As the lead singer of US rock band Queens of the Stone Age, Josh Homme knows too well the vices of being on the road, the lure of late nights and eating out constantly. That’s why when he’s back at home in Malibu, he’s all about cooking fish on the barbecue for a protein hit, vegetables in the air fryer for the kids, and drizzling balsamic vinegar from Italy on just about everything else.

With his band in Australia for a national tour to promote their latest album In Times New Roman, you might find Homme at his favourite Melbourne strip, Degraves Street in the CBD, where eggs benedict, an espresso and people-watching is his favourite activity.

But it’s the finer things in life the 50-year-old has come to appreciate, thanks to a 15-year friendship with the late chef, food writer and television personality Anthony Bourdain that created a culinary road map he’s still chasing.

From the signature roast bone marrow and parsley salad at chef Fergus Henderson’s London restaurants St. John to foam-topped dishes in Copenhagen, Homme says his appetite for quality ingredients is all thanks to Bourdain.

“There’s a rule that my good friend Tony Bourdain taught me that I stick to. He used to say to me, ‘Season a little harder please’.”

“Tony and I loved dining out all the time. It could be a hole-in-the-wall spot or somewhere way fancy,” says Homme.

“Fifteen years of friendship meant I got to learn a lot from him and really appreciate food. Tony and I would dine at Osteria Mozza in LA. I’ll never forget the tomahawk rib-eye porcini-encrusted steak. Normally, a steak shouldn’t be touched, but this was beyond and out of this world. I still remember it.”

Eating in

Favourite go-to meal at home

I have been cooking a lot of swordfish and salmon. My preference is for fattier fish in a pan on the barbecue. I like to cook the fish in its own fat on high heat and not add anything extra. Basting fish in its own fat is my favourite flavour. I also like to cook vegies with lots of garlic.

Guilty pleasure

It’s chocolate chip cookie dough.

Kitchen wisdom

There’s a rule that my good friend Tony Bourdain taught me I stick to. He used to say to me, ‘Season a little harder please’. I think that was very restaurant of Tony – more butter and more seasoning whenever he was around. I have taken that with me in life, and I always tell my mum to season more when she’s cooking too – that way, no one touches the salt and pepper shakers on the table.

Eating out

Angelini Osteria in Los Angeles – this place on Beverley Boulevard makes a lasagne I simply can’t avoid. I don’t eat much of them these days, but if I am in the mood to eat whatever I want, I’ll come here and order one. I generally don’t like lasagne, but I do like it when you find a place that has found a way to make you like it.

Favourite bar

I love Cherry Bar in Melbourne and have had a lot of nights I don’t remember there. I owned Monty Bar in LA with my business partner Rio Hackford (son of the late Oscar-winning director Taylor Hackford, who is married to Helen Mirren), who passed away in April 2022. We have since sold it. It was a great place because it was dark, had high ceilings and it felt small. It was all about the lighting for me, as the booze is all the same. Rio and I started it together, so it was special for me in that sense. It was nice to own a house of vice.

Favourite local spots in Malibu

I love a place called Italia Deli. Delis are not created equal. Some people consider them to be like pizza, that even the worst is OK, but Italia Deli in Calabasas is incredible. When you can get a sandwich here, they scoop the centre of the roll out to allow for more filling.

There’s a local place I go to every day, but it’s about the people not so much the place. It’s called Le Cafe De La Plage – I jokingly refer to it as “the plague”. It’s where a group of us meet for coffee every morning and I always order an oat milk latte.

Don Cuco is a place I love to go to. They make fajitas with charred onions just the way I like them – brutalised and charred. They’re served on a sizzling cast iron and the vegetables have been pulverised – just how I like to eat them.

Tacos 1986 makes real street food tacos you get on the street. They took the same colours as the In & Out Burger chain, simplified their menu and they make delicious tacos. It’s simple – coriander, onion, habanero and guacamole on a corn tortilla with a meat of your choice. They make a delicious mushroom and chicken taco.

Favourite food city

Tokyo, Japan. I can’t live without going to Roppongi Robataya. It’s not the best place I have ever been to, but it’s the one where I truly feel the Japanese culture and the most comfortable because it’s small. The chefs are on their knees around an open flame and all ingredients are laid on ice before you – they pluck items and send them toward you to eat. It’s across the street from another favourite spot live music spot, Abbey Road Bar – they have the greatest Beatles cover band playing 24/7. It’s such a fun place I always head to with my band.

Queens of the Stone Age are currently touring Australia and New Zealand on their End of Nero tour. Find tickets.