The Dave Chang Show

Food Is Art. So Why Do People Treat It Differently?

12 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dave and Chris dive into the rich and complex topic of food as art and chefs as artists. As they continue their speculation about how the restaurant i...

Dave Chang Goes to Costco and Unraveling the Truffle Conundrum

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dave and Chris buckle in for an odyssey across southern California, from the potentially drug-addled haze of Joshua Tree to the deal-induced fervor of...

Dave Chang's New Year's Resolutions

05 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dave Chang shares his New Year's resolutions for the upcoming year, then Dave and Chris swap stories about their holiday celebrations. Hosts: Dave Cha...

Savoring the Old, But Craving the New | My Opinion Is Fact

26 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In Part 2 of our epic year-end MOIF, Dave, Chris, and Noelle reveal, at long last, their favorite meals of 2022—and then attempt to understand how d...

A Year-End Visit from Restaurant Nostradamus | My Opinion Is Fact

22 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In Part 1 of a holiday-straddling year-end double episode, Dave, Chris, and Noelle review a few cultural and personal high points of our latest spin a...

A Very Dave Chang Christmas | My Opinion Is Fact

19 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Fill up your eggnog cup and start peeling those roasted chestnuts, because it’s time for a guide to Christmas, the Dave Chang way: what to eat, what...

Deal-Hunting at Disneyland, and Deliciousness in the Age of AI

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

According to OpenAI’s ChatGPT program: “In this episode of the ‘Dave Chang Show,’ Dave and Chris recount their recent trip to Disneyland and s...

Prime Rib, Pop Stars, and Dave Chang’s Holiday Hotline | My Opinion Is Fact

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Wedged between a week of on-set cooking and the next wave of holiday meals, Dave, Chris, and Noelle reflect on reindeer snacks, chuck-roast frontiers,...

The Glory of Complicated, Simple, Crazy, Beautiful, Stupid Art (and Life), With Jerry Saltz

08 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pulitzer Prize–winning art critic, beloved 'Dave Chang Show' guest, and 'Art Is Life' author Jerry Saltz returns to the show to survey the state of ...

Air-Fryer Experiments and Pasta Dark Arts

05 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With the holiday-cooking hurricane behind them—for now!—Dave and Chris take stock of how they weathered the storm. Appraised in the post-mortem: D...

'Noma 2.0': No Compromises, With René Redzepi

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dave and Chris welcome back their old friend René Redzepi, chef at the ever-adventurous and likely epoch-defining Noma, to catch up after three years...

The Dave Chang Thanksgiving Kickoff Show

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

While other podcasts take a holiday, Dave Chang delivers a last-minute motivational episode covering everything the home cook needs to remember in the...

The Dave Chang Thanksgiving Playbook, Part 2 | My Opinion Is Fact

21 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With the holiday just days away, Dave takes stock of his culinary game plan, and of the potential perils that still lie ahead—and then jumps into a ...

The Strangeness of Memory and the Weird Ecstasy of Youth

17 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dave and Chris sit down with author and critic Hua Hsu to talk through his new book, 'Stay True'—a searing memoir of friendship disrupted by sudden ...

The Dave Chang Thanksgiving Playbook | My Opinion Is Fact

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

At T-minus ten days, Dave breaks down a few of his favorite Thanksgiving strategies—from turkey prep, to fridge logistics, to the exciting but unfai...

Billion-Dollar Dreams and Jedi Kitchen Interventions | #AskDave After Dark

10 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With Thanksgiving just two weeks away, the latest delirious #AskDave turns toward a bevy of holiday-navigation questions—while also considering Squi...

Cooking Without a Net

07 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In our second State of the Studio episode, Dave and Chris sit down with their MDM partner Dave “DOC” O’Connor to size up food TV from both sides...

From Chopped Cheese to Chengdu, With Ghetto Gastro

03 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The quartet behind 'Black Power Kitchen', the first book from Ghetto Gastro, sit down in the studio with Dave and Chris to discuss the long road from ...

Dave Chang Predicts the Future (of Restaurants)

31 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

He’s been right (and wrong!) many times before, and now Dave’s stepping up to the crystal ball once again. What sort of strategies, service styles...

The Power of Being Unreasonable

27 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dave calls up Will Guidara, the front-of-house half of the partnership that took Eleven Madison Park to the top of the hospitality stratosphere, to ta...

