Eat a Peach

by David Chang

I had a table, a lamp, and a TV, all procured from one of those corner shops that you walk by and wonder, Who buys this shit?

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

You simply can’t rely on common wisdom in the kitchen. Most of it is built on half-truths and outdated assumptions. Be open to every idea.

An empty paper towel dispenser over the hand sink is ten points, yet rodent droppings are only a five-point deduction. (What qualifies as a piece of mouse shit, by the way, is completely up to the inspector’s mood.)

The simple fact is that I was contradicting my own belief that the only thing that matters is how the diners feel when they walk out the door. Because we were in such tight quarters, when you came to Momofuku, you were eating dinner with me. And nobody wants to eat dinner with a dick.

I cobbled together a set of criteria for considering media projects: It must be educational. It must fund the creative efforts of the restaurants. It must reflect what I stand for and depict the industry in a fair light. These remain my yardsticks to this day.

it’s incredible to us that so many people have stayed by your side for so long when they can’t stand you.”

Eating shit meant listening. Eating shit meant acknowledging my errors and shortcomings. Eating shit meant facing confrontations that made me uncomfortable. Eating shit meant putting my cell phone away when someone was talking to me. Eating shit meant not fleeing. Eating shit meant being grateful. Eating shit meant controlling myself when people fell short of my expectations. Eating shit meant putting others before myself.

Looking back, I see that the depression was tricking me yet again—this time it had convinced me that I was okay.

Nothing took away the thoughts of suicide. If anything, the drugs were a gasp of air between waves crashing down on my head.

As you become successful, you will see that the only path of any value is to stop short of the peak and make sure you’re not alone at the summit.