David Chang writes a raw, sometimes painfully honest account of his early life, mental health and rage issues, that is at times compulsively readable. Other pages had me cringing at his extremely honest assessment of his sometimes terrible behavior, which makes Gordon Ramsey sound like a kindergarten teacher.
Mixed feelings about this one.

4 Revealing Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free- A Quick Review
If you have any interest in food, then you know of David Chang. His impact on the industry is huge. He has given many of the Named Chefs or Food People their start. His story is not the one line of this happened and then the success. It is layered and revealing to someone so talented has had a hard journey and is still dealing with his concerns.

I am sincerely pleased to have read this, seen what Chang has experienced, and appreciated all he has accomplished and shared.

If you have been a fan of the cooking industry and famous chef's over the last twenty years you know who David Chang is. He is a very popular and successful Chef of Korean heritage who has opened 15 restaurants across the world with groups of advisors and partners started a magazine, a podcast and show on Netflix. He is probably most well known for his first establishment Momofuku . This book covers his rise thru the industry.

David Chang also is not shy about going into his personal struggles with Bi-polar and depression how it has effected in the past and at times how he stills struggles with this condition. He goes in to deep discussion on how it has effected not only his personal life but his professional life also and steps and individuals he has used to help cope with these conditions. This being said do not go into reading this book that this is a self-help book. The only downside I seen with this book is even thought this is Mr. Chang's memoir, his story it felt a little long winded but it was a good book none the less. I received an ARC from Netgalley for a fair and honest review.

My love of ramen made me read this. My appreciation for a good book and a narrator who is honest about their faults as well as delightful descriptions of delicious food made me stay.

Eat a Peach is a treat in every way. Though I have seen Ugly Delicious and am familiar with David Chang's openness I was, frankly, shocked at his willingness to put everything out there. His issues with rage, depression, self-doubt and something like imposter syndrome and his candor in relaying this information to THE WORLD makes this memoir special.

Eat a Peach is an excellent addition to the chef memoir shelf. David Chang, the man behind the innovative restaurant Momofuku (and has since become the founder of a collection of similarly groundbreaking kitchens), talks candidly about his experiences in the food world. What set this chef memoir apart from others is his unflinching take on his own mental health that is interspersed between stories of being posted up at the bar with Anthony Bourdain, scenes of frantic energy in the kitchen, and many, many other terrific moments. I found his voice surprisingly warm and heartfelt when describing an industry that he says, is "one of the dumbest professions you can possibly enter.." but is also "the best job in the world." His 33 Rules for Becoming a Chef at the end are particularly memorable and valuable for almost all creative professions.

Warm, unflinching debut memoir by David Chang, chef and founder of Momofuku. Chang gets real about mental illness, depression, and what it takes to make it as a chef and restaurateur. His stories are honest and harrowing and often hilarious. Will appeal to foodies and readers who enjoy memoirs and travel writing. Also will probably make you want to eat noodles as soon as possible.

Well written memoir in which Chang takes an honest look at his life and gives advice on how to make it in the restaurant industry. Easy read and perfect read-alike for Kitchen Confidential fans.

David Chang starts off wondering what this book will even be about and delivers a fascinating memoir I couldn’t put down.

It’s an honest depiction of his life as a Korean-American, his mental health struggles, family relationships, becoming a chef, and opening restaurants unlike any other in the United States at the time.

While there is humour, he does not shy away from talking about the tough stuff.

CW: suicidal thoughts.

David Chang is the uber-successful head chef of many restaurants, including Momofuku, Ko, and Milk Bar. You’ve probably seen him on Netflix’s Ugly Delicious and Bravo’s Top Chef. Honestly, he’s everywhere—opening a restaurant or publishing a new cookbook like every other year. He’s a machine.

I was so excited to read his memoir, Eat a Peach. He strikes me as an intense, quiet, and interesting guy, so I was curious to know more of his story. This book isn’t what I expected it to be. In fact, it took me some time to fully process how I feel about it, but here goes.

First, the positive… I sailed through this one in no time. The book is written well and totally bingeable. Who wouldn’t love hearing all the crazy war stories from one of America’s top restauranteurs? Seriously, this guy has rubbed noses with the elite of the elite. Also, for anyone who is a chef or is considering becoming one, you’ll want to check out the “33 Rules for Being a Chef” at the back of the book. It’s one of the strongest sections by far.

So yes, lots to love. The weird thing, though, is how misled I felt when I finished reading. From the start, Chang talks about being an outcast as a child, a misfit. He describes going to therapy and struggling with depression his whole life. He sets his story up for the reader to think of him as an earnest, well-meaning, introspective “nice guy,” just doing the best he can. Even when he’s describing his rage fits and frustration in the kitchen, his all-consuming anger that is ever with him, the emphasis is on his internal struggle with feelings of unworthiness. And I’m sure that’s true—his anger probably IS fueled by his deep insecurities. But these justifications also start feeling like copouts real quick. David Chang doesn’t strike me as an especially happy person, but I think David Chang is still pretty happy with David Chang.