When Fear of the Unknown Meets the Need to Change Your Life

24 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With the do-or-die plans for MDM’s next phase finally in motion, Dave, Chris, and Noelle sit down for a soul-baring state of the union. They discuss...

SteakTok, Tasting Menus, and the Next DC Show Challenge

20 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Venturing behind the scenes of the best kitchens of the world and Dave’s own decidedly uneven TikTok feed, Dave and Chris map out the best ways to n...

How Chefs Eat

17 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Midway through their eating careers, how do Dave and his fellow food obsessives appraise the dishes they first loved, and how do they find new ones to...

Becoming a Tourist in Your Own City | My Opinion Is Fact

13 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Looking at a hopefully post-pandemic New York from all different angles—the vibe-drenched streets of Dimes Square, a festival stage in Chelsea, Jean...

Extremely Spicy Noodles and the Raw Crab Frontier | #AskDave

10 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dave and Chris are breaking in the new MDM office with an on-the-fly #AskDave, covering all the topics other shows are afraid to talk about: fear in H...

You Catch It, I’ll Cook It

06 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Chasing the thrill of a DIY meal from Nairobi to Japan to Alhambra, Dave and Chris ponder hot-pot economics and then call up 'Chefs vs. Wild' host Kir...

Pizza in the Morning, Pizza at Night | My Opinion Is Fact

03 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With another new MDM show out on Hulu, Pizzana chef and 'Best in Dough' judge Daniele Uditi weighs in on great pizza, bizarro pizza, and pizza that sh...

Desperation and Deliciousness on 'Chefs vs. Wild'

29 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In celebration of Majordomo Media’s newest Hulu show, 'Chefs vs. Wild,' Dave, Chris, and Noelle appraise their own chances of making it through a mu...

The Rings of Power and a Perfect Sandwich | My Opinion Is Fact

26 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Inspired by the last episode, Dave went fishing—and returned with stories of crushing defeat on the high seas and exhilarating victory at the hotel ...

What It Takes to Find Great Fish | My Opinion Is Fact

22 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Determined to eat more seafood but dismayed by what he sees on the shelf, Dave surveys the state of the seascape for the American home cook, and offer...

Expiration Dates, Sandwich Risks, and Ice and Fire Eating | #AskDave

19 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In a rare before-sunset Q&A, Dave fields a new volley of listener questions—and returns fire with takes on mori soba, typhoon summers, masochistic s...

The Next Wave of Korean Cuisine

15 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With summer over and school in session, it’s officially a new year for restaurants—and Dave has a few soon-to-open places on his must-visit list, ...

Introducing Kids (and Ourselves) to New Foods and New Flavors | Clean Plate Club

12 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With a passel of hungry, up-and-coming eaters to please, Dave and Chris face a big question every day: Can their cooking help their kids embrace new t...

Mall Food, the Chef Who Changed the Game, and Getting Better As You Get Older

08 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A week by the seaside has Dave finding inspiration at both Wetzel’s Pretzels and Nobu Malibu, and thinking about all the shapes the second half of a...

Brigades, 'The Bear', and How Kitchens Work

01 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With a couple more 'Bear' episodes under his belt, Dave dives into a breakneck elucidation of one of the show’s dramatic engines—the classical Esc...

Eating at the End of an Era, and Where Restaurants Will Go Next

29 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Culture moves in cycles, and so too do the ways we eat—which has Dave looking for early warning signs of what’s around the corner. He fills us in ...

What 'The Bear' Gets Right About the Time Warps Within Restaurants

25 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Fresh off finally watching the first episode of 'The Bear,' Dave breaks down what the show reveals about the surreal ways time can move inside an ambi...

Seafood Shacks, Magical Food Temperatures, and Going Down the Coffee Rabbit Hole

22 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A Cometeer-fueled trip to the Codfish State has Dave buzzing with new discoveries about how to make familiar things just a little bit better—and how...

Cheese Foam, Carb Combos, and a Perfect Restaurant Moment | #AskDave After Dark

18 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Altered-state Dave and Chris embark on another late-night Q&A, covering the sublime, the agonizing, and everything in between—including Aaron Rodger...

