David Chang Biography

American chef and TV personality

David Chang (Korean: Chang Seok-ho 장석호; born August 5, 1977) is an American restaurateur, author, podcaster, and television personality. He is the founder of the Momo*u restaurant group. In 2009, Momo*u Ko was awarded two Michelin stars, which the restaurant has retained each year since. In 2011, he co-founded the influential food magazine Lucky Peach, which lasted for 25 quarterly volumes into 2017. In 2018, Chang created, produced, and starred in a Netflix original series called Ugly Delicious, and through his Majordomo Media group, he has produced and/or starred in more television and podcasts. On November 29, 2020, he became the first celebrity to win the $1,000,000 top prize for his charity, Southern Smoke Foundation, and the fourteenth overall million dollar winner on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

Early life and education

Chang was born in Arlington, Virginia, the son of Korean parents, mother Woo Chung Hi "Sherri," who was born in Kaesong, and Chang Jin Pil, later Joseph P. Chang, who was born in Pyongyang. Chang grew up in Arlington, with two older brothers and one sister. Chang's parents emigrated from Korea as adults in the 1960s. As a child, Chang was a compe*ive golfer who participated in a number of junior tournaments. Chang attended Georgetown Prep and then Trinity College, where he majored in religious studies. After graduating from college, Chang pursued a variety of jobs, including teaching English in *an, then bussing tables and holding finance positions in New York City.

On a 2022 episode of the TV series Finding Your Roots, it was revealed that one of Chang's paternal ancestors was Jang Bogo, a famous mariner and military leader of the Medieval Korean kingdom of Silla.

Culinary training and career

Pork ramen dish from Momo*u Noodle BarMomo*u pork buns, the restaurant group's signature dish

Chang started attending the French Culinary Ins*ute (FCI)—now known as the International Culinary Center—in New York City in 2000. While he was training, he also worked part-time at Mercer Kitchen in Manhattan and got a job answering phones at Tom Colicchio's Craft restaurant. Chang stayed at Craft for two years and then moved to *an to work at a small soba shop, followed by a restaurant in Tokyo's Park Hyatt Hotel. Upon returning to the U.S., Chang worked at Café Boulud, where his idol, Alex Lee, had worked. But Chang soon grew "completely dissatisfied with the whole fine dining scene".

In 2004, Chang opened his first restaurant, Momo*u Noodle Bar in the East Village. Chang's website states momo*u means "lucky peach", but the restaurant also shares a name with Momo*u Ando—the inventor of instant noodles.

In August 2006, Chang's second restaurant, Momo*u Ssäm Bar, opened a few blocks away. The Infatuation rated it a high 8.4/10, calling the menu "inventive, exciting, and different." In March 2008, Chang opened Momo*u Ko, a 12-seat restaurant that takes reservations ten days in advance, online only, on a first-come-first-served basis. Later that year, Chang expanded Momo*u Ssäm Bar into an adjacent space with his colleague Christina Tosi, whom he had hired to run Momo*u's pastry program. They named the new space Momo*u Milk Bar, serving soft serve, along with cookies, pies, cakes and other treats, many of these inspired by foods Tosi had as a child.

In May 2009, it was reported that Momo*u Milk Bar's Crack Pie, Cereal Milk, and Compost Cookies were in the process of being trademarked. In October 2009, Chang and former New York Times food writer Peter Meehan published Momo*u, a highly anticipated cookbook containing detailed recipes from Chang's restaurants. In May 2010, Chang opened Má Pêche in midtown Manhattan.

In November 2010, Chang announced the opening of his first restaurant outside the US in Sydney, Australia. Momo*u Seiōbo opened in October 2011 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." The restaurant was awarded three hats from the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide in its first year and was named Best New Restaurant.

In March 2011, Chang announced that he would be bringing Momo*u to Toronto, and opened it in late 2012. The restaurant is located in a three-story gl* cube in the heart of downtown Toronto. Momo*u Toronto is made up of three restaurants, Noodle Bar, Daishō and Shōtō, as well as a bar, Nikai. Daishō and Shōtō closed in late 2017, and the space was refurbished. A new Momo*u restaurant, Kojin, opened in the space in 2018.

Chang launched *u, a chain of fast food restaurants specializing in fried chicken sandwiches, in June 2015. In 2016, Chang launched his first digital-only restaurant, which offers a menu only for delivery in Midtown East and takes orders taken via an app named Ando. Later in 2016, Chang participated in a project hosted by a Silicon Valley startup named Impossible Foods. He prepared food that was later added on the menu of one of his restaurants, Momo*u Nishi, as a partnership between Impossible Foods and David Chang.