I’m going to assume that Chang is not being intentionally dense. I think he’s probably just a tormented soul, who oscillates between rage and despair, but has enough self-awareness to (sometimes) recognize when he’s hurt another person’s feelings. I think Chang’s main problem is that he feels justified in his rage and so doesn’t feel strongly that he needs to change (which kind of feels, uh, abusive?). I actually loved the chapter on Chang’s time spent with an executive coach who calls him out on exactly this. (And to Chang’s credit, he did choose to include this in his book, when he could have easily not.)

“You have to eat the shit,” he repeated over and over during one of our first sessions. He had the tone and zeal of a boxing trainer. “Shit tastes good!”

“What does that even mean?” I chuckled.

“Don’t laugh,” he said sternly. Marshall told me that my job wasn’t to cook food. It wasn’t about looking at numbers or commanding people, either. My company would live or die based on my capacity to eat shit and like it. “I am going to watch you eat as many bowls of shit as our time will allow,” he said. We had plenty of time.

Eating shit meant listening. Eating shit meant acknowledging my errors and shortcomings. Eating shit meant facing confrontations that made me uncomfortable. Eating shit meant putting my cell phone away when someone was talking to me. Eating shit meant not fleeing. Eating shit meant being grateful. Eating shit meant controlling myself when people fell short of expectations. Eating shit meant putting others before myself.

This last detail was important. With Dr. Eliot, I got away with describing my MO as self-destructive—my managerial tendencies were harmful, but only to me. Now, according to Marshall, I was using that assessment as cover for my poor behavior. In my mind, all the people who had left Momofuku were leaving me. When they failed at their jobs, they were betraying me. Marshall pointed out the ugly truth that this belied. I believed that the people at Momofuku were there to serve me.

On the one hand, Chang is strong enough and determined enough to never lower his expectations. Which good for him, right? But that’s a luxury, too. It’s a privilege to never have to settle in life, to never have to put someone else’s needs before your own—even if you feel depressed about it afterward. And you especially don’t get to have it both ways. If you’re a dick, be a dick…but don’t try to make me think you’re a good guy at the same time. Anyway, it will be really interesting to see what being a parent does to him. I’d love to read his next memoir, ten years from now—or better yet, his son Hugo’s memoir twenty years from now. What a fascinating story that will be.

Having devoured both seasons of Ugly Delicious, it was a pleasure getting to read David Chang's memoir. Eat a Peach provides a window into Chang's experience in the food industry and his life in general. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves food and reading about rich and unique life experiences!

This is a fascinating memoir! I've heard of David Chang and his Momofuku empire but never knew much of his early life or just how unlikely his success was. Quite an interesting look into building successful restaurants. Also he talks very frankly of his mental health struggles.

David Chang, author of Eat A Peach- A Memoir, is the oftentimes controversial chef and founder of Momofuku. Called one of “the most influential people of the 21st century” by Esquire, his restaurants have had a tremendous impact on the food world. I read an ARC of the book courtesy of NetGalley and Random House, in exchange for an honest review. I need to admit that I have never eaten at one of his many successful restaurants.

While I was familiar with Chang through his Netflix serious Ugly Delicious., I knew little about him. After reading his memoir I was left with the following: 1) I would not want to work for the chef; 2) I would not want my worst enemy to work for him, 3) he and Hell's Kitchen Chef Gordon Ramsey could be the best of friends as they have so much in common - none of it pleasant), 4) foodies will probably eat this book up but it will not be to everyone else's taste. and lastly, don't expect recipes. While he may be a foodie genius, he consistently seems to have a chip on his shoulder, suffers from an inferiority complex, and is somewhat outrageous for its own sake.This does make for some interesting reading, but the attitude gets tiresome.

Told in a frankly engaging, first-person narrative, Eat A Peach trace;s David Chang's rise to the top of the food chain - from his first noodle restaurant in NYC to becoming an acclaimed international restaurateur and media wunderkind. He shouts a lot, screams even more, tells some interesting stories (but sadly only a few), and constantly ponders why he is so mentally messed up. He warns the reader upfront that this is not the usual chef's memoir and, sadly he is right. He does point out that the best chapter of the book may be the last, where he discusses what a wannabe chef should expect going into the trade, and he is correct. That chapter is the primary reason I gave the book three stars instead of two.

I received an advanced reading copy through NetGalley.

I've been a huge fan of David Chang's for a while now. I follow him on all the social media, I've eaten at a handful of Momofuku restaurants, I own the Momo cookbook, I inhaled each episode of both of his shows as soon as they dropped, and I regularly listen to his podcast. Huge fan. Though he addresses some issues of mental health, imposter syndrome, etc. across those mediums, he really takes a deep dive in Eat a Peach.

