Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/654717
THE INNOVATORS Here are three chefs who can't seem to help but drive change with everything they do. David Chang: Empire Builder When David Chang opened Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York City back in 2004, who knew that his one food outlet would blossom into a veritable empire? Today, Chang's Momofuku Group encompasses 14 restaurants in New York City, Sydney, Toronto, and Washington, D.C.; five Momofuku Milk Bar locations; Booker and Dax, a food science development company; Lucky Peach, a quarterly food journal; and Momofuku Foods, a line of specialty food products. These include Momofuku Ssam Sauce; Hozon, a fermented, stone-ground seasoning similar to miso paste but made from either chickpeas or sunflower seeds; Bonji, a fermented, cold-pressed liquid similar to tamari or soy sauce; and XO Sauce, made from the spent grain mash used to make Rye Bonji. With the exception of the Ssam Sauce, all of the products are available for wholesale purchases only. While Momofuku continues to innovate and come up with new specialty foods, Chang and his group have also been busy in the kitchen, coming up with new food concepts that show a mastery of skill and flavor. Chang is a chef who can deftly elevate dishes like ramen, kimchi, pork buns, and fried chicken, as well as showcase stunning Michelin-starred fare as he does at Momofuku Ko. Last year marked the debut of Fuku, the group's wildly popular fried-chicken sandwich shop, which has two New York City locations. The chef has also had a hand in developing his own food delivery app, Maple. This year, Chang opened Momofuku Nishi where he and Nishi executive chef Joshua Pinsky offer inventive twists on Italian food. If there's one thing that's certain it's this: you can always expect something new from Chang. Roy Choi and Daniel Patterson: Changing Fast Food At first, you might think it strange that chefs Roy Choi and Daniel Patterson would be teaming up to open a chain of fast-food restaurants. Choi is largely credited for revolutionizing the food truck scene with his Kogi BBQ food trucks in Los Angeles, which fuse flavors from Korea and Mexico. Patterson is a Michelin-starred chef in San Francisco, known for his haute cuisine, use of essential oils, and foraging techniques. But when Patterson heard Choi speak at the 2013 MAD Conference in Copenhagen about how chefs should change culture and help underserved communities get access to healthy and delicious foods, he was inspired. Introducing himself to Choi at that conference, Patterson, along with Choi, returned to Copenhagen for the next MAD Conference in 2014, announcing their joint plan to launch Locol, a nonprofit chain of restaurants that would serve a more healthful, better-for-you version of fast food. On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of this year, they opened the first Locol in L.A.'s Watts neighborhood to a crowd of more than 2,000. The most expensive item on the menu is a $6 bowl. Sandwiches, called "burgs," are made with buns developed by Tartine's Chad Robertson, and only cost $4. The $2 tacos are called "foldies," and side dishes, "yotchays," include coleslaw, rice, and greens and are only $1. Another Locol is set to open in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood soon, as are locations in Oakland, South L.A. (Watts or Compton), followed by Newark, New Jersey; Detroit; Ferguson, Missouri; Englewood, New Jersey; and West Atlanta. PHOTO: GABRIELE STABILE PHOTO: AUDREY MA 28 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com