David Chang is a d bag? Change my view

Kitchen Knife Forums

Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
fortheloveofmoar

fortheloveofmoar

I’m not safe here
KKF Supporting Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2023
Messages
1,592
Reaction score
2,831
Location
Wisconsin
Just watched this thing on David Chang trade marking chili crisp. It could be some framing, but it sounds like he is being a giant D about it… on top of some of the other feedback I read here about David Chang it leads me to believe he is just a giant d bag despite what he portrays on his shows. I’m hoping someone can maybe change my mind?

Also his packaged noodles suck. Fight me.

Edit: otherwise I have nothing else to lead me to one conclusion or another. I’m posting this to hopefully get some more data to arriving at some half baked conclusion off a few things.

 
Last edited:
fortheloveofmoar said:
David Chang trade marking chili crisp
Click to expand...

eh, i think he has it in for ******, but he didn't trademark chili crisp, right? you probably can't even trademark that. that falls under "generic product name".

he bought the "chili crunch" trademark from someone else and only after the guy sued him. that's what i heard. and once you own a trademark, you are obligated to aggressively defend it or else you lose it.
 
Being a D-bag is like his trademark. I don't think he would consider this to be an insult. He would just be glad that you knew his brand well.

Full disclosure: I have enjoyed multiple meals at his Las Vegas outpost. They have a wonderful wine list, chosen by someone who gets wine. However, the duck dish had too much five spice in it, for drama. I enjoyed it at the time, but not when I was tasting five spice for the next 24 hours.
 
i don't really like him, but the thing i can't get over is how i keep hearing lately that his food sucks. i just think that's hilarious.

but surely he must have made some good eating experiences somewhere, right? and some of his products must be good?
 
