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ambergamgee's review
4.0
I don’t work in the restaurant industry (I did work as a waitress in a sushi restaurant for a year so I got a glimpse at it) but I still found this interesting. It reads very raw and personal, like a conversation. Maybe that’s due to the fact that I listened to the audio, which is narrated by Chang himself.
I have read a few books recently that have a memoir element about mental illness and depression and this one was probably my favorite. He made it very clear that he’s not an expert, etc, and was simply sharing his journey with depression, bipolar disorder and anger management. But it felt real with a lot of realism and actually a lot of hope.
Anyone not at all interested in food would probably not like it. Watch some Ugly Delicious to get Chang’s vibe (also, I just love that show) and see if this is a good book for you.
I have read a few books recently that have a memoir element about mental illness and depression and this one was probably my favorite. He made it very clear that he’s not an expert, etc, and was simply sharing his journey with depression, bipolar disorder and anger management. But it felt real with a lot of realism and actually a lot of hope.
Anyone not at all interested in food would probably not like it. Watch some Ugly Delicious to get Chang’s vibe (also, I just love that show) and see if this is a good book for you.
ninja_c's review against another edition
challenging
dark
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
3.25
stephaniesteen73's review
4.0
Listened to this on audio, read by the author. A compelling story and I found it interesting that he was so vulnerable in sharing about his struggles with mental illness. Momofoku has been on my NYC bucket list for awhile!
chrisg's review
I had a hard time with the jumping storyline and ultimately did not enjoy his voice in telling the story.
doctor_km's review
5.0
The writing style was a little wonky, but if you've followed Chang at all that's not surprising. What I appreciated was his candid honesty, about his issues with mental health, love and emotional connections, and how he dealt with all of this while growing as a chef and a public figure. In many ways he is the next Bourdain, and I look forward to seeing his continuing growth as a chef and person.
daumari's review
4.0
From the introduction, I get the sense this memoir, like Sara Bareilles' "Love Song" was written at the behest of his publisher (he even says so, in the reluctance to write a memoir versus a guide to young chefs starting their own restaurants). Still, Chang is an interesting person who's been in the public eye for food world with thoughtful, innovative shows and brash personality. I felt like this book was part therapy in self-evaluating the past, with tons of self-deprecation (and needed humility, in the case of reevaluating the anger-fueled actions in the early days.
There's also commentary of course, on perceptions, on being an Asian American guy who didn't necessarily fit the "smart" stereotype but was also driven to prove himself, to subvert expectations on dining and do something new with each property, etc. as well as taking criticisms of the restaurant personally (see aforementioned anger, where fuck ups in the kitchen were affronts to not just the restaurant but to himself). There's a common phrasing that depression is anger turned inwards, and I wouldn't be surprised if that connection was there here.
There's also commentary of course, on perceptions, on being an Asian American guy who didn't necessarily fit the "smart" stereotype but was also driven to prove himself, to subvert expectations on dining and do something new with each property, etc. as well as taking criticisms of the restaurant personally (see aforementioned anger, where fuck ups in the kitchen were affronts to not just the restaurant but to himself). There's a common phrasing that depression is anger turned inwards, and I wouldn't be surprised if that connection was there here.
bhnmt61's review
4.0
Every time I read a chef memoir (I haven’t read many), I know for sure I would never survive in the high-pressure environment of a restaurant kitchen. I have a certain amount of respect for those who can, but it isn’t always easy to read about their experience. Chang is all over the place— there are moments when you really can’t believe anyone will work for him, but also moments of genuine insight. The chapter where he struggles to write about one of his cooks who killed himself brought me to tears. I found this book slow going at first, but about halfway through it picked up and I raced through the rest in a couple of days.
thefantasticalworldofsara's review
4.0
I'll be honest from the get go, I have conflicting feelings about Eat a Peach.
The best parts of it for me were the writing and the learning more about the food/restaurant world. The writing drew me in immediately, I found it incredibly read-able and interesting. I've been in a bit of dive this year into books about food and this was the first one I've read that's been more of a "tell-all" kind of vibe. The instances where he talks specifically about how hard it is to start and run a restaurant were incredibly fascinating to me because while I knew it was hard, I didn't realize just quiet how many balls there are to juggle (safety inspections, dealing with leases or building deeds, keeping utilities up and running, decorating, coming up with menus, critics etc.).
While I appreciate that David Chang is honest about his mental health journey and how he's behaved badly to his co-workers and staff by being verbally abusive at times, I also feel odd just glancing over that or not taking it into account. From what he's written it does looks like he's improved and taking a look at the Momofuku website it looks like they offer employees a lot of benefits that I think most restaurants don't so there is that as well.
Overall, this is not a perfect book but it is a really interesting read especially if you're into food (and especially if you want glimpses into what the boys club of the food world looked like).
#IndigoEmployee
The best parts of it for me were the writing and the learning more about the food/restaurant world. The writing drew me in immediately, I found it incredibly read-able and interesting. I've been in a bit of dive this year into books about food and this was the first one I've read that's been more of a "tell-all" kind of vibe. The instances where he talks specifically about how hard it is to start and run a restaurant were incredibly fascinating to me because while I knew it was hard, I didn't realize just quiet how many balls there are to juggle (safety inspections, dealing with leases or building deeds, keeping utilities up and running, decorating, coming up with menus, critics etc.).
While I appreciate that David Chang is honest about his mental health journey and how he's behaved badly to his co-workers and staff by being verbally abusive at times, I also feel odd just glancing over that or not taking it into account. From what he's written it does looks like he's improved and taking a look at the Momofuku website it looks like they offer employees a lot of benefits that I think most restaurants don't so there is that as well.
Overall, this is not a perfect book but it is a really interesting read especially if you're into food (and especially if you want glimpses into what the boys club of the food world looked like).
#IndigoEmployee
aksej972's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0