Admittedly, he comes off as pretty abrasive and obnoxiously stubborn in the media, online, etc. He's juggles the line well between being a cocky know-it-all and super self deprecating. I think this memoir did a pretty good job in showing why he is the way he is and acts the way that he does; he's still figuring it out and takes us on that journey with him. I wasn't expecting the level of candor he delivers in this memoir, and was blown away by both his willingness to reveal everything and how well written it was for someone who constantly calls himself an idiot who knows nothing. This definitely isn't a book for someone who's looking for a guide of how to become a celebrity chef, though there are some fun little pointers at the end if you're trying to work in the restaurant industry.

The only part I could've done without is the sections where he mentions things like "I'm going to edit this out," which were then followed by a few different rambling sentences in a different font, which built off of the points that were to be edited out. It was a confusing little stretch to read, though it might present differently in a printed version of the book.

Dave Chang's personality is definitely not for everyone, but if you've found him entertaining in other realms, I think his book is a great read and gives some really good insight into his world.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC. This is dave chang's memoir about two things - his journey as a chef and restaurant owener and his struggle with manic depressive disorder. Good read!

I've heard of David Chang before, but was burnt out on celebrity chefs when he became popular so I never got familiar with his work. Since I'm out to read whatever Asian-American or Asian-focused ARCs available via publishers on Netgalley, I gave this a shot. I remember hearing that Chang was a typical asshole bro chef, and he got me in the first half, not gonna lie. If it weren't for the compelling events in the memoir, I would not have gotten to the part where Chang talks about getting professional help. That hooked me into reading the rest of the book, which recounts Chang's impressive professional and personal growth. I got teary-eyed when he recounted the last time he saw Tony Bourdain. I'm already planning on buying a copy of this book to give to a friend way more into the chef scene than I am.

As a small business owner and a person passionate about cooking and baking, I found this book inspirational. I was initially drawn to reading it by my love of Ugly Delicious and what David Chang was trying to express in terms of our collective human culture. The voice of the book was great, and I felt like I was listening to an interesting conversation between two friends. I found the discussion on mental health, a vein throughout the memoir, and obviously a vein running through David's life, particularly riveting personally to me, as someone who has also continually dealt with depression. I found myself highlighting so many phrases throughout, to refer back to later and discussing different sections to my partner.

Overall, this was a refreshing memoir expressed with honesty and humanity that offers a glimpse into the restaurant business, Korean-American culture, entrepreneurship and just plain life. I definitely recommend.

I really enjoyed David Chang's Eat a Peach: A Memoir, though I shouldn't be surprised since I really enjoyed the appearances he made on Mind of a Chef and his series Ugly Delicious on Netflix. Though a cowriter is listed on the cover, it is clear a lot of effort was put into crafting this book in Chang's voice. You can almost hear him reading it in your head.

In this memoir we learn about Chang's life, from growing up as a first-generation Korean American (and pre-teen golf prodigy) in Virginia, to his struggles with mental health, to becoming one of the most well known chefs in America, Chang is remarkably charming throughout even when describing his struggles with rage and crippling self doubt.

Overall, I found this memoir to be heartfelt, self-effacing and thoughtful. As Chang is a somewhat polarizing figure in the world of cooking, I would say if you know anything about David Chang you already know if you will like this book or not. If you have never heard of David Chang, it's an interesting window into the world of professional chefs and what it takes to succeed in such a demanding industry.

Recommended for people who like memoirs about food/cooking/the restaurant business.

Received an advance reading copy through Netgalley.

First came across David Chang through Netflix’s Ugly Delicious. Really enjoyed his perspective on different cuisines around the world in the show and criticism of the culinary industry without holding back. Eat a Peach, continues on that and provides a better understanding of David Chang-the man, the myth, the legend. Not only is he extraordinary at what he does, has accomplished and continues to do, it’s even more fascinating how he accomplished it all.

Even though the book is labeled as a memoir, it's much more than that. Chang touches on a number of topics (mental illness, Asian-American experience, imposter syndrome, entrepreneurship, restaurant kitchen culture, etc.). His honesty about all his flaws and shortcomings was refreshing. It was also impressive reading about all his accomplishments and the long list of awards that he's collected/won over the years. Enjoyed reading the memoir and I look forward to reading/watching his next venture(s).

Goodreads review

Fascinating read. Really got to know the author in my feelings for him came full circle by the end of the book. I really enjoyed it.

I loved David Chang before I read this book and I love him even more after. A great insight into his life and the restaurant industry, and I actually really enjoyed the writing. If you aren't familiar with David Chang, you could still really enjoy this and would be a great entry into David Chang.