Dfito Chef Knife Sets with Roll Bag, 9 Pieces Professional Knife Set, High Carbon Stainless Steel Kitchen Chef Knife Set, Red Pakkawood Handle, Dishwasher Safe
$99.99
Dfito Chef Knife Sets with Roll Bag, 9 Pieces Professional Knife Set, High Carbon Stainless Steel Kitchen Chef Knife Set, Red Pakkawood Handle, Dishwasher Safe Dfito Direct
Knife Set with Block for Kitchen - 7Pcs Hand-Forged Kitchen Knife and Magnetic Holder with Ergonomic Handle-Perfect for Novice to Professional Chefs.
-19%
$129.99 $159.99
Knife Set with Block for Kitchen - 7Pcs Hand-Forged Kitchen Knife and Magnetic Holder with Ergonomic Handle-Perfect for Novice to Professional Chefs. LXSEREY STORE
Knife Set, 15 Pieces Kitchen Knife Set with Built in Sharpener, German High Carbon Stainless Steel Knife Block Set, Dishwasher Safe, Black
$79.99
Knife Set, 15 Pieces Kitchen Knife Set with Built in Sharpener, German High Carbon Stainless Steel Knife Block Set, Dishwasher Safe, Black Amorston Offical
Angerstone Portable Whetstone Knife Sharpening Stone - Outdoor Hunting Knife Sharpener Stone Kit Dual Grit 400/1000 - Pocket Sharpening Stones for Knives with Cowhide Pouch for Bushcraft Camping Field
-7%
$13.99 $14.99
Angerstone Portable Whetstone Knife Sharpening Stone - Outdoor Hunting Knife Sharpener Stone Kit Dual Grit 400/1000 - Pocket Sharpening Stones for Knives with Cowhide Pouch for Bushcraft Camping Field Crazy Potato
Astercook Knife Set, Kitchen Knife Set with Built-in Sharpener Block, Dishwasher Safe, 15 Pieces German Stainless Steel Knife Block Set, Black
-20%
$39.99 $49.99
Astercook Knife Set, Kitchen Knife Set with Built-in Sharpener Block, Dishwasher Safe, 15 Pieces German Stainless Steel Knife Block Set, Black Astercook
Sharp Pebble Premium Whetstone Knife Sharpening Stone 2 Side Grit 1000/6000 Waterstone- Whetstone Knife Sharpener- NonSlip Bamboo Base & Angle Guide
$42.99
Sharp Pebble Premium Whetstone Knife Sharpening Stone 2 Side Grit 1000/6000 Waterstone- Whetstone Knife Sharpener- NonSlip Bamboo Base & Angle Guide MIGHTY DREAMS
zongchuan 5 PCS Damascus Chef Knife Set, Ultra-Smooth Cutting Experience and Professional Grade Sharp, Kitchen Knife Set,Handle Ergonomic Design,9CR18MOV High Carbon Stainless Steel,Dishwasher Safe
-33%
$51.10 $76.79
zongchuan 5 PCS Damascus Chef Knife Set, Ultra-Smooth Cutting Experience and Professional Grade Sharp, Kitchen Knife Set,Handle Ergonomic Design,9CR18MOV High Carbon Stainless Steel,Dishwasher Safe ZongChuan Official Store
Knife Sharpening Stone - Dual Grit Whetstone 400/1000 3000/8000, Knife Sharpening Stone Set, Tpstone Knife Sharpener Tool,Easy to Use
$25.99
Knife Sharpening Stone - Dual Grit Whetstone 400/1000 3000/8000, Knife Sharpening Stone Set, Tpstone Knife Sharpener Tool,Easy to Use TPstone choice
HiramWare Knife Sharpening Stone with Non-slip Rubber Base, 400/1000 Grit Premium Whetstone, Double-Sided Knife Sharpener for Kitchen, Waterstone for Honing Blades Manually
$9.99
HiramWare Knife Sharpening Stone with Non-slip Rubber Base, 400/1000 Grit Premium Whetstone, Double-Sided Knife Sharpener for Kitchen, Waterstone for Honing Blades Manually Hiram Deals
Piklohas Kitchen Knife Sets for Kitchen with Block, 17 Pieces with Magnetic Knife Holder, German High Carbon Stainless Steel Damascus Pattern Chef Knives Set with Sharpener, Steak Knives
-16%
$159.98 $189.99
Piklohas Kitchen Knife Sets for Kitchen with Block, 17 Pieces with Magnetic Knife Holder, German High Carbon Stainless Steel Damascus Pattern Chef Knives Set with Sharpener, Steak Knives Piklohas Kitchen
MIDO PROFESSIONAL ABRASIVE Knife Sharpening Stone 400/1000 Whetstone Sharpening Stone with Non-Slip Rubber Base for Kitchen, Hunting, and Pocket Knives or Blades
$9.99
MIDO PROFESSIONAL ABRASIVE Knife Sharpening Stone 400/1000 Whetstone Sharpening Stone with Non-Slip Rubber Base for Kitchen, Hunting, and Pocket Knives or Blades miduguoji
