Jay Rayner Talks About Restaurant Criticism, Coronavirus, and Confronting His Own Mortality

Summary: In addition to writing books, playing gigs as a professional musician, hosting podcasts, performing one-man shows, and appearing on TV shows like Masterchef and Top Chef, Jay Rayner has served the last 20 years as restaurant critic for The Guardian. The question he has received with extreme regularity: "What would you eat for your last meal?" Rayner made it his business to contemplate that question, and embarked on an intercontinental journey to explore the foods that brought him the most pleasure. Rayner was recently in New York City as the first cases of coronavirus were being reported in the United States, and he sat down for a conversation about his book, the role of restaurant criticism, and supporting your local Chinatown.