'Top Chef' judge Padma Lakshmi led a wave of birthday messages for Anthony Bourdain

Padma Lakshmi leads a birthday tribute for Anthony Bourdain

On the 8th of June 2018, the culinary world reeled in shock when news of celebrity Chef Anthony Bourdain death was released. Bourdain had committed suicide in his hotel room in Kaysersberg, France where he was shooting the latest episode of his TV series Parts Unknown.

Bourdain was born on the 25th of June 1956, in New York City, and he would have turned 62.

His good friend and colleague, 'Top Chef' co-judge Padma Lakshmi remembered Bourdain and celebrated his life by wishing him a happy birthday.

Lakshmi worked with Bourdain on the 'Top Chef' judge panel since 2006, and posted a message on Twitter dedicated to her friend saying: 'Thinking of you on your birthday.'

From around the world, famous chefs are paying tribute to Bourdain on what would have been his 62nd birthday.

Read more about Anthony Bourdain on our Twitter account @amomama_usa.

Joining the chorus of the heartfelt homage to the celebrity chef was Bizarre Foods TV show host Andrew Zimmern, who shared a photo of the two at a wine festival in 2011

David Chang, show-host Ugly Delicious, also posted a photo on Instagram captioned: 'Happy Birthday Tony. We all miss you so much'

Top Chef contestant Richard Blais also expressed his sadness. At the time of Bourdain's death, Blais had posted a moving tribute to the culinary icon. He said that Bourdain's praise or critique of his work had .been extremely important to his professional growth.

Bourdain's unexpected passing left his fans, his family and his friends in bewildered shock. His girlfriend, Italian actress Asia Argento expressed her feelings as 'beyond devastated.'

Bourdain leaves behind his mother Gladys, and a daughter, Ariane, 11 - from his marriage to mixed martial artist Ottavia Busia.

The chef had had a complicated past which he had detailed in his book Kitchen Confidential in which he confessed to having been addicted to a cocktail of drugs which included cocaine, LSD, amphetamine, and heroin; but the toxicology results from Bourdain's postmortem were negative for narcotics