If you’ve ever watched an episode of Netflix’s Ugly Delicious or snapped a photo of your favorite Taiwanese soup dumplings, you probably don’t need much of an introduction to David Chang. The first generation son of Korean immigrants—his father from North Korea, his mother from South–Chef Chang emerged to worldwide fame in 2004 with his genre-smashing Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York City. A pioneer in the informal-yet-diligently-authentic dining space that would soon define the aughts, the Momofuku empire quickly expanded across America and the globe. Soon his Momofuku Ko fine dining outpost notched two Michelin stars, entrenching Chang not just as a savvy restauranteur but also a highly-acclaimed chef.
While his cooking bonafides grew so too did Chang’s celebrity profile, launching Ugly Delicious and Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner on Netflix, where he traveled the world experiencing the foods of Marrakech, Vancouver and Phnom Penh. Meanwhile, Chang’s Eat a Peach memoir further engrossed fans with his direct and honest style. With food exploration and fearless travel defining two of his most integral pillars, Maxim caught up with Chang as he launches a new initiative with Chase Sapphire Reserve.
First the new Chase Sapphire Lounges springing up in a half-dozen cities across the US (Philadelphia, Boston, New York City (LGA and JFK), Phoenix, and San Diego) as well as Hong Kong, then their dedicated Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables services on OpenTable. Here they simplify booking at over 100 exclusive partner eateries across the U.S., as well as recommend lesser known options worldwide thanks to their work with the popular restaurant review siteThe Infatuation.
How did you first catch the travel bug?
I never really traveled at all [as a kid], I just played golf, and didn’t get on a plane until I think I was like 16. So I think I got the travel bug when I realized after 18 years old if I earned enough money I could travel on my own. And growing up in Northern Virginia, all I wanted to do was get out. I didn’t get into food professionally until I was like 22, and then I realized you could travel and eat. So it was like a video game, and at every level I just learned all of these things and it’s never really stopped.
The hardest part was always getting access to things, right? And I think that’s where one of the main reasons why this partnership with Chase Sapphire was so appealing because now with social media, everybody has access to where to go and what to do. It is very different from the pre-social media, pre-cell phone era. Now you’re competing with where to go and what to do and how to gain access. As you get older, it’s always about how do you plan things properly. And especially now with kids planning things, where you’re going to eat, what you’re going to do, where you’re going to stay, etc. is more difficult than ever because time is much more precious. I can’t just sit on a train for four days.
One of the bigger paradoxes of the food scene these days is the Bourdain Effect, or you see it also on Instagram. In one way it’s great because this coverage exposes restaurants to people who are really interested in gastronomy. But then those restaurants can become overwhelmed, and suddenly it’s really tough to get into them. What do you see as the positives and negatives of that exposure?
I think all tech does is sort of expedite the process, and shining a light on restaurants was not something you thought about until much later. And it is something I did talk out to Tony about quite a bit, is you effectively might change the fortunes of a restaurant. And now that happens with people on social media. So that’s what makes it difficult, the idea that information is now disseminated — It’s not just one show, it’s like there’s so many different avenues to figuring out what is good. Which is why I think getting access is so difficult, and more often than not I feel like small mom and pop businesses would rather take that road than not being busy. It’s always a double-edged sword.
Do you find yourself getting asked by all your friends where they should go in a new city?
I think one of my biggest pet peeves, I don’t want to say pet peeves, but because I’ve been fortunate enough to travel so much and be in the food world, sometimes I am the concierge, right? It’s sometimes hard because I can’t always dedicate my time to figuring all this out. So one of the best things is that Chase Sapphire knows now. I can just say, ‘Hey, here’s a couple places, but if you really want to know, just talk to the team at Chase Sapphire.’ Teaming up with EEEEEATSCON and Infatuation, they can help you make the reservation, but more importantly also differentiate your options so they’re not the same as everyone else’s.
Let’s say there’s a really popular spicy fried chicken place and the line is three hours out the door, are they able to be like, ‘Well, that’s a terrific hot chicken place, but we’ve got two other suggestions that are less crowded that might be just as good’?
I just came back from Mexico City and it was great. Whether you’re traveling or even if it’s in your hometown, you’re going to use these services. You’re going to use the information that’s available to you simply to know where people might be at. And one of the things I like to do is helping you discover the restaurant next to the restaurant that’s being talked about. It’s difficult to always get ahead of it because patterns and trends are moving at such a rapid pace, but I think more importantly the goal would be to help encourage people to sort of just use it as sort of a compass.
I remember the Mind of the Chef PBS show you did years ago where you went to Koreatown in L.A., one of the things you talk about is going to the restaurant next to the restaurant. Where did you learn that philosophy? You must get so many word-of-mouth recommendations, do you still go to a strange city and discover places, or is it all spoon-fed to you?
