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I don‘t know why I liked this so much, but I did! The restaurant industry is messed up and DC touches on so much of it. Hopefully things are slowly but surely changing. Great read! (39)
⭐️: 3.75/5

I had previously seen chef David Chang of Momofuku fame on one of the shows he did, where he seemed affable and easy-going. It was a real shock to read this memoir and get a glimpse of a complicated, driven individual who has struggled to understand the depression and rage that have driven him throughout his career, sometimes at great cost. He seems genuinely baffled by his own success and the strokes of good fortune that saved him at key moments.

Hard not to draw parallels between books by Korean American iconoclastic chefs, having just read Buttermilk Graffiti, but David Chang's is much more straightforwardly a memoir.
For all that it starts out with moments from his childhood and follows a rough chronology, there's something breathless and frenetic in the structure that makes sense when you realize exactly how passionate, how historically-fed-by-choas this personality is. 1/?

March 30, 2023 Im basically done with this book. I would give this book a 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. The writing is pretty good. There are some slow points in the book but the storytellling aspect is good. Give this a read if you enjoy memoirs.

March 30, 2023 On page 200 out of 263. I have been loving how David Chang writes. He probably will be a new author that I read more of in the future. But so far, his writing has been a rollercoaster ride for me. He has been through ups and downs his whole life. Despite that, he tries to do the best he can as a chef. Something humorous is that he named his fast food restaurant Fuku; a riff on Momofuku for everyone who took him for granted

March 29, 2023 I probably read the most depressing chapter of the book. The chapter is titled Thirty Five. During this time, David Chang was working in a restaurant called Seiōbo. This was a time that he dreaded and wished he could have experienced differently. Many people close to him (mom, dad, friend, and another friend) had been ill or died. Mom had a tumor in her brain, dad had liver cancer, and his two friends died due to separate issues.

March 29, 2023 Part Two: DOWN AND BACK AGAIN Wow Listers... before I read the second half, I feel like it will be going deeper into the manic episodes and emotions that David Chang felt but did not talk about in Part One. Part One mainly covered his experiences and travels around world with cooking. It also talked about how he was influenced by the chefs he met.

March 28, 2023 I am on page 116 of the book. On page 115, David Chang shares a life lesson: "If you hold on too tightly to what you have, it'll only hurt more once it's gone, and from an early age, I've had an overwhelming fear that it can all be taken away." This can happen to anyone in any field they pursue; especially if it is a job that you like a lot!

March 26, 2023 Before my Spring Break begins, I will give a update on the book. I am on page 60 out of 286. It has been very interesting because 1) I love food and I love reading memoirs with food in them AND 2) I feel like this man, David Chang, had a hard life as a Korean American growing up with a brother and parents who did not really take care of him well when he was younger. He was not that close with his mom but he was close with his dad

#12BooksOf2022

When I went to make my July pick, I realized I didn‘t finish a single book that month. I was off excavating so not totally—but definitely a little—surprising work kept me busy. So, here are 3 favorite covers instead. The tagged book is a fascinating memoir with a cover that says a lot. I liked the UK cover of Lessons in Chemistry so much I had to have it & Fire Keeper‘s Daughter is just very cool.

@Andrew65

This week‘s nonfiction reading…

#fourfoursin21 comestible @Lauredhel

Finished this a few days ago, and I did enjoy it overall. The focus is much more on his mental health, and less on food, than I was expecting. Which isn't a criticism.

Time to catch up on his Netflix shows.

Another day, another apple cider, and starting a new book. I've been looking forward to this one.

I really wanted to finish the year without another DNF, but I couldn't take this anymore. I understand he has issues, but the overall tone was so whiny I just couldn't do it any more. On to other books...

Listened to this twice and I still missed bits. I need to read this with my eyes. I came in not knowing much about the author. Now I‘m a fan.

This week in new books: Only 3! A kindle bargain, Kindle points and a gift from a friend. #TBR #toomanybooks #MountTBR

I‘ve read everything by David Chang and watched all of his shows. But until I moved to Vegas I really didn‘t have a chance to enjoy one of his restaurants. Until today. My husband promised me that once things calmed down and we recovered from the move it would be the treat of all treats. And tonight I cashed in that chit and we went to Majordomo. I couldn‘t eat another bite if I tried.

As a recent transplant to Vegas, I now have access to so many of David‘s restaurants from Moon Palace to Majordomo. I absolutely loved his show “Ugly Delicious” and so far this memoir is proving just as fascinating and poignant.

Okay I love this

The rage displayed by David Chang towards his employees in this book made me so uncomfortable. I would have bailed, but this is the book I picked for a work book club. Giving a so-so because I do look forward to talking about it with my co-workers. Also the food sound delicious.

I enjoy foodie books/memoirs, but this was kind of a bust for me. I give him credit for being open/vulnerable about his mental health issues. My #bookspin for May @TheAromaofBooks

I have a food theme going on this month for my #bookspin and #doublespin picks! @TheAromaofBooks

This is going to be a long one. Bear with me.