Sneaking in Nutrition When You’re Cooking for Kids | Clean Plate Club

15 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Every parent dreams of giving their kids a perfect mix of the delicious and the nutritious—but once those kids begin to get other ideas about what t...

Dave’s Birthday, Over-Ordering, and a Definitive Diet-Beverage Ranking | My Opinion Is Fact

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There’s no better way to celebrate Dave Chang’s forty-fifth trip around the sun than an end-of-summer MOIF, featuring such hot-button topics as: M...

Into the Order-Ticket Matrix

08 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Before Neo learned to read the green rain of code that made up the Matrix, before even Sherlock Holmes devised a way to describe a man based on a glan...

Dave's Ramen Origin Story, Chewing Our Way Through Language Barriers, and Tips for Seeking Out the Delicious

04 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Food may be a universal language, but how much gets lost in translation when you're eating in a place where you're not a native speaker? Dave shares a...

Cooking Tips, French Fry Rankings, and Restaurants That Celebrate the Absurd

01 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On a bounteous, bento box-style multi-segment episode, Dave delves into a few recent home-cooking successes before turning to a whirlwind assessment o...

52 Dishes

28 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On an episode for the ages, Dave Chang takes us through a full deck of unforgettable dishes—the ones he never stops thinking about. He covers 50-plu...

Dave’s Home Alone, How Food Follows Fashion, and a Reality-Altering Moment at Noma Tokyo

25 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Did one ramen chef’s last-minute decision to photograph the very first service at Noma Tokyo's pop-up … irreversibly change the course the restaur...

The Most Memorable Meals Dave Has Ever Had, the Power of Not Knowing, and the Lure of the List

21 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How the heck are we supposed to figure out where to eat in 2022 anyway? On the heels of an unforeseen but absurdly good Peking duck dinner, Dave and C...

Astrophysics, What’s Good, and a Double-Take-Worthy Dispatch from Atlanta

18 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After spending the first half of the show grappling with the existential questions, from the prehistory of the known universe to the future of going o...

Are We In or Out on In-N-Out?

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In-N-Out Burger has had an almost unparalleled run as one of the most beloved operations in the western U.S., but there’s still one holdout rolling ...

Chris Bianco Interview Decoded

11 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In a brief respite between his travels, Dave Chang teaches you everything you need to know about making dashi at home, then decodes his interview with...

You Learn Things When You Burn Things

07 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With a new restaurant open in L.A. and 30 years of gorgeous pizzas bearing his name in Phoenix, AZ, Chris Bianco has a lot of stories to tell. He retu...

Dave Chang Goes to Italy

20 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With his trip to Italy in the rearview, Dave takes to the mic to break down the surprising highs and occasional luggage-related lows of a week or so o...

What It Takes to Make Great Pasta With Evan Funke

16 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Six months in, Evan Funke’s Mother Wolf is one of the hottest tables in Hollywood—but getting there took 15 years of obsession with the practice o...

Picky Eaters, the Baby-Product Universe, and Dave Chang Kids’ Meal Tips | Clean Plate Club

13 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What do you do when your kid only wants plain rice—or worse, rice with American cheese? With the help of our friends at buybuy BABY, Dave and Chris ...

Turning Creativity into Culture With John Jay

09 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After spending 20 years crafting campaigns for the likes of Nike, John Jay jumped into a new role as President of Global Creative for Uniqlo—and the...

Why Travel Anywhere? | My Opinion Is Fact

06 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With a trip to Italy on the horizon, Dave’s wondering what it is we’re looking for when we fly halfway around the world—and Noelle and Chris are...

Plunging Into Pizza With Wylie Dufresne

02 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Wylie Dufresne blazed a relentlessly creative trail for a generation of adventurous restaurants—and more recently, he’s been making pizza. It was ...

Living an Earned Life With Marshall Goldsmith

26 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Marshall Goldsmith works as an executive coach with some of the most successful people alive—and finds they’ve often mastered everything except ho...

SF and NY Eating, Coconut Coffee, and a Few of Dave’s Favorite Recipes | My Opinion Is Fact

23 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After a vintage ‘Dave Chang Show’ solo intro and a bicoastal dining update, Dave ushers in Chris and Noelle for a rapid-fire run through the rest ...

