We review Eat a Peach – the bestselling 2020 memoir penned by David Chang, the acclaimed chef. Pick up a copy here.
David Chang has made a name for himself worldwide, changing the American culinary landscape, since opening Momofuku in 2004 in New York. Since then, he has added multiple other locations, two Netflix shows and a podcast to his empire, published a cookbook and won an array of awards and accolades. In his memoir, Eat a Peach, Chang tells a story far deeper and broader than just a straight line to success, delving into his struggles with bipolar disorder, his learning journey in adapting his management and leadership style and outlines the success of his empire as a story of luck and chance as much as keeping a finger on the pulse of culinary trends and the evolving culinary landscape.
I enjoyed spending time with David Chang, in a way that felt wholly unexpected. Obviously, he has provided his own picture of his rise and rise at Momofuku – but his wit, humour and self-deprecation made the memoir deeply engaging and insightful. He is not afraid to reveal his shortcomings in full and the errors that he made in creating his own success. This is the kind of memoir that will be palatable and engaging for a far broader audience than just culinary aficionados and even for those who have heard the name ‘Momofuku,’ telling a story of an underdog and his struggles both toward success and toward his own identity and place in American society.