I decided to read this book *purely* based on the cover art & clever title. I knew it was a memoir about a chef. I had no idea who David Chang was. I didn‘t know his name was, as he admits (shamefacedly), “synonymous with rage.” And because I lacked foreknowledge about his notoriety or his career in general, I also didn‘t much care about the intricacies of how his various restaurants rose to fame.👇🏻

This footnote tells me that I am not the intended audience for this book. 😅

Do I *know* who Nathan Fillion is?! He presumes the answer (from his readers) is “no.” Listen: as a rabid Buffy fan, OF-FUCKING-COURSE I know who Nathan Fillion is. 😂

Now...did I know who David Chang was before the cover & title of his memoir lured me in? Hard no.

Eat a peach, drink a raspberry.

I had to abandon my reading plan when I realized this is due at the library later this week. I really like it so far!

You‘ll enjoy it if you‘re big into cooking.

This book was so honest, heartbreaking, and inspiring. A customer at the bookshop recommended it to me and I‘m so glad I listened. Found myself in tears multiple times. It‘s not just about the restaurant industry and not just for foodies. It‘s about Chang‘s struggle with mental health and his very earnest desire to identify and overcome his shortcomings. Haven‘t been moved by a book like this in a long time.

Look at the sun! ☀️

I also finally mailed those books to you, @CoffeeK8 & @The.Great.Catsby 📦📬!

Saturday sun spot reading!

I love a chef memoir or any memoir re: the restaurant world. I miss Bourdain but David Chang‘s book is brilliant even if he has trouble owning his brilliance and success. It is honest and forward thinking and has a fair perspective of his industry and where it can be better. I have never eaten in one of his restaurants but I will one day.Until then, I have a new friend to follow in the book and restaurant world!

New audio book. Memoirs are so popular... Let's see if I like it better in audio

"We may not be able to reject our fortune or fate, but we can reject how we approach it. Every day, we have the chance to kill the way the world sees us and push the boulder up the hill with a big, fat smile on our faces. To live life without amends."

Thoroughly enjoyed David Chang's honest memoir recounting the moments that have formed his perspective.

Did a little 1-click shopping this morning! Great kindle deals.

My second chef memoir in a short amount of time. This one felt more like Chang was trying to explain himself and his success.

I took a detour from the audiobook to watch Ugly Delicious ( season2) and a few episodes of Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Good decision😉Through the Netflix series I was able to get a fuller picture of David Chang. David is definitely a larger than life presence. He‘s gregarious, quick witted, amiable but also manic and short tempered. And in raw honesty, David shares his dark side alongside his openness and eagerness to please and create. 👇🏼

OMG!!!THIS IS SO GOOD!!!! Im taking a break from listening to the audio to watch Ugly Delicious on Netflix. Im hooked!!! I‘ve cried twice already because David Chang is so incredibly human. Ahhhh! Im SO HAPPY to discover a new Netflix series. Thanks for the recommendation @britt_brooke 💚💚💚

Started this memoir last night on the recommendation from @britt_brooke
I‘m not really familiar with David Chang , aside from remembering the buzz around Momofuku, but it seems EVERYONE else is a fan
He is certainly a larger than life personality 😉 Using for #pop21 #SetInARestaurant #Booked21 #ColorInTitle #NonFictionChallenge21

Very entertaining so far

Pretty good but I am burnt out of service industry memoirs

About to get started on this book. I don‘t know too much about it other than it‘s a food memoir. The title and cover drew me in

Although this was meant to be advice for business-owners, I feel like this was very applicable to me as a teacher. I see so many others who have been in the profession for years and refuse to change their lessons, strategies, etc. I'll do my best to always accept critical feedback and be self-reflective. I don't want to be complacent.

The bookmark was an unplanned but ironic addition to our waiting room book supply. 😂 Anyone else hate going for an oil change? I'm always worried they're going to yell at me for something. 😢

If you dare to eat a peach, you are willing to accept the outcome, knowing full well that you can always change your shirt. Much like the dichotomies of life, a peach is both sweet and sour, soft and hard, smooth and fuzzy. 🍑

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Memoir + Momofuku. Chang‘s narration is causal, smart, and at times, brash. It felt like watching an extended episode of Ugly Delicious. Among other profound points, he openly discusses mental health struggles, owning mistakes, and enduring cultural appropriation. I cried when he spoke of his friendship with Bourdain; the loss still so raw. The culinary world seems like another universe. Memoir builds empathy. It‘s why I love the genre.

I appreciate the honest and raw truth the author shared about his growing pains, self struggles, and career crisis battling in the food industry. I appreciate his vulnerability of owning his identity and the journey of growing to be a better person thru some darkness. You won‘t know who David Chang really is and what his personal story is about, thru that always energetic and smiley “facade” in his Netflix food shows, until this book.

Got these for hubby!

Apparently I'm into memoirs. I'm rarely disappointed after reading one, and I wasn't with this one either. I didn't know much about David Chang prior to reading this, but I plan to watch his Netflix show and look up his restaurants. There's much about his early career, things he's learned as a chef, and also about his struggles with mental illness. I listened to the #audiobook narrated by the author which was well done.