David Chang’s ‘Ugly Delicious’ debuts soon on Netflix

Momofuku founder David Chang is not content to rest on his laurels. In addition to continually coming up with new restaurant concepts and opening new eateries, the multi-dimensional chef is venturing back into television. Starting February 23, his new show called ‘Ugly Delicious’ begins streaming on Netflix. 

For the eight-part series, Chang is teaming up with Morgan Neville, an Academy Award-winning filmmaker, who serves as director and executive producer. The shows feature Chang dining and talking with a hodgepodge of chefs, artists, writers, and celebrities. Some of the guests include Ruth Reichl, Fuchsia Dunlop, René Redzepi, and Jimmy Kimmel. The conversations explore concepts of identity and authenticity through the lens of comfort foods. 

The name for the program comes from #uglydelicious, the  hashtag that frequently appears on Chang’s Instagram posts. The term is used as a rebuttal to the manicured and artfully-composed food photographs that dominate the social media feeds of chefs, bloggers, and food writers. Chang believes that food doesn’t have to be beautiful to be delicious. “I’ve just reached a point where I’m okay making really ugly food,” he says.