David Chang
Encyclopedia
David Chang (August 5, 1977 -) is a noted Korean-American chef
. He is chef/owner of the Momofuku restaurant group
, which includes Momofuku Noodle Bar, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, Má Pêche, Milk Bar and Momofuku Ko in New York City
, the latter for which he was awarded two Michelin stars in 2009, and Momofuku Seiōbo in Sydney
, Australia. Chang attended Georgetown Prep and then Trinity College
, where he majored in religious studies. Chang later attended the French Culinary Institute
(FCI).
In 2003, Chang opened his first restaurant, Momofuku Noodle Bar in the East Village
. Chang's website states momofuku means 'lucky peach' (Japanese
: ), but it is likely a reference to Momofuku Ando
—the inventor of instant noodles
.
In August 2006, Chang's second restaurant, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, opened a few blocks away. In March 2008, Chang opened Momofuku Ko, a 12 seat restaurant that takes reservations six days in advance, online only, on a first-come-first-served basis. The highly limited seating, along with Chang's popularity in New York, has caused a furor, generating frustration for both influential and ordinary people who have failed to secure a reservation.
In November 2008, Chang expanded Momofuku Ssäm Bar into an adjacent space, which he named Momofuku Bakery & Milk Bar, serving soft serve, along with cookies, pies, cakes and other treats. In May 2009 it was reported that Momofuku Bakery & Milk Bar's Crack Pie, Cereal Milk, and Compost Cookies are in the process of being trademarked. In April 2011, Milk Bar moved across the street from Ssäm Bar on 13th Street, and Ssäm Bar now uses the space as a bar at night and a lunch counter with a duck-focused menu during the day.
In October 2009, Chang and New York Times writer Peter Meehan published Momofuku
, a highly-anticipated cookbook containing detailed recipes from Chang's restaurants.
In May 2010, Chang opened Ma Peche in midtown Manhattan. There is a location of Milk Bar there as well.
He appeared in the fifth episode of Season One of HBO's Treme alongside fellow chefs Tom Colicchio, Eric Ripert and Wylie Dufresne. His presence on the show has expanded in the second season, as one of the characters, a chef who has moved to New York city, takes a job in his restaurant.
In November 2010, Chang announced the opening of his first restaurant outside the US in Sydney
, Australia. He is to open Momofuku Seiōbo at the redeveloped Star City Casino in Southern-hemisphere. In an article with the Sydney Morning Herald, Chang was quoted as saying: 'I've just fallen in love with Australia. I'm just fascinated by the food scene in Sydney and Melbourne. People are excited about food in Australia. It's fresh and it's energetic.' Momofuku Seiōbo opened in late October 2011.
In March 2011, Chang announced that he will bring two new restaurants to Toronto, sometime in early 2012.
Noted for his "bad-boy attitude (no reservations, no vegetarian options)", Chang created a controversy in 2009 by making dismissive remarks about California chefs, telling Anthony Bourdain
"They don’t manipulate food, they just put figs on a plate.” He was also listed on the 2010 list of the Time 100 Most Influential People
.
Chang has served as a guest judge on Top Chef: All Stars.
In 2011 he was a guest judge on Masterchef Australia.
Sydney:
Toronto:
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
. He is chef/owner of the Momofuku restaurant group
Momofuku (restaurants)
Momofuku is a group of award-winning restaurants owned by chef David Chang. The restaurants are: Momofuku Noodle Bar, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, Má Pêche, Momofuku Ko, Milk Bar and Momofuku Seiōbo...
, which includes Momofuku Noodle Bar, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, Má Pêche, Milk Bar and Momofuku Ko in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the latter for which he was awarded two Michelin stars in 2009, and Momofuku Seiōbo in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia. Chang attended Georgetown Prep and then Trinity College
Trinity College (Connecticut)
Trinity College is a private, liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1823, it is the second-oldest college in the state of Connecticut after Yale University. The college enrolls 2,300 students and has been coeducational since 1969. Trinity offers 38 majors and 26 minors, and has...
, where he majored in religious studies. Chang later attended the French Culinary Institute
French Culinary Institute
The French Culinary Institute , also known as The International Culinary Center has locations in SoHo, New York City and in the San Francisco Bay Area of California....
(FCI).
Career
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
. Chang's website states momofuku means 'lucky peach' (Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
: ), but it is likely a reference to Momofuku Ando
Momofuku Ando
, ORS, was a Taiwanese-Japanese businessman who founded Nissin Food Products Co., Ltd. He is famed as the inventor of instant noodles and cup noodles.- Early life :...
