Dave is joined by Euno Lee for this episode, and they kick off the show by talking about Dave’s tips for finding a place to eat—including using people watching to your advantage. Slice dives into the conundrum of when to give up your seat on an airplane—and why there seems to be moral judgment about refusing to give up your assigned seat. Dave also addresses why more ambitious restaurants might be reluctant to put up merchandise for sale in his Ask Dave segment before transitioning to a quick To...
Oct 02, 2023•1 hr 13 min
It’s another edition of Pro Football Food Weekly, or as one astute listener complained, “just another excuse for Dave and Chris to argue about food.” This week’s matchup focuses on Green Bay vs. Detroit, and particularly on the bratwurst vs. the Detroit-style coney, as well as other local eats in and around Detroit and Green Bay (35:00). Three Things sees Dave take a peek into restaurant bathrooms, and some of the things he looks for when he goes into a restaurant bathroom (3:54). The discussion...
Sep 28, 2023•1 hr 12 min
Dave takes the reins solo on this episode and gets into Three Things he sees in a restaurant’s cutlery and dishware—and what it says about the restaurant. Slice of Life takes a “turn” as Dave talks about a high-pressure situation every driver likely faces on a daily basis. Dave then gets into an AskDave segment, with a question about eating in a larger group in New York—and offers ideas for other large groups of diners and some of the best restaurant meal ideas. My Opinion Is Fact covers a wide ...
Sep 25, 2023•1 hr 14 min
Chris joins Dave for a novel way of looking at NFL matchups: The Pro Football Food Weekly (or “PFFW”), where Dave and Chris debate which team will win based on the food in a given city. The pair break out the competition into the “Five S’s”: sandwiches, steakhouses, seafood, sweets, and special teams. The inaugural edition sees Dave and Chris square off in a classic battle between New York and San Francisco where they break down the Five S’s and which city takes home the win in each. Other NFL m...
Sep 21, 2023•1 hr 28 min
Dave and Chris kick off the episode by discussing three moments in time they’d like to travel back to. Slice delves into an “addendum to the hefeweizen principle”—Dave’s theory that bartenders are able to tell what drinks a patron wants before they actually order them. Ask Dave asks: Has Dave fallen out of love with some of his signature dishes? Dave talks about one of his most famous dishes, the Momofuku pork bun, and how he no longer wants to eat it or prepare it, and he draws a parallel to mu...
Sep 18, 2023•1 hr 16 min
Dave opens the episode with three things he did after school instead of homework—including using a certain video game system that might have taken up a lot of time. The episode segues into a Slice about robocallers and cold callers—and Dave’s wildly inefficient method of possibly putting an end to cold callers once and for all. He continues the episode by discussing issues he’s encountered with saying no to requests made by strangers in person. The episode continues with an AskDave about a stick...
Sep 14, 2023•49 min
Dave and Chris wax nostalgic at the top of the episode talking about three things they ate in high school. Dave talks about his secret love of shepherd’s pie and his not-so-secret love of microwaveable cheeseburgers. Chris weighs in with his clandestine love affair with “RIB-B-Q” at the Cal Dining Hall. The two also share a moment about a certain past food item at Taco Bell. For Slice, Dave talks about his run-in with a foul ball at Dodger Stadium and the internal monologue that led to him missi...
Sep 11, 2023•1 hr 49 min
Dave and Euno dig in on NFL kickoff weekend for an extended Three Things that Dave is looking out for in the upcoming NFL season. The episode draws parallels between NFL schools of thinking (including the rise of the mobile quarterback and the run pass option) and how changes in the NFL relate to changes in the food and restaurant world. The episode then takes a personal turn as Dave looks back and reflects on his personal competitive drive, the way he’s approached his work, and whether or not t...
Sep 07, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Dave and Chris kick off the episode talking about a … strange … take from the 'Ringer Fantasy Football Show' and question their fantasy football knowledge based on their food preferences. The episode continues with a Slice where Dave declares the space of one’s airplane seat to be “personal airspace” and an experience with a pushy passenger. "Ask Dave" sees Dave encounter a problem that plagues chefs and restaurateurs everywhere: What do you do if a former chef copies the dishes from their forme...
Aug 31, 2023•1 hr 20 min
Dave kicks off the episode with a SLICE containing an interesting conundrum: What happens when a group needs to split a check and one person didn’t consume as much as the others (or didn’t drink)? Ask Dave sees Dave answer a couple interesting questions. He starts off with the one thing he would teach high schoolers before they go to culinary school (or enter the workforce as cooks). Dave then walks through the perfect day of eating in Tokyo (“Pitching a Perfect Game”), including skipping breakf...
