Anthony Bourdain’s ‘shameful’ guilty pleasure is Popeye’s Mac and Cheese

The top chef even wears a disguise to try and conceal his identity

Anthony Bourdain has publicly aired his appreciation for fast food (Instagram: taste.by.jubell)

Globe-trotting TV chef Anthony Bourdain – best-known for his withering put-downs of food – has revealed his ‘disgusting and shameful’ fast food secret.

A man that needs little in the way of an introduction, Bourdain has previously divulged which brunch food he thinks is “garbage” and spoken out about his least favourite food trends but now, the top chef has publicly aired his appreciation for the lowbrow.

We all have our guilty pleasures – even world-renowned chefs - but if you expected Bourdain’s to be something super-swanky, then you’re mistaken.

Instead, in a recent interview with The Boston Globe, the top chef revealed that he likes nothing more than indulging in the carb-loaded comfort food powers of Popeye’s Mac and Cheese.

“My real guilty pleasure — my really disgusting, shameful pleasure — is the mac and cheese at Popeye’s fried chicken.“

As one of the most recognisable faces on the modern cultural landscape, the former New York chef also revealed that he feels so guilty about eating it that he tries to conceal his identity whenever he visits.

“Late at night, I’ve been known to sneak in there with a hoodie on — and I always get nailed,” he said.

“People are like, 'Dude, I’m going to put this on Instagram.'”

Anybody that has tasted the gooey goodness that is Popeye’s Mac and Cheese will identify but given the fact that just one portion contains 500 calories and 21g of fat, it’s no wonder Bourdain chooses to consume it so covertly.

That’s not his only dirty secret though, the chef also admitted that while he tries to always eat what’s local when travelling, he can never seem to escape the lure of a bog-standard spaghetti Bolognese.

“Every restaurant in the world, every hotel has spaghetti bolognese on the menu, and I have a perverse desire to see how they make it,” he said.

“It’s become a joke with my crew. We try to always eat what’s local always — especially in a country with delicious food — but in our down time, we all succumb now and again to the spaghetti bolognese, if only for the comedy value.”