Skip to Content

15 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Chef David Chang

Number 13 will make you question everything...

By
chef david chang
The Washington Post//Getty Images

Chances are you've eaten at a restaurant from chef David Chang's massively popular chains...or you've watched one of his shows...or seen him tagged in one of his famous chef buds' Instagrams. But do you actually know anything about him? We broke down some fun facts you should know in honor of his new Netflix show, Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

1

He is a restaurant guru.

Even if you've never heard of David Chang, you've probably heard of his restaurants—like Momofuku Noodle Bar, his first, and Fuku, one of his most recent. He's also partnered with baker Christina Tosi to open the chain Milk Bar. All in all, there are now dozens of locations around the world.

2

A tragedy helped give him the courage to open a restaurant.

David said that in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, he was inspired to take a chance and open his own restaurant.

“I had some friends who had passed away, so it was like, ‘Does anything really matter?’ Failing just seemed like a good idea at the time," he told Fortune.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
3

He is the star of more than one show.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner is David's newest show on Netflix but he also rose to fame on the show Ugly Delicious. And he'll be known for more soon because...

4

He is creating shows with Chrissy Teigen.

David and Chrissy Teigen are pals, and she appears on the first season of Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner. Earlier this year, the pair announced they'd be collaborating on all sorts of food shows for Hulu, including one called Family Style.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
5

He's apparently an amazing golfer.

Literally what can this guy not do? Turns out when he was younger he was kind of incredible at golf. So good, his dad wanted him to take a swing at going pro, but he quit.

6

He is a new dad.

David and his wife Grace welcomed their extremely cute son named Hugo in early 2019. In fact, their pal Chrissy was the one who spilled the beans publicly that Grace was pregnant. Today, Hugo makes some pretty adorable cameos on his dad's Insta.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
7

He was inspired by Wagamama.

David's very first restaurant, Momofuku Noodle Bar was apparently inspired by his time studying abroad in London and eating at the uber-popular chain, Wagamama.

8

He has tons of celeb pals.

Besides his friendship with Chrissy Teigen, celebs like Nick Kroll and the late Anthony Bourdain have graced David's Instagram feed. He also pairs up with Seth Rogen, Lena Waithe, and Kate McKinnon for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner episodes.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
9

He has quite the reputation in the food world.

David is widely known as a BIG personality in the food world. He regards himself as "not a happy guy," and frequently is regarded as a "bad boy" who drops the word "f*ck" a lot. But he's also known to mentor lots of younger chefs and be open about his struggles with his own mental health.

10

He is seriously educated.

David attended Trinity College, where he majored in Religious Studies. He then worked in finance for a bit before deciding that his passion was for food. He went on to attend the International Culinary Center. Talk about a well-rounded guy.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
11

He loves peaches!

Seriously, the man is obsessed. He's shared that his favorite Allman Brothers album is Eat a Peach, Momofuku means "lucky peach," he started a publication called just that...Lucky Peach, and recently opened a store called Peach Mart. Yeah, dude loves peaches.

12

He hates fancy beer.

Finally, a chef we can all relate to. In a column for GQ, David once wrote that one of his favorite beers is Bud Light and that he, in fact, hated "fancy beer." He once scribbled a brainstorm for a perfect beer on his Instagram, a combination of Tecate, Bud Light, and Coors Light.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
13

But he hates turkey.

One of his hotter takes is that turkey is bad and that we should all be eating short ribs for Thanksgiving. Gotta agree with him on that second part!

14

He used to run a food magazine.

As stated in a previous slide, David previously ran a food publication called Lucky Peach that sadly shuttered in 2017.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
15

He has his own podcast.

David hosts a podcast called, aptly, The Dave Chang Show, where he interviews interesting guests and gives his takes on things like food trends and pop culture.

Watch Next 
preview for Watch Our Newest Videos
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below