Aug 28, 2023•1 hr 12 min
Dave and Chris pick up their conversation from the previous episode with a discussion of Shohei Ohtani’s greatness (and Dave’s persistent man crush on the Angels’ two-way phenom). The conversation turns to a breakfast-themed MOIF. Dave and Chris assemble their absolute best box of donuts, poke fun at Chris’ bagel preferences, the Asian cuisines that do breakfast best, and a big rant about the proper (only?) way to serve hash browns. Host: Dave Chang and Chris Ying Producer: Victoria Valencia, Co...
Aug 24, 2023•53 min
Dave is joined by Chris, and he opens up the show with an excuse for being late: a story about cooking breakfast for Hugo. The conversation detours into a reflection on the work ethic of bees. Ask Dave sees a question about wearing chef coats and other chef equipment, and Dave explains the functional importance of a chef uniform, including the chef coat. Dave also reflects on his worst cut and burn stories in the kitchen. The two then discuss IQ tests and scores, the implications of a high or lo...
Aug 21, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Dave’s Three Things segment starts off with three things he loves about the show’s guest: a world-class chef and the owner of the Empellón restaurant group, Alex Stupak. Stupak catches up with Dave (whom he hasn’t seen since before the pandemic) and reflects on his culinary journey, including his admiration of Albert Adrià, his time at Grant Achatz’s Alinea, and his experience helming the pastry program at Wylie Dufresne’s WD-50. The two ponder the dampening effects of restaurant criticism on cr...
Aug 17, 2023•1 hr 8 min
Dave takes a Slice of Life segment talking about wedding attendance—and how his eagerness to attend a wedding has significantly changed with age. The Ask Dave turns into a “Would You Please Stop” as Dave talks about being asked for a last-minute table as a favor—and why he’s unwilling to fulfill these requests. Finally, Euno and Dave break down various stereotypical diners, and assess which dining group they’d like to eat with the most. Host: Dave Chang and Chris Ying Guest: Euno Lee Producer: V...
Aug 14, 2023•1 hr 11 min
Dave starts the top of the show by talking about his personal journey through being punctual—and what specific type of meeting he’s been late for or missed entirely. The discussion veers into Zoom etiquette and “flexes.” Ask Dave sees Dave tackle a highly problematic practice: booking multiple restaurant reservations for the same time and canceling with minimal notice (or no-showing!). Dave walks through the havoc that a canceled reservation can wreak on a restaurant's profitability and implores...
Aug 10, 2023•1 hr 12 min
Dave and Chris kick off the episode with a quick update on the goings-on in the studio. Dave answers an Ask Dave question about a couple industry terms he uses on the show and what it’s like to have extremely wealthy people dine at his restaurants. My Opinion Is Fact takes an extended look at dental hygiene—including flossing in public, what a hotel’s dental kit says about the hotel, and the foods to avoid if you don’t want something stuck in between your teeth. Finally, the episode closes out a...
Aug 07, 2023•1 hr 17 min
Dave kicks off the episode with three things about 'Oppenheimer'—including some recommendations to help with understanding the film. Ask Dave addresses a question about where to work in the restaurant industry and how to approach a shift into a culinary career. Dave then launches into a Slice about sleeping habits, with a particular eye on pajamas, and he plays a new game where Dave, Euno, Cory, and Victoria try to guess what celebrities wear to bed (pajamas, basketball shorts, or nothing). The ...
Aug 03, 2023•1 hr 16 min
Dave is reunited with Chris Ying, and they kick off the episode by talking about ice cream on a trompo (and the subsequent social media reaction) and their mutual hatred of dark chocolate. Dave also drops a hot take on one of his favorite dishes to order at Nobu (or the original Matsuhisa). The episode continues with a mini Ask Dave, covering everything from the best chef knives to order on Amazon, to when to book tickets to a bachelor party, to Dave’s rebuttal to his seemingly contradictory tak...
Jul 31, 2023•1 hr 42 min
Dave kicks off the segment talking about his first take, and how he misses recording with his co-host Chris Ying. Dave then sounds off on putting beer and wine on ice, and telling his friends to take the word “chef” out of their social media handles. The podcast then turns to Dave dishing on pop-up restaurants and how to identify talent. He’s then joined by screenwriter, director, producer and noted gourmand Brian Koppelman to talk about Brian’s favorite restaurants in New York City. The podcast...
Jul 27, 2023•1 hr 31 min
Dave and Chris start the episode off with the Approval Matrix, where they discuss their approval (or disapproval) of various things, including Matty Matheson’s performance on 'The Bear.' They also discuss making quenelles at home and then segue into their search for a foolproof s’mores method. Guest MJ Truong of Meyer Cookware joins the episode for a discussion on human-centered design and a Top Five: Dim Sum Dishes. Finally, Dave ponders on a Slice: What do you do when your friend has something...