Intelitopia Complete Knife Sharpening Stone Set – Dual Grit Whetstone 400/1000 3000/8000 Knife Sharpener with Leather Strop, Flattening Stone, Bamboo Base, 3 Non-slip Rubber Bases & Angle Guide
-21%
$26.99 $33.99
Intelitopia Complete Knife Sharpening Stone Set – Dual Grit Whetstone 400/1000 3000/8000 Knife Sharpener with Leather Strop, Flattening Stone, Bamboo Base, 3 Non-slip Rubber Bases & Angle Guide keepooon
Knife Set with Block, N NOBLE FAMILY 16Pcs Kitchen Knives Drawer Organizer Set with Sharpener, Cutting Board, Anti-Slip Chef Knives Set with 6Pcs Steak Knives, Black
-23%
$99.99 $129.99
Knife Set with Block, N NOBLE FAMILY 16Pcs Kitchen Knives Drawer Organizer Set with Sharpener, Cutting Board, Anti-Slip Chef Knives Set with 6Pcs Steak Knives, Black Jianyamei
YeopAsda Knife Sharpening Stone Set - Premium 4 Side Grit 400/1000 3000/8000 Whetstone Sharpener Kit - Non-Slip Bamboo Base,Cut Resistant Gloves, Angle Guide,Flatting Stone,Honing Guide,Leather Strop
$39.99
YeopAsda Knife Sharpening Stone Set - Premium 4 Side Grit 400/1000 3000/8000 Whetstone Sharpener Kit - Non-Slip Bamboo Base,Cut Resistant Gloves, Angle Guide,Flatting Stone,Honing Guide,Leather Strop YeopAsda
Angerstone Axe Sharpener - 3.8”Oversized Axe/Hatchet Sharpening Stone - Whetstone Blade & Tool Sharpener, Dual Grit 180/320 Sharpening Puck with cowhide Sheath for Bushcraft, Camping and Field Use
$15.99
Angerstone Axe Sharpener - 3.8”Oversized Axe/Hatchet Sharpening Stone - Whetstone Blade & Tool Sharpener, Dual Grit 180/320 Sharpening Puck with cowhide Sheath for Bushcraft, Camping and Field Use Crazy Potato
THRWCLUB Axe Sharpener 400/1000 Grit - Hatchet/Axe Sharpening Stone, Axe Blade Sharpener, Sharpening Puck, Lansky Puck, Dual Grit Multi-Purpose Hatchet Sharpening Tool with Leather Sheath
$9.99
THRWCLUB Axe Sharpener 400/1000 Grit - Hatchet/Axe Sharpening Stone, Axe Blade Sharpener, Sharpening Puck, Lansky Puck, Dual Grit Multi-Purpose Hatchet Sharpening Tool with Leather Sheath IEXPO
MOSFiATA Kitchen Knife Set, 12 Pcs Japanese Stainless Steel Knife Sets for Kitchen with Oxford cloth storage bag with Knife Sharpening Rod, Dishwasher Safe, For Outdoor
$79.99
MOSFiATA Kitchen Knife Set, 12 Pcs Japanese Stainless Steel Knife Sets for Kitchen with Oxford cloth storage bag with Knife Sharpening Rod, Dishwasher Safe, For Outdoor iHome888
BRODARK Kitchen Knife Set with Block, Full Tang 15 Pcs Professional Chef Knife Set with Knife Sharpener, Food Grade German Stainless Steel Knife Block Set, Christmas Gifts, Steel-king Series
-25%
$88.98 $118.00
BRODARK Kitchen Knife Set with Block, Full Tang 15 Pcs Professional Chef Knife Set with Knife Sharpener, Food Grade German Stainless Steel Knife Block Set, Christmas Gifts, Steel-king Series Brodark Store
HENCKELS Razor-Sharp 20-Piece Statement Knife Set with Block, With Bonus Sharpener, German Engineered Knife Informed by over 100 Years of Masterful Knife Making
$199.95
HENCKELS Razor-Sharp 20-Piece Statement Knife Set with Block, With Bonus Sharpener, German Engineered Knife Informed by over 100 Years of Masterful Knife Making Knife Aid, Inc.
Knife Sharpening Stone Kit, KERYE Professional Japanese Whetstone Sharpener Stone Set, Premium 4 Side Grit 400/1000 3000/8000 Water Stone, Flattening Stone, Angle Guide, Leather Strop, Anti Cut Gloves
$32.84
Knife Sharpening Stone Kit, KERYE Professional Japanese Whetstone Sharpener Stone Set, Premium 4 Side Grit 400/1000 3000/8000 Water Stone, Flattening Stone, Angle Guide, Leather Strop, Anti Cut Gloves Sakai Heritage
He's a whore.
He spun out the condiment business, raising $17 million from a mediocre firm.
Now his new investors, who overpaid, want to guarantee the return on their investment by bullying smaller brands.
Sad...
 