I mean you asked, how did I get this travel bug? It’s about being able to buy things and get access and to plan things out. I think that’s sort of how it happens. But I hope that the card encourages and empowers people to actually put down their phone too and just go out and follow your gut and taste things. And that’s ultimately the best thing to do. So it gives you a choice: if you’re intrepid enough you can go the road less traveled, or you can go the main highway as well. And there’s nothing wrong with any of that.
But not everybody wants to…look, some people just don’t have enough time. Like I said I was just in Mexico City for 72 hours and would I want to just walk and eat as many places as humanly possible? Yes, but I don’t have that luxury now. So sometimes you just need to know where the hits are going to be as well. So I don’t want to tell anybody how to eat, but at the end of the day, you can choose your own adventure with the Chase card, that’s for sure.
What were a couple of your favorite spots in Mexico City? Did you go to Handshake speakeasy?
I did. It really is maybe the best bar in the world. I love piña coladas and I had a wonderful piña colada there. And I think the drink that was most delicious was actually the non-alcoholic beverage, which was a chamomile tea. That was wonderful.
We had the Thai Meets Mexico there where they…
Yes, with tomato and coconut!
Exactly, it’s like a Tom Yum soup, but clarified. Oh my God, that was unbelievable. So many of those ‘Top 50 Bars’ are really marketing and hype. And then every once in a while you go to one and you’re like, ‘Wow, these guys are really knocking out the park.’
It was really a joy to be there. I also had a great meal at Ultramarinos Demar, Lucho [Martínez] is the chef owner and it is fantastic. I don’t know if it’s off the beaten path, but I was not aware of it and now I am. It was wonderful.
What was the marquee dish?
Listen, they had this langostino with fideos that was… just hard, even the pictures don’t describe how delicious it is. And you can get a lot of wonderful flans in Mexico City, but that might be the best flan I’ve ever had.
What are three of your favorite food cities at the moment?
Well, I just mentioned one — I think Mexico City unequivocally so. It might be the most exciting and maybe arguably the best in North America right now. Take away obviously the joys of LA and New York, but I’m not just saying that because it’s different. It is extremely international and cosmopolitan. Also you can’t take anything away from what’s going on in Japan right now, particularly Tokyo — people are going there more than ever to eat. And I would say another international city that I don’t know gets enough attention is, I love Istanbul. I dunno if you’ve been, but it is one hell of an eating city as well.
We were there last summer. The food’s absolutely phenomenal. And the thing that all three of those cities boast is the exceptionalism of the ingredients.
100%. And since you travel so much, this is the truest thing I could possibly say today: whether you’re solo as I was before children, or if you just got to squeeze in a layover meeting, getting a great lounge is an oasis. You cherish the ability to have some comforts, a drink, or even a bite to eat. But that’s one of the things I’m most excited about as well is the growing roster of Chase Sapphire Lounges.
Something I’ve been saying forever really is food is going to change culturally when it’s good in places you least expect. And that’s 100% happening whether it’s a burger in LaGuardia, or some delicious handmade bento boxes in Haneda/Tokyo. To know you can squeeze in a Zoom call, or for whatever reason grab a bite to eat quickly before I get on the next flight, whatever. There’s so many different reasons why people want to go to a lounge, freshen up, whatever. Having a best-in-class lounge is key.
On a recently trip I was coming back home from Indonesia and there were two flights before I even got to Jakarta, and by the time I reached Singapore I was totally wiped out. And before my final flight to LA I still had 10 hours in Singapore’s Changi, which is arguably the best airport in the world to have time to kill.
Changi is clearly a lot of fun.
They have the butterfly garden, the giant waterfall, street food stalls, etc.. I was able to jump in a hot shower, change into fresh clothes, get a foot massage. It was a game-changer. What are some of the lounge elements you really enjoy?
It just makes me feel good knowing that you can get good food and you don’t have to go outside. Now listen, let’s be honest, if you’re in Changi, going outside is awesome, but a lot of times at an airport you don’t want to leave and bring your bags and come back in, etc. So I think the burger at LaGuardia was great. I’ve always said the highest compliment you can give a lounge is if you miss your flight it’s okay.
Last question: what are a couple items you travel with that make your life especially comfortable?
I mean, one is right here [lifts up partitioned electronics satchel]], I just packing this up. It is a bag designed for everything I need: all the extra batteries, every cord, every adapter. It’s like my go bag. That to me is non-negotiable because you never know, sometimes you need to carry an extra battery. I don’t use it all, but sometimes you’re in a flight and the outlet doesn’t work and you can’t charge. I’m ready for any and everything with that. And I think the other one is a good book.
What are you reading right now?
I’m reading 50 Years of Saturday Night Live. I love SNL and it was the 50th year, and I guess I’m rotating out with Lorne Michael’s bio Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live. Came out a few years ago, so I was like, before I read this, let me just brush up on everything SNL so I know all the names in the his biography.
Follow Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.