House Spice, How to Cook Crawfish, and Forging a New Cuisine With Kwame Onwuachi and Joshua David Stein

19 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Chris and Dave call up the pair behind the best-selling 'Notes from a Young Black Chef' to discuss their brand new cookbook 'My America,' and what it ...

Multiverse Dave in Search of the Sasquatch | My Opinion Is Fact

16 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After last week’s Dave-induced derailment, it’s time at last for the gang to relay their Required Eating reports—and suddenly, everyone’s putt...

Unreasonable and Radical Ideas With Lucas Mann

12 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dave and Chris call up Acre Venture Partners co-founder Lucas Mann to talk about how a future-focused VC firm engages with the tough-to-change worlds ...

Steakhouses, Dishwashers, and Keeping Up With the Late-Night Coffee Drinkers | My Opinion Is Fact

09 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The MOIF team reconvenes to review the Required Eating challenges handed down last week—and what was meant to be a finale turns into more of a cliff...

Biscuits, Brisket, and Big Pizza Energy With Bryan Ford

05 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Great Pizza Debate continues with Recipe Club veteran and New World Sourdough author Bryan Ford stepping up to contend with unrepentant homemade p...

Airport Food, Zabar's Tactics, and a New MOIF Challenge | My Opinion Is Fact

02 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dave, Chris, and Noelle are shaking up the show with a newly kinetic, activity-driven MOIF format—and if you're reading this, we're roping you into ...

A Master Brewer Takes on Nonalcoholic Beer | Demystified

28 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

John Walker was earning accolades for his work as a brewer in Santa Fe when he heard about a different kind of challenge—starting up a first-class n...

Shoestring Fries, Sous Vide Thoughts, and Food Gifts for Your Boss | #AskDave After Dark

25 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The gang returns for another late-night Q&A—but first, as a little warm-up, we recap Dave’s visit to Pizzeria Bianco, Chris’s Newport Seafood bi...

The Rise of West Coast BBQ (and Where Dave Wants It to Go Next) with Matt Horn

14 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Eighteen months after opening the doors at West Oakland’s Horn BBQ, Matt Horn has lines down the block, a second restaurant, and a new cookbook out ...

Secret Burger Intel, Banchan Abundance, and the Opposite of ASMR | My Opinion Is Fact

11 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On their latest fact-finding expedition, Dave, Chris, and Noelle criss-cross the Western U.S. to consider becoming a carrot-cake household, 'Harry Pot...

Infinite Energy Is an Understatement, With Christina Tosi

07 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What was life like for a young New York chef chasing a dream in the early 2000s? Milk Bar founder and Dave Chang chosen-family member Christina Tosi w...

Birthday Banquets, High-Speed Early-Bird Dinners, and Europe the Dave Chang Way | My Opinion Is Fact

04 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With a crab-or-prime-rib-driven 80th birthday party to plan, Dave, Chris, and Noelle set out to survey the Southern California seafood-banquet landsca...

'The Wok', Recipes, and Letting Go of “The Best” With J. Kenji López-Alt

31 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The eminent author of 'The Food Lab' and the just-released 'The Wok' joins Dave and Chris to talk about life as a lodestar to a generation of cooks, b...

Ice Cream, Late-Night Dining, and the 2022 Chain-Restaurant Draft | My Opinion Is Fact

28 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After comparing notes on their latest LA exploits, Dave, Chris, and Noelle step into the My Opinion is Fact arena once again—before deciding that th...

Shame Wizards and Ambition Gremlins, With Nick Kroll

24 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

'Big Mouth' and 'Human Resources' creator (and Dave’s old friend!) Nick Kroll is back on the show to talk about new projects, new parenthood, and al...

If It’s Nice Outside, It’s Nice Inside, Too | #AskDave After Dark

21 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Powered by half a glass of Hibiki, it’s time for Dave to go toe to toe with the latest listener questions plucked from the Majordomo Media Discord—...

The Secret, Extremely Spicy Recipe for Talk Show Success

17 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dave and Chris call up Sean Evans, the hot-sauce-hardened host of 17 seasons of 'Hot Ones,' to find out exactly how he puts together one of the best i...

Food Abstinence, Food Orgy | My Opinion Is Fact

14 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the end of a revelatory month on the Wheel of Constraint, and our hosts have convened to assess their achievements, consider some potentially t...

Dave Goes to Disneyland, and a Talk With the Director of 'Turning Red'

10 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After a debrief on the ups and downs of Dave’s first tour of dad duty at the Happiest Place on Earth, Dave and Chris call up Domee Shi, the director...

A Whirlwind Guide to New Orleans, and One Last Bite of the Wheel | My Opinion is Fact

07 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On a rare four-mic episode, longtime friend of the show Anoop Pillarisetti lays out his Crescent City essentials before recounting his own recent ride...

An Expert’s Perspective on Pots and Pans | Demystified

03 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dave and Chris call up Stanley Cheng, CEO since 1972 of the cookware-revolutionizing Meyer Corporation, for an insider’s guide to the industry and a...

A Trader Joe’s Check-in | My Opinion Is Fact

28 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s Day 7 of Noelle’s Trader Joe’s–only diet, so at the tail end of that experiment within an experiment, Dave and Chris check in on Noelle’...

Dave Chang Shoots the Moon | My Opinion Is Fact

24 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when the Wheel of Constraint rolls into the City of Second Chances? Dave reports on a weekend to remember in Las Vegas, and Chris and Noe...

Difficulty Isn’t a Bad Thing | My Opinion Is Fact

17 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With Week 1 of their Wheel of Constraint ordeal wrapping up, Dave, Chris, and Noelle might just be close to the renewed food gratitude they’ve been ...

Aphrodisiacs, Oxtails, and Valentine’s Day Erasure | #AskDave After Dark

14 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the only day of the year that stands neck and neck with SantaCon in the cockles of Dave’s heart—which means it’s time for an especially a...

Spinning on the Wheel of Constraint | My Opinion Is Fact

10 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dave, Chris, and Noelle check in midway through Day 1 of a monthlong sugar-banishment ordeal, and things are already looking tense. With two meals dow...

The Cleaver in the Arena | My Opinion Is Fact

07 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dave, Chris, and Noelle assemble for a fortifying round of MOIF before grappling with their greatest challenge yet: the Wheel of Inspirational Constra...

Are Restaurants Ready for NFTs? | Demystified

03 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Galaxy Digital CEO, prison reform advocate, and blockchain evangelist Mike Novogratz returns to the show to guide Dave and Chris through the wilds of ...

Eating Boneless Wings in the Metaverse | My Opinion Is Fact

31 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dave, Chris, and Noelle combine their MOIF powers once again, in an action-packed episode encompassing Chris burning his eyebrows off, keeping your fr...

The Hidden Origins of Dave Chang | Demystified

27 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A few weeks ago, Henry Louis Gates brought Dave onto PBS’s 'Finding Your Roots' for a deep dive into the Chang family lineage—and turned up some i...

The Pizza Oven Paradox | My Opinion Is Fact

24 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Does wanting to make pizza at home mean the universe is telling you to never, ever make pizza at home? Dave straps on his Socratic sandals to guide us...

Dinner Music, With Hrishikesh Hirway of 'Song Exploder'

20 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The creator of the captivating podcast turned TV show 'Song Exploder' joins Dave and Chris to explore the kitchen equivalent of demo tapes, the as-yet...

The Big Boy Asian Club Fireside Chat | My Opinion Is Fact

17 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dave and Chris assemble for a late-night review of recent meals, the best sick-day foods, and a few different international mysteries. Also considered...

Bringing Oaxaca to L.A. | Best of the Best

13 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When L.A.’s Guelaguetza restaurant opened in the mid-’90s, mole and mezcal and all the other treasures of Oaxacan cuisine were a long way from the...

The Best College Town, Solved

10 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We were supposed to record a MOIF, but Dave and Chris got in an argument about the topic. One wanted to talk about curry. The other wanted meatloaf. W...

Existential Home Cooking Dilemmas | My Opinion Is Fact

06 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the first MOIF of the year, and we’re off to a dark start. Dave laments his own cooking, and searches for inspiration. Also, pizza is great. ...

Christmas Dinner Draft After Dark

20 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Night has fallen once again, and Dave, Chris, and Noelle have assembled for another late-night recording and their last challenge of the year: a Chris...

Food, Farming, and the Climate Crisis | Demystified

16 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dave and Chris sit down with 'Speed & Scale' authors and venture-capital veterans John Doerr and Ryan Panchadsaram to discuss what their new book has ...