Here’s something chef David Chang never expected to whip up in his New York kitchen: a coveted James Beard award.

“It was pretty weird,” says Chang on being named the foundation’s Rising Star Chef of the Year, an announcement made in May. “That wasn’t really my goal. I’m like the C+ student. I wasn’t supposed to get the A.” 

But the 29-year-old master cook of Momofuku Noodle Bar and Momofuku Ssäm Bar is no stranger to acclaim. His unique Asian-fusion creations, from the Berkshire pork steam buns to the Barron Point oysters, have been exciting critics’ palates for the past three years. New York Magazine called him a “culinary rebel.” And that’s a good thing.

Chang’s recipe for success: a dash of creativity, a hefty serving of teamwork, mixed together with a whole lot of heart.    

“We just take it one day at a time so that everything we do keeps getting better,” he says. “There’s a lot of room for improvement. I’m still trying to figure it all out.”

Until then, we’re going back for seconds. 

— Michelle Woo