The chef, who begins his sixth season hosting the Travel Channel’s “No Reservations” on January 11th, talks about the impact of Japanese cuisine on his own cooking, his favorite drink, and his near-death ATV accident.

Interviewed by Dacus Thompson
Illustrations by Joe McKendry
Photo Courtesy Travel Channel

What adventure most changed your life?

The first time I arrived in Japan and found myself in a city where I didn’t speak the language, had no idea what was going on around me. I could only compare it to dropping acid for the first time. Much more accomplished Western chefs than me came back from Tokyo wondering what to do next. How do you live with the burden of all this enlightenment?

What should every man know about women?

They are stronger than us. If you’ve ever hauled a 28-pound two-year-old around New York, you’ll find that men fold at the knees a lot quicker than women.

What’s the best way to impress a woman?

Pretend to know what you’re doing. One of life’s terrible truths is that women like guys who seem to know what they’re doing.

How do you make your favorite drink?

A Negroni. One-third good gin, one-third Campari, one-third sweet vermouth in a glass with some ice and a gossamer-thin slice of orange. Mario Batali taught me, simultaneously ruining my life and improving it, as he often does.

Who’s the toughest guy you know?

Marco Pierre White. He’s a British chef and a hero of mine. There are plenty of people in this world who can take a beating. Real toughness comes from people who stay true to themselves and don’t give a fuck what anyone else thinks.

What’s the best piece ofadvice you’ve ever received?

Show up on time. An employer of mine back in the ’80s was kind enough to take me on after a rough patch, and it made a big difference in my life that I knew I was the sort of person who showed up on time. It’s a basic tell of character.

What tool should every man own?

A good, and this is an important distinction, well-maintained — kept in a cool, dry place and regularly sharpened and honed — professional-quality chef knife, whether Japanese or German, speaks well of a man.

What skill should every man have?

To know how to make an omelet. It’s one of those dishes where your true nature reveals itself — how fastidious you are in the kitchen; how you move, graceful or ungraceful. It’s not a recipe; it’s technique.

What skill would you still like to master?

I wish I could play bass like Larry Graham or Bootsy Collins. My God, I’d give up just about everything else for that.

What’s the best cure for a hangover?

I have never found a better one, I regret to say, than Coca-Cola, a joint, and some really spicy food. I’m a big believer in spicy. It scares the evil out.

How should a man best face his fears?

“What the fuck” is a good mantra. The answer to overcoming fear is an uncomfortable truth that your life just isn’t that important.

How should a man handle getting old?

A little dignity goes a long way. There comes a time to take the earring off. There’s a time to stop dancing in public. I don’t know who said it, but at 40 or 50 every man gets the face he deserves. I’m not a believer in improving that.

What advice would you give the younger you?

I’ve made pretty much every terrible mis-take you could make. Cocaine, crack, heroin. But the sort of person I was, and would be again if I lived my life over, is the sort of person who at 17 would just not listen.

What one thing do you want to do before you die?

I want to be on The Simpsons. My voice is getting high and squeaky just thinking about it.

Have you ever cheated death?

(I) A few years ago in New Zealand I was riding an ATV and didn’t hear the guy in front of me say, “Don’t do this.”

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(II) I ended up rolling it over myself numerous times on a steep sand dune. I think everyone who was watching it pretty much expected me to die.

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(III) Then I was on a talk show where we watched the footage along with Ozzy Osbourne, who himself had been badly injured in an ATV accident. Afterward he was following me around backstage like a concerned grandfather, just shaking his head and saying, “You could have been killed!”

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This article originally appeared in the December 2009/January 2010 issue of Men’s Journal.