The Dave Chang Show

Latest Episodes:

Dave’s Best Day of Eating in Tokyo, Cooling Down With Hot Food, and the Most Important Thing to Know for Aspiring Cooks Aug 28, 2023

Show notes

Dave kicks off the episode with a SLICE containing an interesting conundrum: What happens when a group needs to split a check and one person didn’t consume as much as the others (or didn’t drink)?

Ask Dave sees Dave answer a couple interesting questions. He starts off with the one thing he would teach high schoolers before they go to culinary school (or enter the workforce as cooks).

Dave then walks through the perfect day of eating in Tokyo (“Pitching a Perfect Game”), including skipping breakfast and eating THREE pizzas at the legendary Seirinkan and more. He also talks about his real-life “epic day” through Tokyo with famous Instagram gourmand Little Meg.

Things close out with an abbreviated MOIF, including Dave’s hot (?) takes on Korean food, declaring Korean cold noodles to be the best, and a discussion on the best hot foods to eat to cool down.

Hosts: Dave Chang and Chris Ying

Guest: Euno Lee

Producers: Victoria Valencia, Cory McConnell, Gabi Marler, and Euno Lee

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Best Breakfast Foods and Shohei Ohtani Is the Sexiest Man Alive | My Opinion Is Fact Aug 24, 2023

Show notes

Dave and Chris pick up their conversation from the previous episode with a discussion of Shohei Ohtani’s greatness (and Dave’s persistent man crush on the Angels’ two-way phenom).

The conversation turns to a breakfast-themed MOIF. Dave and Chris assemble their absolute best box of donuts, poke fun at Chris’ bagel preferences, the Asian cuisines that do breakfast best, and a big rant about the proper (only?) way to serve hash browns.

Host: Dave Chang and Chris Ying

Producer: Victoria Valencia, Cory McConnell, Gabi Marler, Euno Lee

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why Chefs Wear Chef Coats, Dave’s Worst Cuts and Burns, and IQ Tests Aug 21, 2023

Show notes

Dave is joined by Chris, and he opens up the show with an excuse for being late: a story about cooking breakfast for Hugo. The conversation detours into a reflection on the work ethic of bees.

Ask Dave sees a question about wearing chef coats and other chef equipment, and Dave explains the functional importance of a chef uniform, including the chef coat. Dave also reflects on his worst cut and burn stories in the kitchen.

The two then discuss IQ tests and scores, the implications of a high or low IQ score, and the (scientifically dodgy) debate on whether it correlates to a higher EQ score.

Hosts: Dave Chang and Chris Ying

Producer: Victoria Valencia, Cory McConnell, Gabi Marler, Euno Lee

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mischa, Death Metal, and the Relentless Drive to Innovate With Alex Stupak Aug 17, 2023

Show notes

Dave’s Three Things segment starts off with three things he loves about the show’s guest: a world-class chef and the owner of the Empellón restaurant group, Alex Stupak. Stupak catches up with Dave (whom he hasn’t seen since before the pandemic) and reflects on his culinary journey, including his admiration of Albert Adrià, his time at Grant Achatz’s Alinea, and his experience helming the pastry program at Wylie Dufresne’s WD-50. The two ponder the dampening effects of restaurant criticism on creativity—and Dave suggests that Stupak is a culinary Prometheus for his constant innovation of new culinary techniques. The two continue talking through Alex’s journey of making Mexican food, culminating with a discussion of Alex’s new critically acclaimed restaurant, Mischa, in New York.

Host: Dave Chang and Chris Ying

Guest: Alex Stupak

Producer: Victoria Valencia, Cory McConnell, Gabi Marler, Euno Lee

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Don’t Ask Dave For Last-Minute Tables, and Which Group Would You Dine With? Aug 14, 2023

Show notes

Dave takes a Slice of Life segment talking about wedding attendance—and how his eagerness to attend a wedding has significantly changed with age. The Ask Dave turns into a “Would You Please Stop” as Dave talks about being asked for a last-minute table as a favor—and why he’s unwilling to fulfill these requests. Finally, Euno and Dave break down various stereotypical diners, and assess which dining group they’d like to eat with the most.

Host: Dave Chang and Chris Ying

Guest: Euno Lee

Producer: Victoria Valencia, Cory McConnell, Gabi Marler, Euno Lee

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Debate Club: Sandwiches, Being Late to Things, and When to Cancel a Restaurant Reservation Aug 10, 2023

Show notes

Dave starts the top of the show by talking about his personal journey through being punctual—and what specific type of meeting he’s been late for or missed entirely. The discussion veers into Zoom etiquette and “flexes.” Ask Dave sees Dave tackle a highly problematic practice: booking multiple restaurant reservations for the same time and canceling with minimal notice (or no-showing!). Dave walks through the havoc that a canceled reservation can wreak on a restaurant's profitability and implores diners to cancel reservations with as much notice as possible.