Jul 24, 2023•1 hr 42 min
Dave and Chris kick things off with a "How to Menu" of chef Jeffrey Harris’s Cincinnati restaurant, Nolia Kitchen. Things take a turn as Dave does a mini-MOIF where he declares the single greatest restaurant menu hack (when it’s available). After the break, the discussion shifts to Korean food and whether America has reached peak Korean food, transitioning into a discussion of ethnic enclaves throughout America, with particular emphasis on the Korean American community in Fullerton, California. ...
Jul 20, 2023•1 hr 9 min
Dave and Chris start off with an Ask Dave question, where a listener asks about the perfect first-date restaurant. Highlights include the best dinner-date restaurant, whom you should go to a Michelin-starred restaurant with, and the hidden meaning of going out for sushi. They’re joined by Ron Parker, COO of the José Andrés Group and founder of HMx, later in the episode to discuss what it takes to be a world-class restaurant operator. Ron also talks about HMx and his motivation for starting the g...
Jul 17, 2023•1 hr 30 min
Dave and Chris open up with an observation about the true meaning of the phrase “excuse me,” before moving on to an exploration of the journey of American drinking culture and the way alcohol preferences change with age. Along the way, the two establish the “Hefeweizen Principle” (a way to point out minor degrees of cultural snobbery), before the discussion (and journey) culminates in the one drink that signifies true bar order enlightenment. Host: Dave Chang and Chris Ying Producer: Victoria Va...
Jul 13, 2023•1 hr 11 min
Dave opens up the show with jobs he would have wanted to do if he was 22 years old, which turns into speculation on the personality traits it might take to be a pyrotechnic engineer. The show continues as Dave provides strong evidence for why everyone should stay indoors and discusses (likely related) the channels he’s watching on YouTube. Dave and Chris then discuss some hacks for how to get a reservation at busy restaurants. Things round out with So You Wanna … Be an Expediter? where Dave and ...
Jul 10, 2023•1 hr 22 min
Dave and Chris record an episode of the podcast from the Majordomo Media Studios, where they talk about everything from proper oil handling to crab cakes. Hosts: Dave Chang and Chris Ying Producers: Victoria Valencia, Cory McConnell, Gabi Marler, and Euno Lee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 06, 2023•1 hr 9 min
Dave and Chris talk themselves into a change of heart on the Instapot. The conversation then turns to Dave talking about his neighbors, and suggesting an alternative to astrology. Afterward, they are joined by special guest writer and artist Tunde Wey to talk about Nigerian iru and the interesting numbers that led to the pricing of his new spirit, Since. Hosts: Dave Chang and Chris Ying Guests: Tunde Wey and Euno Lee Producers: Victoria Valencia, Cory McConnell, Gabi Marler, and Euno Lee Learn m...
Jun 29, 2023•1 hr 43 min
Dave explores the decision to go to culinary school, including alternatives to the system in countries outside of the U.S. The episode also goes over Chris’s forays into the gym (and Dave, the personal trainer?), as well as a new segment where the hosts read bad Yelp reviews. Hosts: Dave Chang and Chris Ying Producers: Victoria Valencia, Cory McConnell, Gabi Marler, and Euno Lee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 26, 2023•1 hr 11 min
It’s a double-guest extravaganza as The Ringer senior staff writer Kevin O’Connor joins Dave and Chris to talk about Nikola Jokic’s recent NBA championship win, and how to identify talent. Later, writer (and Chris’s first boss out of college!) Andrew Leland joins the pod to talk about his experience with retinitis pigmentosa and common misconceptions about blind people. Host: Dave Chang and Chris Ying Guest: Kevin O'Connor and Andrew Leland Producer: Victoria Valencia, Cory McConnell, Gabi Marle...
Jun 22, 2023•1 hr 27 min
Dave kicks off the show with a serious conundrum faced by couples everywhere: the optimal time to fart in front of your partner. Chris, Cory, Euno, and Victoria all weigh in with their answers. The episode continues with an NBA edition of Theoretical Dinner Guest, where the group names the Starting Five of Dinner Guests from throughout NBA history. The episode wraps up with Dave’s story about recruiting an NBA free agent to New York. Host: Dave Chang and Chris Ying Guest: Euno Lee Producer: Vict...
Jun 19, 2023•1 hr 9 min
Dave introduces a segment called Slice with Chris and Euno, where he talks about moments from his life that raise questions. He talks about the unique phenomenon of kindness and consideration found in a Southwest Airlines boarding line. He also introduces his “friendship score” and promptly deducts points from people who use neck pillows. The conversation then turns to his experience at the Apple headquarters in Cupertino, CA, including some of the best corporate lunch food he’s ever had. Host: ...
Jun 15, 2023•1 hr 13 min
