Eat a Peach

A Memoir

By: David Chang

Narrated by: David Chang

Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

In 2004, Momofuku Noodle Bar opened in Manhattan's East Village. Its young chef-owner, David Chang, served ramen and pork buns to a mix of fellow restaurant cooks and confused diners whose idea of ramen was instant noodles in Styrofoam cups. It would have been impossible to know that he would become one of the most influential chefs of his generation.

Full of grace, candour, grit and humour, Eat a Peach chronicles Chang's journey, laying bare his mistakes and feelings of otherness and inadequacy. Along the way, Chang gives us a penetrating look at restaurant life, balancing his deep love for the kitchen with unflinching honesty about the industry's history of brutishness and its uncertain future.

An intimate account of the making of a chef, the modern restaurant world that he helped shape and how success can be much harder to understand than failure.

©2021 David Chang (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"David is a personal hero - funny, wise, humble, and self-aware. With Eat a Peach, he puts words to so many of the things we all feel, sharing generously of his own journey so we can all benefit in the process." (Chrissy Teigen, New York Times best-selling author of Cravings)

Great stories though he was monotone

Appreciate the stories though Dave was probably not the best option to narrate the story. He was pretty much monotone through the highs and lows.

Excellent book informative emotional and easy to.

Full Disclosure I am already a fan of David Chang of his podcast and TV shows. I appreciate his honesty about himself and the industry. I have learnt much from him and grown as a person because he has forced me to challenge several of my own preconceptions.

An ode to growth and authenticity

I was first introduced to David Chang when I was scrolling through Netflix and came across Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and pretty much binge-watched the entire series. One of my all time favourite episodes was with Seth Rogen - one, because I just love the goofiness of the man, and two - much like all of the other episodes, there is not a drip of pretension - it’s just a good time spent with real food and real conversation.

But what really started to pique my curiosity around David Chang was when I listened to his episode on Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard and Monica Padman. He spoke of many things in the restaurant industry, & mental health, ramen and the birth of Momofuku. But what stood out to me (‘til this day) was his relationship with Korean food, and how it was perceived and received by others around him during his childhood, to the point at which it embarrassed him to take his packed lunch to school. Something inside me churned because I know the feeling (being Indian and growing up with traditional dishes) of opening a lunch tin and allowing a pungent waft to escape and travel from nose to nose and be met with looks of confusion mixed with ignorance.

What I will say is that this is a book that is for anyone who dares to live their truth and challenge the status quo. Who is lost and feels alone in their struggles. Who is coming to terms with what it means to be healthy in mind and spirit. Who is looking for guidance and a firm hand.

There are invaluable lessons and words of such irrepressible wisdom, that this meditation manual in all its humility, is like writing to yourself today and tomorrow and in years to come.

David Chang is a person of the world, and what I take with me is that no matter what industry you go into - be as interested as you are interesting. The kitchen was a kind of salvation, but I think his compassion, hard work and empathy was too.

The Grace interlude is my favourite chapter piece about how David Chang met his partner and the process of allowing himself to fall all the way in love… and gosh was it breathtaking.