Chef David Chang – The Rebel Who Offers Affordable Gourmet Food

Chefs have their favorite ingredients.  It is also inevitable that they would develop a penchant for cooking specific dishes.  There are chefs who develop a liking for organic ingredients and dishes.  There are those who develop preference for meat dishes.  Now, Momofuku Ssam Bar’s chef, David Chang, certainly likes his meats.  He is what you would call a meathead chef.  If you love veggies, you probably wouldn’t like his cooking much.  You will likely spend considerable minutes frowning over his menu before you would promptly leave.  However, to people who love meat dishes, this chef is a culinary god.

Don’t get him wrong though, he does use other ingredients and he also prepares fish and vegetable dishes.  It’s just that he loves preparing and cooking meat dishes.  He is a genius at it.  He should be.  His restaurant Momofuku Ssam Bar wouldn’t have won the 31^st spot in El Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants if he is a mediocre chef.  You can probably liken Chef Chang to Fergus Henderson.  Like the world-famous chef, Chang is also adept at creating thick and savory dishes.  His culinary creations can be addicting.  He loves experimenting with fusion cuisine, and he is quite good at mixing ingredients and culinary techniques.

Chef David Chang knows how to respect cultures and take the best from them.  He is an expert on this.  After all, he is a Korean who grew up in Washington D.C.  It is fairly common for him to draw inspiration from his Korean background.  He combines Korean traditional cooking with modern cooking.

Before the creation of Momofuku Ssam Bar, Chef Chang indulged in modest cooking.  This changed after he opened his restaurant.  The operation took on a larger scale.  Demands were bigger and the stakes were even bigger.  Now, he has a world-class operation.  Accordingly, he has to push his limits.  He has to test deeper waters, and he needs to be more ambitious than ever.  All his past efforts have certainly paid off.  Landing the 31^st spot wasn’t easy, but he managed to do so anyway.  It’s just fitting for a culinary rebel.

Chef David Chang has definitely something to offer to his customers.  Not a huge fan of haute cuisine and expensive menu, he carved out a middle ground where he offers gourmet but affordable food.  His restaurant is definitely something else.  It is not McDonalds, but the food is certainly affordable.  This is certainly surprising.  We can only conclude that Momofuku Ssam Bar’s chef has more surprises up his sleeves.

Image Source:  koreanbeacon.com ; bonappetempt.com