One Of President Obama's Favorite Dishes Is The 'Simplest Meal Of All Time'

In May 2016, Anthony Bourdain and then-President Barack Obama shared sips, smiles, and stories at restaurant Bun Cha Huong Lien in Hanoi, Vietnam – and aside from the wisdom displayed during that meal, it was pretty cool to see the former president casually drink a beer. As they ate bowls of traditional bun cha, the two discussed their common love of Southeast Asian culture, prompting Obama to divulge "one of [his] favorite meals of all time." Describing a trip he had taken to the Puncak region of Indonesia, Obama highlighted a particularly interesting restaurant experience where chefs would cook fish — carp — that swam through a river running through the restaurant itself. Mentioning the chefs would fry the fish and serve it with a bed of rice, Obama sincerely stated, "It was the simplest meal possible and nothing tasted so good."

The former president has shared some controversial food takes in the past – Obama's steak order as well as his belief ketchup on a hot dog is "not acceptable past the age of eight" are two that cause frenzy. However, this fish-and-rice combo is presumably one most could agree to enjoy. 

Obama and Bourdain's table has since been encapsulated with glass in the now-world-known Hanoi restaurant, so patrons may still sense the magic and energy the two icons imbued in the restaurant's walls. The restaurant now offers a "Combo Obama" for patrons to try, which consists of bun cha, a seafood spring roll, and a bottle of Hanoi beer.

While describing only one experience in Indonesia, Obama is no stranger to the country. After his mother married an Indonesian man, their family moved to Jakarta where Obama lived from ages 6-10. In his book "Dreams from My Father", Obama claims to have embraced Indonesian culture quickly upon his arrival. He mentions eating unorthodox foods like dog meat, snake meat, and roasted grasshopper to which he said were "tough," "tougher," and "crunchy" respectively. As he's praised other Indonesian dishes such as bakso (meatball soup) and nasi goreng (fried rice), it's not shocking to learn Obama loved the fish and rice dish he had in Puncak. One can assume this dish to be a variation of ikan goreng, an Indonesian deep-fried fish.

Directly translating to "fried fish," ikan goreng populates throughout Indonesia with each region having its own twist on the dish. Typically, the fish is first marinated in a medley of spices such as turmeric, tamarind, and Indonesian sweet soy sauce; fried whole; and served with rice and vegetables. As other areas of Asia and the world have their own renditions of fried fish and rice, we can see food's ability to connect and inspire all peoples.

The versatility of ingredients allows us a glimpse into other, unfamiliar parts of the world that are not too dissimilar from our own. Bourdain and Obama spoke passionately about this idea during their time together in Hanoi. While Obama believes "it confirms the basic truth that people everywhere are pretty much the same, with the same hopes and dreams," Bourdain emphasizes the importance of traveling the world to experience different cultures, noting "the extent to which you can see how other people live seems useful at worst and incredibly pleasurable and interesting at best."