In July 2017, Chang announced the opening of his first West Coast restaurant in Los Angeles. The restaurant, Majordomo, opened in January 2018. In May 2017, Chang announced the opening of a new restaurant at the Hudson Yards development in New York. In June 2018, Má Pêche closed after operating for 8 years.

On December 30, 2019, Chang opened the 250-seat Majordomo Meat & Fish restaurant in The Palazzo tower of The Venetian Las Vegas. In March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Momo*u restaurant group made the decision to temporarily close its restaurants. Later that year, they decided to consolidate some restaurants, and permanently close Momo*u Nishi in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, and Momo*u CCDC in Washington, D.C. In 2021 they also closed Momo*u Seiōbo in Sydney.Chang's Majordomo and Moon Palace closed at Palazzo on June 6, 2022.Momo*u Ssäm Bar closed September 30, 2023.Chang's two-Michelin starred restaurant Momo*u Ko, located in New York, NY, closed on November 4, 2023.

Media career

Television

In 2010, he appeared in the fifth episode of HBO's Treme alongside fellow chefs Tom Colicchio, Eric Ripert and Wylie Dufresne. His presence on the show was expanded in the second season when one of the characters, a New Orleans chef who has moved to New York City, takes a job in his restaurant. Chang has also served as a guest judge on the reality show Top Chef: All Stars. In 2011, he was a guest judge on MasterChef Australia. Chang hosted the first season of the PBS food series The Mind of a Chef, which was executive produced by Anthony Bourdain and premiered in the fall of 2012. In September 2013, David appeared on a skit on the Deltron 3030 album, Event 2. In 2016, he guest starred as himself in the IFC series Do*entary Now! episode "Juan Likes Rice & Chicken", a parody of Jiro Dreams of Sushi. In 2018, Chang created, produced, and starred in a Netflix original series, Ugly Delicious. Chang also appeared in two episodes of the BuzzFeed web series Worth It, and another Netflix series The Chef Show, produced by his friends Roy Choi and Jon Favreau. In 2019, he produced a Netflix original *led "Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner" with guest stars including Seth Rogen and Kate McKinnon. He also appeared in the Blue's Clues & You! episode "Welcome to Blue's Bistro" in the Mailtime segment. He hosted the do*entary film series The Next Thing You Eat. David Chang appeared as a fictionalized version of himself in the Apple TV+ original series Loot.

Writing

In summer 2011, David Chang released the first issue of his Lucky Peach food magazine, a quarterly publication created with Peter Meehan and published by McSweeney's. The theme of Issue 1 was Ramen. Contributors included Anthony Bourdain, Wylie Dufresne, Ruth Reichl, and Harold McGee. The theme of Issue 2 is The Sweet Spot, and Issue 2 reached #3 on the New York Times bestsellers list. Contributors to Issue 2 include Bourdain, Harold McGee, Momo*u Milk Bar's Christina Tosi, Daniel Patterson and Russell Chatham. Issue 3: Chefs and Cooks, was released on March 13 and was also a New York Times bestseller. Each subsequent issue continued to focus on a particular theme.

Lucky Peach discontinued after 25 issues in 2017.

Podcast

He has his own show on the Ringer podcast network (The Dave Chang Show). He also is a host on a spin off called The Recipe Club with guest host Chris Ying.

Public persona

Epicurious described Chang as having a "bad-boy at*ude" for having no reservations or 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."

David Chang serves on the Food Council at City Harvest and the Culinary Council at Food Bank for New York City, two hunger-relief organizations. He is also a member of the board of trustees at MOFAD, the Museum of Food and Drink in New York City.

Publications

David Chang; Peter Meehan (October 27, 2009). Momo*u. Clarkson N Potter Publishers. ISBN:978-0-307-45195-8.
David Chang; Chris Ying; Peter Meehan (2011-05-2017). Lucky Peach.
David Chang; Gabe Ulla (2020-09-08). Eat a Peach.
David Chang; Priya Krishna (October 26, 2021). Cooking at Home or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Recipes (And Love My Microwave): A Cookbook. Clarkson N Potter Publishers/Ten Speed. ISBN:9781524759254.