sansho said:
eh, i think he has it in for ******, but he didn't trademark chili crisp, right? you probably can't even trademark that. that falls under "generic product name".

he bought the "chili crunch" trademark from someone else and only after the guy sued him. that's what i heard. and once you own a trademark, you are obligated to aggressively defend it or else you lose it.
Click to expand...
Interesting okay, fair point. Thanks for the clarification.
 
M1k3 said:
Maybe this anecdotal evidence will help? 🤷‍♂️

Click to expand...

Yikes….. I mean some of that was just hear say or opinions how they didn’t like him on his show (which is fair, but imo isnt totally credible however it certainly is not a good look and I do think that there is a grain of truth if so many people watching it straight up don’t like him)

But basically all first and second hand experiances says he is a giant d bag….


I think it’s interesting all the comments about the food in his restaurants also being very subpar…. Which makes me think of what the Reddit link said about how he paid to be in a lot of the magazines and things. Not sure if that’s true, but there did seem to be a lot of buzz about David Chang and blah blah blah.

I should have prefaced some things.
1. I hate his packaged noodles they suck.
2. I didn’t really watch his shows. But I saw some in passing and felt meh? I didn’t really care or think about it past that.


I think my conclusion is that his packaged noodles still suck. And I’m not going to be buying his stuff out of personal choice but I won’t be going out of my way to try and convince anyone against buying it if that’s his stuff (other than saying I don’t like his noodles)
 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/food...id-chang-chile-crunch-chili-crisp-turnaround/

“In holding the term crunch as a trademark, Momofuku can be seen as trying to own a piece of Chinese culture and heritage, which is exactly the opposite of what we wanted to achieve,” he said on the podcast. “It can also be seen that we’re trying to squeeze people out of the space and have, you know, trying to be a monopoly and not playing nice.”



Why trademark it then? Oh, right, you're an ******* who got called out. Now you're backtracking and trying to make yourself not seem like an *******!
 
There is one member who shall remain nameless who can answer this very swiftly and accurately… that said, he is a bit of a sack. But to be clear, he has nothing to do with the operations at Momofuku at this point, though I find it extremely humorous that he’s catching all the heat for it.
 
I loved Mind of a Chef and the Momofuku cookbook. I felt like I understood restaurants better after reading Momofuku, which isn't an experience I really had prior to that cookbook. I learned a lot from him. That said, Dave is kind of an odious dude bro and I don't share most of his preferences.
 
btbyrd said:
I loved Mind of a Chef and the Momofuku cookbook. I felt like I understood restaurants better after reading Momofuku, which isn't an experience I really had prior to that cookbook. I learned a lot from him. That said, Dave is kind of an odious dude bro and I don't share most of his preferences.
Click to expand...
Alpha stage rockstar chef. Your passion is making food to garner barely intelligible food reviews on social meida / Yelp / book reviews on Amazon / get written up for your vision / and then enjoy the hype around every subsequent turd by which every other turd will be remembered. Maybe if you're lucky, Guy Ferrari shows up. If "the Mind of a Chef" isn't a collection of longform explorations into drug addled debauchery with waitresses with deviated septums, you're lying to yourself and your customers.

David Chang is a D Bag? They're all ******* d-bags.
 
btbyrd said:
I loved Mind of a Chef and the Momofuku cookbook. I felt like I understood restaurants better after reading Momofuku, which isn't an experience I really had prior to that cookbook. I learned a lot from him. That said, Dave is kind of an odious dude bro and I don't share most of his preferences.
Click to expand...
https://www.amazon.com/Ivy-Restaurant-Its-Recipes/dp/0340693134

will give a better insight into the workings of a restaurant, and

https://www.amazon.com/Fat-Duck-Cookbook-Heston-Blumenthal/dp/160819020X

will give a you a brilliant insight into the mind and motivation of a chef.

Momofuku is a very average ego trip/cookbook, the noodle recipe is crap.
 
