David Chang is a restaurateur, television personality, podcaster, and author. He is known for being the founder of the Momofuku restaurant group and for appearing in multiple television series. Although he is a well-known personality, especially in America, there are many facts about David Chang that people do not know. Here are some fun David Chang facts that you may find interesting to read.
David Chang Facts: His Personal Life
Where Was David Chang Born?
David Chang was born in Vienna, Virginia, on 5 August 1977. His parents are from Korea and immigrated to the United States in the 1960s. Chang has one sister and two older brothers. When he was growing up, Chang’s parents had two restaurants and a golfing goods warehouse.
Did David Chang Go to University?
Chang attended Georgetown Prep and then studied at Trinity College in Hartford, where he majored in Religious Studies. He undertook his culinary training at the French Culinary Institute, now called the International Culinary Center, in New York City.
Is David Chang Married?
One of the David Chang facts that people want to know is ‘who is David Chang’s wife?’ David Chang has been married to Grace Seo Chang since 2017.
Does David Chang Have Children?
David Chang and his wife Grace have one son, Hugo, who was born in 2018.
What Is David Chang’s Net Worth?
David Chang’s career success means that he is one of the richest celebrity chefs in the world. As David Chang’s net worth is $60 million, he shares a position on the list with Bobby Flay. Chang is wealthier than Levi Roots, Marco Pierre White, and Guy Fieri. However, he is not as wealthy as Alan Wong, Jamie Oliver, Thomas Keller, Wolfgang Puck, Rachael Ray, Nobu Matsuhisa, or Emeril Lagasse.
Where Does David Chang Live?
For many years, David Chand lived in New York City. However, he and his family moved to Los Angeles several years ago.
He Taught English in Japan
After graduating from college, David Chang worked in many jobs before pursuing a career in the food industry. One of the David Chang facts that people might not know is that he spent some time teaching English in Japan. Some of his other jobs included bussing tables and working in finance in New York City.
Facts About David Chang: His Culinary Career and Restaurants
He Started Working in Kitchens During His Training
While Chang was undertaking his culinary training at the French Culinary Institute, he worked two part-time jobs. One was at the Mercer Kitchen in Manhattan, and the other was answering the phones at Craft, a restaurant owned by Tom Colicchio. He stayed at the latter for two years.
Chang Spent Time Working in Japan
After leaving Craft, David Chang moved to Japan. He initially spent some time working in a soba shop, then worked at Park Hyatt Hotel, which is one of the best hotels in Tokyo. After he returned to the United States, he worked at Café Boulud.
David Chang Opened his First Restaurant in 2014
The first restaurant that David Chang opened was Momofuku Noodle Bar. He opened the East Village restaurant in 2004. There are two reasons that he chose the name. The first is that Momofuku means ‘lucky peach.’ Second, it is the name of Momofuku Ando who invented noodles. Chang opened his second restaurant several blocks away two years later.
He Opened His First Restaurant Outside of the United States in 2010
After expanding to various locations in the United States, Chang decided to expand his restaurant empire further. His first international location to open was in Sydney, Australia. A year later, he opened another restaurant in the Star City Casino. Chang has said he has fallen in love with Australia and the food scenes in Melbourne and Sydney.
He Has a Chain of Fast Food Restaurants
In 2015, Chang launched a chain of fast-food restaurants. The chain specialises in fried chicken sandwiches.
Chang’s Career in the Media
Chang’s First Television Appearance Was in 2010
Although he was already well-established in the culinary industry by the 2000s, David Chang did not appear on television until 2010. His first appearance on television was in an episode of season one of the HBO series ‘Treme.’
He Starred in a Netflix Original Series
David Chang is now probably best known for ‘Ugly Delicious,’ which is a Netflix original series that Chang created, starred in, and produced. He has also appeared in The Chef Show, which is another Netflix series.
He Has Been a Guest Judge on Two Cooking Competitions
David Chang was a guest judge on MasterChef Australia in 2011, alongside regular judges Gary Mehigan, Matt Preston, and George Calombaris. He has also been a guest judge on ‘Top Chef: All-Stars.’
He Has Published Two Books
David Chang has published one cookbook in 2009 called ‘Momofuku.’ He has also released his memoir, ‘Eat a Peach,’ in 2020. In his memoir, Chang talked about his difficult relationship with his father, his long-term struggles with anger and depression, and his diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
David Chang Has a Magazine
Chang had a magazine called ‘Lucky Peach’ that was published between 2011 and 2017. Many other chefs contributed to the magazine, including Anthony Bourdain, Daniel Patterson, Harold McGee, Christina Tosi, Russell Chatham, Ruth Reichl, and Wylie Dufresne.
Chang Hosts a Podcast
The celebrity chef has his own podcast called The Dave Chang Show, which is broadcast on the Ringer network. Chang also co-hosts a spin-off podcast called The Recipe Club with Chris Ying.
Other David Chang Facts
He Has Won Multiple Awards
Some of David Chang’s many awards include:
- Eight James Beard Foundation Awards
- Five listings in the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants
- Two restaurants listed in the Michelin Guide from 2011 to 2014
- Two Michelin stars for Ko from 2009 to 2015
- The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Three Hats
Chang Was a Keen Golfer as a Child
One of the David Chang facts that many fans do not know is that he was a keen golfer as a child. He even competed in junior golf tournaments.
David Chang Won One Million Dollar for Charity
Chang once took part in a celebrity version of ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ Celebrity participants of the game show can win up to one million dollars for a charity of their choice. David Chang became the first celebrity ever to reach the million-dollar stage and won the jackpot. The money went to his charity, Southern Smoke Foundation.
That is not a picture of David Chang.
You are absolutely correct! We apologize for this mistake, and thanks for highlighting the issue. It was an image of a lawyer with the same name that was posted in error. The original image posted has now been replaced with an image of the correct David Chang. Thanks, again. The Fruity Tart