Restaurants

Momo*u

2004: Momo*u Noodle Bar (New York, NY)
2006: Momo*u Ssäm Bar (New York, NY)
- Booker and Dax – located in Ssäm Bar (New York, NY)
2008–2023: Momo*u Ko (New York, NY)
2010–2018: Má Pêche – located in Chambers Hotel (New York, NY)
2011–2021: Momo*u Seiōbo – located in The Star (Sydney, Australia)
2012–2022: Momo*u (Toronto, Canada) – included Momo*u Noodle Bar, Nikai, Daishō and Shōtō
- Noodle Bar (Toronto, Canada)
- Nikai (Toronto, Canada)
- Daishō (Toronto, Canada)
- Shōtō (Toronto, Canada)
2015–2020: Momo*u CCDC (Washington, DC)
2016–2020: Momo*u Nishi (New York, NY)
2017: Momo*u Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV)
2018: Majordōmo (Los Angeles, CA)

*u

2015: *u – East Village (New York, NY)
2015: *u+ – Midtown; located in Chambers Hotel (New York, NY)
2017: *u – Financial District (New York, NY)
*u – Battery Park City (New York, NY)
*u – Madison Square Garden (New York, NY)
*u – Citi Field (Queens, NY)
*u – Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, FL)
*u - Hudson Yards (New York, NY)
*u - Chancery Market (Wilmington, DE)

Milk Bar

2008: Momo*u Milk Bar – East Village (New York, NY)
Momo*u Milk Bar – Midtown (New York, NY)
Momo*u Milk Bar – Williamsburg (Brooklyn, NY)
Momo*u Milk Bar – Upper West Side (New York, NY)
Momo*u Milk Bar – Carroll Gardens (Brooklyn, NY)
2012: Milk Bar (Toronto, Canada)
2015: Milk Bar (Washington, DC)
2017: Milk Bar (Las Vegas, NV)
2018: Milk Bar (Los Angeles, CA)
2019: Milk Bar & Pizza (Cambridge, MA)

Moon Palace

2020-2022: Moon Palace (Las Vegas, NV)

James Beard Foundation Awards

2006 James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year Nomination
2007 James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year
2008 James Beard Best Chef New York City for Momo*u Ssäm Bar
2009 James Beard Best New Restaurant for Momo*u Ko
2010 Momo*u – Cookbook Nomination
2012 James Beard Outstanding Chef (nominated)
2013 James Beard Outstanding Chef
2014 James Beard Foundation Who's Who in Food and Beverage in America

The S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants

The S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants: Momo*u Ko – #65 (2011)
The S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants: Momo*u Ssäm Bar – #37 (2012)
The S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants: Momo*u Ko – #79 (2012)
The S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants: Momo*u Ssäm Bar– #86 (2013)
The S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants: Momo*u Ssäm Bar- #64 (2014)

Michelin

Ko:: 2 Michelin Stars for 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 Michelin Guide: Momo*u Ssäm Bar and Momo*u Noodle Bar, Michelin Bib Gourmands Guide to NYC

The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide

Momo*u Seiōbo – Three Hats (2013)
Momo*u Seiōbo – Best New Restaurant (2013)

Additional awards and accolades

2013 Momo*u Seiōbo, Restaurant of the Year
2013 Momo*u Shōtō and Daishō, The Best New Toronto Restaurants
2012 Momo*u, The Most Important Restaurant in America
2012 Momo*u Ko, Five Most Influential Restaurants of the Past Six Years
2012 Momo*u Seiōbo, Time Out Restaurant of the Year
White Guide (March 2012) – Global Gastronomy Award 2012
Crain's New York (March 2011) – 40 Under 40
2010 Time 100 Most Influential People
Food & Wine 2006 Best New Chef
Bon Appe*'s 2007 Chef of the Year
GQ's 2007 Chef of the Year

Criticisms

In 2021, David Chang attempted to trademark "SSÄM SAUCE" but was rejected on grounds of too generic. The trademark attempt has since been abandoned.

In 2024, David Chang's company, Momo*u, drew criticism after sending cease and desist notices over the use of their trademark "chili crunch". In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, Momo*u argued that the trademark was not intended to stifle any compe*ion surrounding the sauces, stating that "When we created our product, we wanted a name we could own and intentionally picked 'Chili Crunch' to further differentiate it from the broader chili crisp category." On April 12, Chang issued a public apology regarding the issue on his podcast, The Dave Chang Show, stating that Momo*u had not intended to upset with their legal actions, and noted that Momo*u would no longer attempt to enforce the trademark.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to David Chang.

Momo*u
David Chang at IMDb
Dave Chang on Twitter

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