—the inventor of instant noodles
Instant noodles
Instant noodles are dried or precooked noodles and are often sold with packets of flavoring including seasoning oil. Dried noodles are usually eaten after being cooked or soaked in boiling water for 2 to 5 minutes, while precooked noodles can be reheated or eaten straight from the packet...
.
In August 2006, Chang's second restaurant, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, opened a few blocks away. In March 2008, Chang opened Momofuku Ko, a 12 seat restaurant that takes reservations six days in advance, online only, on a first-come-first-served basis. The highly limited seating, along with Chang's popularity in New York, has caused a furor, generating frustration for both influential and ordinary people who have failed to secure a reservation.
In November 2008, Chang expanded Momofuku Ssäm Bar into an adjacent space, which he named Momofuku Bakery & Milk Bar, serving soft serve, along with cookies, pies, cakes and other treats. In May 2009 it was reported that Momofuku Bakery & Milk Bar's Crack Pie, Cereal Milk, and Compost Cookies are in the process of being trademarked. In April 2011, Milk Bar moved across the street from Ssäm Bar on 13th Street, and Ssäm Bar now uses the space as a bar at night and a lunch counter with a duck-focused menu during the day.
In October 2009, Chang and New York Times writer Peter Meehan published Momofuku
Momofuku (cookbook)
Momofuku is a cookbook by American award winning chef David Chang and The New York Times food writer Peter Meehan. The book was released in October 2009 by Clarkson Potter, a subsidiary of Random House...
, a highly-anticipated cookbook containing detailed recipes from Chang's restaurants.
In May 2010, Chang opened Ma Peche in midtown Manhattan. There is a location of Milk Bar there as well.
He appeared in the fifth episode of Season One of HBO's Treme alongside fellow chefs Tom Colicchio, Eric Ripert and Wylie Dufresne. His presence on the show has expanded in the second season, as one of the characters, a chef who has moved to New York city, takes a job in his restaurant.
In November 2010, Chang announced the opening of his first restaurant outside the US in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia. He is to open Momofuku Seiōbo at the redeveloped Star City Casino in Southern-hemisphere. In an article with the Sydney Morning Herald, Chang was quoted as saying: 'I've just fallen in love with Australia. I'm just fascinated by the food scene in Sydney and Melbourne. People are excited about food in Australia. It's fresh and it's energetic.' Momofuku Seiōbo opened in late October 2011.
In March 2011, Chang announced that he will bring two new restaurants to Toronto, sometime in early 2012.
Noted for his "bad-boy attitude (no reservations, no vegetarian options)", Chang created a controversy in 2009 by making dismissive remarks about California chefs, telling Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Michael "Tony" Bourdain is an American chef, author and television personality. He is well known for his 2000 book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, and is the host of Travel Channel's culinary and cultural adventure program Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.A...
"They don’t manipulate food, they just put figs on a plate.” He was also listed on the 2010 list of the Time 100 Most Influential People
Time 100
Time 100 is an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, as assembled by Time. First published in 1999 as a result of a debate among several academics, the list has become an annual event.-History and format:...
.
Chang has served as a guest judge on Top Chef: All Stars.
In 2011 he was a guest judge on Masterchef Australia.
Restaurants
New York:- Momofuku Noodle Bar
- Momofuku Ssäm Bar
- Momofuku Ko
- Má Pêche in Chambers Hotel
- Momofuku Milk Bar (Midtown)
- Momofuku Milk Bar (East Village)
- Momofuku Milk Bar (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
- Momofuku Milk Bar (Upper West Side)
Sydney:
- Momofuku Seiōbo in The Star
Toronto:
- (2012)
Awards
- 2006 James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year Nomination
- Food & Wine 2006 Best New Chef
- 2007 James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year
- James Beard Best Chef: New York City (Five Boroughs)
- Bon Appetit's 2007 Chef of the Year
- GQ's 2007 Chef of the Year
- 2007 James Beard Best New Restaurant Nomination
- 2008 James Beard Best Chef New York City for Momofuku Ssäm Bar
- 2008 - Two Michelin Stars for Momofuku Ko
- James Beard 2009 Best New Restaurant for Momofuku Ko
Articles
- Charlie Rose interviews David Chang (video)
- New York Magazine Articles
- Food & Wine Interview with Best New Chef David Chang
- "Hungry Heart", Gourmet, October 2007 (broken link)
- Richman, Alan. "Year of the Pig", GQ Magazine, December 2007
- http://www.savorycities.com/newyork/restaurant/momofuku-ssam-bar/207-2nd-ave on Savory NY
- Chef on the Edge article in The New Yorker
- Award-Winning David Chang Revealed Washington Post, October 7, 2009
- 'iPad App or Magazine? A Chef Orders One of Each', Kimberly Chou, The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, 14 June 2011