David Chang – The Art of Doing

Art of Doing Talk at SXSW ’14: “The Power of Failure” Monday, March 10 Austin TX

We’ll be speaking at SXSW Interactive Conference, Austin TX, March 10th

What happened to Momofuku’s David Chang before he became a foodie god? What drove Zappos’ CEO Tony Hsieh to create one of the world’s greatest company cultures?

The high achievers we interviewed for our book failed more because they tried more. And because they tried more, they’ve been able to succeed at goals that they may have never imagined possible for themselves. In our talk at South by Southwest Interactive ’14 we’ll discuss some of the science and art of failure—everything from frivolous failures to 9/11—to find out how some people collapse in the face of failure while others use it as motivation.

Join us and/or spread the news. Follow us on Twitter to get reports from SXSW14. Continue reading “Art of Doing Talk at SXSW ’14: “The Power of Failure” Monday, March 10 Austin TX”

David Chang: An Artist’s Interpretation

Momofuku’s David Chang has a nearly insane work ethic that rivals that of the late great Godfather of Soul.

Momofuku chef/restaurateur David Chang as illustrated by Scott Menchin

The Art of Doing Artist’s Interpretation Project is a collaboration between us and artists who depict superachievers from our book, “The Art of Doing.”

David Chang’s nearly insane work ethic rivals that of the Godfather of Soul. Working his way through some of New York City’s finest restaurant kitchens in his mid-20’s with cooks “as badass as Navy Seals,” Chang told us that he believed he’d never be a great chef—at least not in the classic sense. Instead he had to find his own voice. Every since he’d been a kid he’d been obsessed with noodles. So he quit his high-end kitchen job and went on a noodle quest, apprenticing himself to soba and ramen noodle makers in Japan. When he returned, he opened his first restaurant, Momofuku Noodle Bar, in a tiny space in the East Village no bigger than a one-car garage. His goal was to make a humble bowl of noodle soup made with 4-star chef technique. Continue reading “David Chang: An Artist’s Interpretation”

The Secret Ingredient for Success

What does self-awareness have to do with a restaurant empire? A tennis championship? Or a rock star’s dream?

Our story in the Sunday Review of The New York Times, January 2013

What does self-awareness have to do with a restaurant empire? A tennis championship? Or a rock star’s dream?

David Chang’s experience is instructive.

Mr. Chang is an internationally renowned, award-winning Korean-American chef, restaurateur and owner of the Momofuku restaurant group with eight restaurants from Toronto to Sydney, and other thriving enterprises, including bakeries and bars, a PBS TV show, guest spots on HBO’s “Treme” and a foodie magazine, Lucky Peach. He says he worked himself to the bone to realize his dream — to own a humble noodle bar.

He spent years cooking in some of New York City’s best restaurants, apprenticed in different noodle shops in Japan and then, finally, worked 18-hour days in his tiny restaurant, Momofuku Noodle Bar.

Mr. Chang could barely pay himself a salary. He had trouble keeping staff. And he was miserably stressed. Continue reading “The Secret Ingredient for Success”

Inside the Mind of David Chang:
A Restaurateur’s Word Cloud

What does it take to make a great restaurant? From this Word Cloud, based on our interview with David Chang, chef/owner of Momofuku restaurant group, for our book, “The Art of Doing,” we can see what matters most to this award-winning Korean-American restaurateur.

Frequency is the currency of a word cloud. The more a word is repeated, the larger it appears in the cloud. Click here to see the interactive version.

What does it take to make a great restaurant? From this word cloud, based on our interview with David Chang, chef/owner of Momofuku restaurant group, for our book “The Art of Doing,” we can see what matters most to this award-winning Korean-American restaurateur. Rather than the reality TV caricature of a pathological screaming chef, Chang’s focus on words such as ‘work,’ ‘love,’ ‘good,’ ‘care,’ ‘make,’ ‘hard,’ ‘great’ and ‘open’ reveal his obsessive devotion to food as well as those who prepare and eat it. His concern for co-workers, customers and all that occurs within his kitchens and what goes out of them borders on the religious. His words even hint at the feelings of a doting mother serving her family. Is it any wonder that the combination of Chang’s priestly devotion, his culinary brilliance and killer work ethic is impressing critics, attracting talented staff and feeding a growing number of happy customers in country after country?

Read our story on David Chang and “The Secret Ingredient for Success” in The New York Times here. Check out artist/illustrator Scott Menchin’s Art of Doing Artist Interpretation of David Chang here.

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