From ramen to rotting bananas, Copenhagen to Kansas City, pork buns to golf clubs, The Mind of a Chef combines travel, cooking, history, science, and humor into an unforgettable journey.
Join executive producer and narrator Anthony Bourdain as he takes viewers over the course of 16 half-hour episodes inside the mind of noted Korean-American chef and restaurateur David Chang, a New York Times best-selling author and chef/owner of the Momofuku restaurant group. Chang brings a voracious appetite for food knowledge and a youthful exuberance to cooking and travel, whether cooking in his kitchens in New York and Australia or traveling for inspiration to Japan, Denmark, Spain or Montreal.
In the series premiere, David dissects the roots of his passion for ramen dishes and tsukemen on a trip to Japan. Learn the history of this famous noodle as David visits a ramen factory, has a bowl of the original tsukemen, and examines how alkalinity makes noodles chewier and less prone to dissolving in broth.
Episodes include…
1. David Chang makes instant ramen dishes and tsukemen. He travels to Japan for a bowl of the original tsukemen and visits a noodle factory.
2. Explore David Chang's relationship to the pig. He travels to San Sebastian to discuss pork bushi, prepares pork belly and tonkotsu, and visits Montreal with comedian Aziz Ansari for Wilensky's fried bologna sandwich.
3. This episode explores David Chang's past: dishes from childhood, summer eating, his time in Japan and golf.
4. Learn all about Spain's influence on David Chang's career.
5. There's something rotten in David Chang's kitchen - and that's a good thing. Rotten is delicious: katsuibushi in Japan, XO sauce, rotten bananas with Chef Christina Tosi, and kimchi.
6. David Chang hangs out with one of his best friends, Rene Redzepi - who happens to be the world's top chef.
7. David Chang travels to Japan for some yakitori and high-end sushi; his pal Daniel Patterson prepares beets.
8. It's gluttonous goodness in this episode - over-the-top indulgence with Joe Beef chefs Federic Morin and David McMillian's foie gras sandwich, a whiskey tasting mayhem with Chef Sean Brock at Buffalo Trace in Kentucky and the classic dish ""Hot Brown"" served up three ways.
9. David Chang prepares eggs with his chef pals, and makes his Ko egg.
10. David Chang travels from Tokyo to Kyoto to meet and eat with friends.
11. Enjoy this all-New York episode with the Torrisi boys, oysters, carrot dashi and farming. David Chang visits native New Yorker Ivan Orkin in Tokyo, where he's making ramen that's taking the city by storm.
12. This episode explores the idea of fresh in the kitchen: instant broth, pea agnollini, fresh and aged steak with Chef Tien, and ""ike jime"" with Dave Arnold and Chef Murata in Kyoto.
13. Savor an entire episode devoted to soy.
14. David Chang's protégé Christina Tosi makes corn cookies three ways and her three-layered Arnold Palmer cake. Chef Burns makes ice cream and Chang goes strawberry picking.
15. David Chang profiles regional BBQ in North Carolina, Texas and Kansas City and the other-worldly smoky bacon from Allen Benton in Tennessee.
16. David Chang cooks and goofs around with his friends Peter Meehan in Japan, Laurent Gras, Sat Bains, and Rene Redzepi in Copenhagen.
Executive Producer: Anthony Bourdain, Joe Caterini, Christopher Collins, Lydia Tenaglia, Michael Steed
Production Company: Zero Point Zero Production, Inc.
Production Year: 2013
Copyright Year: 2012
Host: David Chang
Narrator: Anthony Bourdain
Actors: David Chang
Discs: 2
Subtitles: Y
Subtitle Language: English (SDH)
DVI: N
Audio Format: Stereo
Aspect Ratio: 16x9 Widescreen