Enjoyed the episode so much where he was strolling Vancouver with seth rogen and they smoked a joint every hour or so.
It was more because of Seth (and his laughter) but found it kinda cool that David would appear stoned on tv.
 
I meant the way that the scraps for everything get used for everything else. The tightness and economy of the Noodle Bar menu was impressive to me. This was like 2010 and the world was a lot different back then. Also, Benton's dashi is f-ing delicious. I riff on that all the time. But whatever.

I'm not really looking for insight into how restaurants work. I've read everything Heston's written and have seen every show he's produced several times over. I learned more from Astrance, Alinea, and The French Laundry than I did from the Momofuku cookbook. It was just an early learning experience.
 
Nope, I think you're right.
Never got the hype about him either. Know people who've worked with him, both boh and foh and they all say he's an egotistical d-bag and terrible leader. Heard their stories and it's not pretty.

Made his salad one time at a spot I used to work at lol.
 
have you guys actually ever heard anyone call chili crisp "chili crunch"? i never have, and that's why it was able to be trademarked (not by him, mind you) in the first place.

i love to make fun of the guy, but i seriously don't see the issue.
 
jaydee said:
Enjoyed the episode so much where he was strolling Vancouver with seth rogen and they smoked a joint every hour or so.
It was more because of Seth (and his laughter) but found it kinda cool that David would appear stoned on tv.
Click to expand...
He's pretty notorious for being wasted a lot.

He massively fuched over a KKF chef many years ago. But on the other side of the coin, another KKF chef has a lot of good years at one or two of his places.

The one he opened in DC had a couple KKF chefs through the door. They have differing opinions.
 
parbaked said:
The issue is that their lawyers sent cease and desist letters to competitors who use the name "chili crunch" on their labels...

Anyway looks like they got the message and have decided to NOT enforce any trademark claims...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/food...id-chang-chile-crunch-chili-crisp-turnaround/
Click to expand...

trademarks must be defended.

my point is i don't see anything wrong with that trademark at all. chili crunch is not the generic product name for that food, right?

also, like i said, i believe he only owns the trademark because the previous owner sued him for making a "chili crunch" product, and he just ended up buying it off him.

if i understand the story correctly, i feel sorry for him for effectively not even being able to use the trademark he had to buy. if he doesn't enforce it, he'll lose it, and the money he had to pay for it is wasted.
 
sansho said:
trademarks must be defended.

my point is i don't see anything wrong with that trademark at all. chili crunch is not the generic product name for that food, right?

also, like i said, i believe he only owns the trademark because the previous owner sued him for making a "chili crunch" product, and he just ended up buying it off him.

if i understand the story correctly, i feel sorry for him for effectively not even being able to use the trademark he had to buy. if he doesn't enforce it, he'll lose it, and the money he had to pay for it is wasted.
Click to expand...
The trademark shouldn't have been done in the first place. And defending said trademark, is the complete opposite of what he said his intentions were on his podcast.
 
hrm

what, precisely, is your issue with the trademark? seriously, who of you out there are calling chili crisp "chili crunch"? if someone honestly does this then i'll reconsider my position lol, but i've never heard anyone say that. the trademark office felt the same way when it was trademarked, evidently.

to be clear, if you guys tell me that chlii crunch is a common synonym for chili crisp, i'm willing to accept that i'm ignorant/wrong. i've never heard someone say 'pass the chili crunch' in my life, though.

before this chang fiasco, if someone said chili crunch without context, i would have no idea what they're talking about. is that some kind of candy?
 
Last edited:
and if he does let the trademark die, he will have effectively granted a favor to other people who wanted to distinguish their chili crisp product by selling under the far, far less common 'chili crunch' moniker.

sure, he's no saint. lol. he's only making it possible for them to continue operating for free after having his arm twisted by the press (for reasons i don't get), but still. he paid for it after being sued, and it sounds like he's lighting that money on fire for the benefit of others even if not by choice.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top