David Chang Teams Up With Netflix for New Series ‘Ugly Delicious’

Momofuku emperor David Chang is headed to Netflix next month with a new show that will use food as a springboard for exploring the big ideas of authenticity and identity. Dubbed Ugly Delicious, the series will feature Chang eating and drinking with chefs, writers, artists, and entertainers at beloved restaurants around the world, all while discussing the traditions and shared experiences inextricably tied to comfort foods.

Although Chang is no stranger to television, he hasn’t starred in his own show since the inaugural season of Mind of a Chef way back in 2012. Morgan Neville, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker behind the music-industry documentary 20 Feet From Stardom, is working with Chang as a director and executive producer.

The show’s title refers to a term that the Momofuku chef/restaurateur often uses as a hashtag on Instagram to share photos of his favorite dishes. Last summer, during a conversation on the Eater Upsell, Chang explained that as a young cook, he turned his back on the Korean food that he grew up with and focused instead on Japanese cuisine and the French food that he viewed as “the pinnacle of gastronomy.” But over the last few years in particular, he dug into to the foods he loved as a child. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve embraced all the things that I truly love eating,” Chang said. “I’m not embarrassed about it anymore. Now I’m just like, I don’t give a fuck.”

Ugly Delicious will cover myriad cuisines with input from food fanatics like Alan Yang, Ruth Reichl, Peter Meehan, Jessica Koslow, Alex Raij, Justin Yu, Gustavo Arellano, Ali Wong (see clip above), Fuchsia Dunlop, René Redzepi, Jimmy Kimmel, Roy Choi, and Eater’s own Serena Dai. Chang says the goal was to create “a collaborative forum, a place where it’s okay to have strong opinions and honest conversations about food.”

The premiere date is set for February 23. Stay tuned for more details as they become available.

• Ugly Delicious [Netflix]
• David Chang: “Almost Everything We’ve Done Has Been a Failure from the Get-go” [E]
• All Food TV Coverage [E]