I have a chef crush and I’m not ashamed
A little too heavy, a little too sweaty. But still: could David Chang pose a threat to my marital bliss?
Crush
I have a soft spot for TV chefs, and so I’ve spent uuuuuurs of my life watching and listening to Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson and the late Anthony Bourdain. When the latter passed away, it affected me deeply; the revelation that someone who, in my eyes, had the most beautiful job in the world could nevertheless be so lonely and sad that it wasn’t enough to make him want to carry on.
In happier news, the latest subject of my fan-girling is David Chang. Dave (to me) is an American chef of Korean heritage, and the founder of the modern Asian Momofuku empire, including Noodle Bar, Ssäm Bar and Milk Bar. I’ve never been to his restaurants, and perhaps that’s just as well for my hysteria-bordering admiration – like how you used to swoon over your Madonna poster, but no longer play her music every day.
Multitalented
But Dave, originally of pork bun fame, would never disappoint me. He’s always reinventing himself, and has by now made the journey from the East Coast to the West Coast – see, Dave understands me. I liked LA even better than NY, too. Reviews of the new Majordomo (once again a fusion of Asian cuisine and more typically American fare, with a touch of the Middle East – think chickpea-tahini purée for dipping Chinese pancakes into) have been more than glowing. The food is described as ‘fluidly multilingual’, and one reviewer writes that it is ‘intellectually, but also emotionally satisfying’. Well, then you’ve got me.
Alle menschen werden brüder
What also appealed to me so enormously about Chang’s Netflix series ‘Ugly Delicious’ (whose premise is that food which isn’t Michelin-star beautiful can still be incredibly delicious and layered) was that it reassured me somewhat that in that enormous America, a great deal of cultural assimilation actually goes well. And yes, that’s because of food. At FavorFlav, of course, we know that food is the answer to almost everything, but this was a kind of ongoing world-peace freedom feast lasting eight episodes. At least, it gave me a happy hippie feeling.
Should I stay or should I go
Of course I’m never going to leave my wonderful husband. I also get an authentic British Traditional Christmas Dinner thrown in, and you’d have to be crazy to put your annual serving of giant turkey with Brussels sprouts on the line. Besides, Dave is probably always away from home, and that doesn’t sound very cosy to me. What I do fervently hope for is an evening of letting loose completely in one of those many Chang joints. Bo ssäm pork bun, one day you’ll be mine…
Below, Dave explains how and why:
