Eat a Peach

by David Chang

The paradox for the workaholic is that rock bottom is the top of whatever profession they’re in.

My advice to chefs is to be transparent about your ignorance and always honor the source material.

Because it is just food. And when your co-workers are lazy or inconsiderate or don’t seem to care as much as you—when they treat food as just food—they call your entire worldview into question. They make you feel foolish for believing.

I don’t think I was being paranoid. I speak to younger chefs about this all the time these days. Think about it. Where were all these people before you were successful? Why would they suddenly be so eager to get into business with you?

No grind. No friction. You’re trapped by your own self-confidence, scared to abandon what you know already works.

Change is guaranteed, but growth isn’t.

Finding a point of view and expressing it through one’s cooking is a near-impossible task.