Euno joins the show for a Debate Club With Dave, where the two argue about which sandwich reigns supreme. Tensions pile high in the battle for sandwich supremacy: banh mi (Dave) vs. the muffuletta (Euno). The two also list their favorite sandwich countries—with Dave having a surprising pick for no. 1. Dave caps off the episode with his mixed feelings about tteokbokki’s rapid rise in popularity.

Hosts: Dave Chang and Chris Ying

Producers: Victoria Valencia, Cory McConnell, Gabi Marler, and Euno Lee

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How the Super Rich Eat at Restaurants, Three More Reasons to Stay Indoors, and Dental Hygiene Aug 07, 2023

Show notes

Dave and Chris kick off the episode with a quick update on the goings-on in the studio. Dave answers an Ask Dave question about a couple industry terms he uses on the show and what it’s like to have extremely wealthy people dine at his restaurants.

My Opinion Is Fact takes an extended look at dental hygiene—including flossing in public, what a hotel’s dental kit says about the hotel, and the foods to avoid if you don’t want something stuck in between your teeth. Finally, the episode closes out as Chris reads some fan mail from an 8-year-old listener.

Hosts: Dave Chang and Chris Ying

Producers: Victoria Valencia, Cory McConnell, Gabi Marler, and Euno Lee

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who Wears Pajamas? Plus, Top Five Asian Cuisines Updated and Sleeping Quirks. Aug 03, 2023

Show notes

Dave kicks off the episode with three things about 'Oppenheimer'—including some recommendations to help with understanding the film. Ask Dave addresses a question about where to work in the restaurant industry and how to approach a shift into a culinary career. Dave then launches into a Slice about sleeping habits, with a particular eye on pajamas, and he plays a new game where Dave, Euno, Cory, and Victoria try to guess what celebrities wear to bed (pajamas, basketball shorts, or nothing).

The episode continues with a MOIF on all matters of sleeping, including fighting jet lag, showering habits, and the late-night refrigerator degustation. Finally, the episode concludes with Dave's revision to his Top Five Asian Cuisines (with some very surprising exclusions) and a new segment where Dave professes his love for toum.

Host: Dave Chang and Chris Ying

Producers: Victoria Valencia, Cory McConnell, Gabi Marler, and Euno Lee

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Best Pizza Topping Combination, Authenticity in Food, and the Future of Ingredient Sourcing | My Opinion is Fact Jul 31, 2023

Show notes

Dave is reunited with Chris Ying, and they kick off the episode by talking about ice cream on a trompo (and the subsequent social media reaction) and their mutual hatred of dark chocolate. Dave also drops a hot take on one of his favorite dishes to order at Nobu (or the original Matsuhisa). The episode continues with a mini Ask Dave, covering everything from the best chef knives to order on Amazon, to when to book tickets to a bachelor party, to Dave’s rebuttal to his seemingly contradictory takes about the importance of food authenticity. Dave shifts gears to a Davestradamus (or Nostradaveus?) prediction about restaurant purveyors and the expensive future of ingredient sourcing at high-end restaurants. Dave and Chris then jump in on a MOIF that covers optimal pizza topping combinations, UFOs, full-service movie theaters, and a certain beloved sandwich in the Los Angeles area. The episode concludes with Dave making a helpful suggestion to writers of wine lists everywhere.

Hosts: Dave Chang and Chris Ying

Producers: Victoria Valencia, Cory McConnell, Gabi Marler, and Euno Lee

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Beer and Wine on Ice, Identifying Talent and Atlas: New York City with Brian Koppelman Jul 27, 2023

Show notes

Dave kicks off the segment talking about his first take, and how he misses recording with his co-host Chris Ying. Dave then sounds off on putting beer and wine on ice, and telling his friends to take the word “chef” out of their social media handles. The podcast then turns to Dave dishing on pop-up restaurants and how to identify talent. He’s then joined by screenwriter, director, producer and noted gourmand Brian Koppelman to talk about Brian’s favorite restaurants in New York City. The podcast rounds out with producer Cory McConnell talking about a red flag he sees on resumés, Dave’s “Ferran Adria Test,” and an attempt at a new segment: Word of the Day.

Host: Dave Chang and Chris Ying

Guest: Brian Koppelman

Producer: Victoria Valencia, Cory McConnell, Gabi Marler, Euno Lee

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices