Korean fusion eatery creates a buzz

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Korean fusion eatery creates a buzz

NEW YORK ― David Chang’s dream is to commercialize Korean food in the United States so Americans eventually regard kimchi as being as popular as sushi.
When The New York Times picked his Momofuku Ssam Bar in the East Village as No. 1 on its annual list of the 10 Best New Restaurants in 2007, his dream came a step closer to reality.
His life story is as unique as his restaurant menu. Born in Virginia, Chang, 30, won a state junior golf championship and received a football scholarship. Later he entered Trinity Theological College in Massachusetts to study theology.
After graduation, he became a Wall Street man, following the wishes of his parents, who are first-generation Korean immigrants. Later, he decided finance was not his destiny. Chang was interested in food because his parents ran a Korean restaurant for many years. Eventually he registered at the French Culinary Institute in New York City to learn cooking from scratch. His next move required a long-distance trip to Japan. Chang worked at the Park Hyatt Tokyo mastering soba making.
He opened Momofuku Noodle, in the East Village near New York University in 2004. The restaurant received rave reviews for its fusion style that combines Japanese noodle dishes with a touch of Western flavor. After two years of success he opened Momofuku Ssam Bar in 2006, a Korean fusion restaurant.
The Times called the restaurant, “the most talked-about restaurant of the year” in its Dec. 26 review.
“My motto is to work hard, and you must go through a trial and error period,” Chang said. “Sensible and straightforward food will do the trick.”


By Nam Jeong-ho JoongAng Ilbo /Lee Yang-kyoung Staff Reporter [enational@joongang.co.kr]
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