring us together.”
Bourdain was found unresponsive in a hotel room in France on Friday morning. CNN confirmed that the cause of death was suicide. Bourdain, who was 61 years old, was in France for work on an upcoming episode of his CNN series, “Parts Unknown.”
In a memorable episode of the show that aired in 2016, Obama sat down to eat with Bourdain at a restaurant in Hanoi, Vietnam.
On Friday, Obama shared a photo on Twitter of the meal they shared, saying that it is how he will remember the storyteller, writer and chef.
“Low plastic stool, cheap but delicious noodles, cold Hanoi beer.” This is how I’ll remember Tony,” the former president tweeted.
Obama went on to say of Bourdain, “He taught us about food — but more importantly, about its ability to bring us together. To make us a little less afraid of the unknown. We’ll miss him.”
Bourdain wrote about the experience for CNN, saying that he found Obama to be “very relaxed and at ease,” during their time together.
“What can I tell you about what it’s like to sit across from the President of the United States and drink beer from the bottle?,” he wrote.
“I can tell you that Barack Obama was, in spite of having had a high-ranking leader of the Taliban whacked in Pakistan a few days previous, very relaxed and at ease. He seemed to enjoy himself sitting on a low plastic stool eating noodles and pork bits with chopsticks.”
CNN’s Brian Stelter contributed to this report.