New York restaurant Xi’an Famous Foods raises $73K for suicide prevention in memory of Anthony Bourdain

Last Friday morning, the world woke up to the gutting news that dearly loved chef and television personality Anthony Bourdain took his life at 61. Over the weekend, friends, colleagues and fans paid honor to the No Reservations host with a number of emotional tributes, including one outside of Bourdain's former restaurant Brasserie Les Halles.

One particularly noteworthy gesture came from Xi'an Famous Foods, a New York staple with 12 locations across the city. Back when Bourdain visited, operations ran considerably smaller, with just one basement stall in Flushing, Queens. In an affecting note (which you can read in full below), CEO Jason Wang wrote "he may have no idea what he has done for our family and business by simply saying he enjoyed the food."

He then announced that Xi'an would donate 100% of its net sales that Friday to the National Suicide Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK. Bourdain fans proceeded to show up. Wang has shared that the locations raised a combined $73,509.76 toward the cause on Friday. Eater reports that the Greenpoint location nearly ran out of food. That's a hell of a lot of spicy cumin lamb hand pulled noodles— and quite a fitting tribute to the empathetic connoisseur. Read Wang's full note below.