by David Chang
First published 2020
David Chang opens about his journey from opening a small noodle restaurant in Manhattan's East Village in 2004 to building a global culinary empire. The son of Korean immigrants growing up in Virginia, Chang battled feelings of isolation and abandonment throughout his childhood. After graduation brought no job prospects, he persuaded his father to fund his restaurant dream. Momofuku started as an unpretentious spot serving ramen bowls and pork buns, but rave reviews and culinary awards quickly built a devoted following. Chang expanded across the U.S. and internationally, earned two Michelin stars for Ko restaurant, and launched Milk Bar bakery. By 2012, he had opened the multi-venue Momofuku building in Toronto. Yet behind this meteoric success lay a darker struggle with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Chang reveals how he avoided praise and refused awards while battling paranoia and self-doubt. This candid memoir exposes both the triumphs and failures that shaped one chef's extraordinary career, offering an unvarnished look at the personal cost of culinary ambition.
Genres: business, autobiography, memoir, biography-memoir, 21st-century, food-and-drink, food-writing, culinary
Vibes: candid, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-journey, rags-to-riches
Setting: East Village, Manhattan, Toronto, Virginia
Period: 2004, 2012
290 pages · Hardcover · Clarkson Potter Publishers
Content warnings: depression, mental-illness, suicidal-ideation