One of the most hotly anticipated restaurant openings of 2015 also happens to be a homecoming: Chef David Chang, a Virginia native, justed opened Momofuku CCDC at CityCenterDC.
Chang’s dining empire began in 2004 with the opening of Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York City, and now includes ten restaurants in New York, Toronto, and Sydney; two bars; and Momofuku Lab, a culinary research facility. A branch of the bakery Momofuku Milk Bar, founded by pastry chef Christina Tosi, will have space in the new Washington location.
Chang has also been busy beyond the kitchen. Lucky Peach, the quarterly journal of food and writing he co-founded with former New York Times restaurant critic Peter Meehan, launches its debut cookbook this fall. (The Japanese word momofuku translates into “lucky peach.”) Lucky Peach Presents 101 Easy Asian Recipes (Clarkson Potter) is a compendium of recipes for everyone who loves dandan noodles, Japanese fried chicken, and pho, but thought they were too hard to make at home.
In a lively evening, Chang and Meehan talk about the rise of Momofuku, Lucky Peach, and the inspiration and stories behind the recipes in 101 Easy Asian Recipes.
The ticket price includes a copy of the cookbook; additional copies are available for purchase at the event.
Other Connections
The name of David Chang’s restaurant group is also a nod to Momofuku Ando, inventor of the instant ramen noodle—which as a child, the chef-to-be liked to nibble uncooked. Ramen often provided Chang the basis for inventive recipes. Watch him create a batch of ramen fried chicken and a dish he dubs ramensagna, which honors Italian pasta’s Eastern roots.
