This Is TASTE

Koreaworld is here! It’s a new cookbook from Deuki Hong and TASTE’s Matt Rodbard, and this week we are looking at the modern Korean food movement from all angles. Today we have a great interview that has been years in the making. Matthew Kang is the longtime editor of Eater LA and is plugged into all things in LA’s Koreatown. In this conversation, we get into the big topics of the day in Los Angeles and have a spirited NYC vs. LA Koreatown debate. The Koreaworld crew is hosting book release events in New York City (April 24), Los Angeles (May 4), San Francisco (May 10), and many other cities. Check out all the cities and dates. See you out there!Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Koreaworld is here! It’s a new cookbook from Deuki Hong and TASTE’s Matt Rodbard, and this week we are looking at the modern Korean food movement from all angles. Today we have two really great conversations. First is a talk with Katianna and John Hong, the chefs and co-owners of the groundbreaking Los Angeles Korean restaurant Yangban. We speak about the chefs’ paths to the restaurant industry and what makes modern Korean food in LA so exciting. Also on the show, we have a wonderful talk with Nadia Cho, the coauthor of an excellent new book, Jang, and one of our most well-connected friends in food. Nadia and Matt have traveled to Korea many times together, and they get into their stories from the road as well as how Korean food has evolved in New York City over the past decade.The Koreaworld crew is hosting book release events in New York City (April 24), Los Angeles (May 3), San Francisco (May 10), and many other cities. Check out all the cities and dates. See you out there!Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Koreaworld is here! It’s a new cookbook from Deuki Hong and TASTE’s Matt Rodbard, and this week we are looking at the modern Korean food movement from all angles. Today we have Susan Kim in the studio. Susan is a chef, a food stylist, and the proud Korean American business owner behind Doshi. Susan was born in Seoul and raised in California, and she cooked at Chez Panisse before moving to NYC in 2016. We get into her take on the modern Korean food scene and her journey working both in restaurants and in food editorial. It’s great having Susan in.The Koreaworld crew is hosting book release events in New York City (April 24), Los Angeles (May 3), San Francisco (May 10), and many other cities. Check out all the cities and dates. See you out there!Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Koreaworld is here! It’s a new cookbook from Deuki Hong and TASTE’s Matt Rodbard, and this week we are looking at the modern Korean food movement from all angles. Today we have Alex Lau in the studio. Alex is a food photographer who has shot covers and magazine spreads for some of the most interesting clients in the world—including traveling to Korea multiple times to work on Koreaworld. Alex spent four years working at Bon Appétit, and we get into his truly amazing journey from fashion closet intern to one of the most gifted shooters around. What a great talk.The Koreaworld crew is hosting book release events in New York City (April 24), Los Angeles (May 3), San Francisco (May 10), and many other cities. Check out all the cities and dates. See you out there!Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Koreaworld is here! It’s a new cookbook from Deuki Hong and TASTE’s Matt Rodbard, and this week we are looking at the modern Korean food movement from all angles. To kick things off, we are catching up with Francis Lam, editor in chief of Clarkson Potter and host of The Splendid Table. Francis is Deuki and Matt’s longtime editor, and he speaks about how they collaborated on the book. We also hear about Francis’s journey through journalism, including working in TV, in radio, and at the legendary Gourmet magazine. It’s great having Francis in the studio.The Koreaworld crew is hosting book release events in New York City (April 24), Los Angeles (May 3), San Francisco (May 10), and many other cities. Check out all the cities and dates. See you out there!Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Abi Balingit is the author of Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed, a delightful cookbook full of maximalist personality and transfixing sweets, like the adobo chocolate chip cookie. She’s a singular force in the NYC baking scene, and it’s so fun to have her on the show today to talk about what she’s been up to since publishing her first book, her love of kitsch, and more.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. MORE FROM ABI BALINGIT:Adobo Chocolate Chip Cookie [NYT]Ube Macapuno Molten Lava Cake and More Maximalist Filipino Desserts from 'Mayumu' [KCRW Good Food]Telling Delicious Filipino Food Stories With Chef Abi Balingit [Forbes]See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s a simple promise in a land of broken ones: no booze, no added sugar, no nasties. Ghia, founded by a French former investment banker named Mélanie Masarin, has played the NA spirits game straight, and we find out so much about the brand in our interview. We hear about Mélanie’s journey from banking to working with brands like Dig Inn and Glossier to working in the world of spritz. It’s a fun talk!  Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. MORE FROM MELANIE MASARIN:This Is My New Non-Alcoholic Go-to for Weeknights [Food & Wine]Ghia’s Mélanie Masarin Doesn’t Define Her Sobriety [The Cut]Pucci Skirts, Steak Knives, and Vintage Balenciaga [Glamour]   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michael McCarty is the owner of two restaurants, Michael’s in Santa Monica, which opened in 1979, and Michael’s on West 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan, which followed a decade later. McCarty is truly the father of California cuisine, at the center of a culinary movement that produced top Los Angeles chefs like Jonathan Waxman, Mark Peel, Nancy Silverton, and many others. I had so much to ask Michael, and he was happy to go over his deep history in the American restaurant scene. We hear about how he moves between the coasts with ease and how he thinks about the legacy of Michael’s after more than 40 years in the game. Michael McCarty is a living legendy, and we hope you enjoy this conversation.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. MORE FROM MICHAEL MCCARTY:Did This Man Invent the Modern Restaurant? [Los Angeles Times]  Awkward Run-Ins, Big Deals Revealed by 27 VIPs in Dishy Oral History [HW]Still Busy After All These Years [Forbes]See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Felix Salmon has lived in and around NYC for over 25 years, and he’s one of the sharpest observers of food culture and trend without officially writing about food. He’s the current chief financial correspondent at Axios and host of the terrific podcast Slate Money. He’s also the author of The Phoenix Economy: Work, Life, and Money in the New Not Normal. On this episode we talk about NYC dining, in and out, and his family’s fascinating history in the London food world. We also discuss the early snark of Eater, the Keith McNally legacy, early 2000s dining trends, and what he thinks about the future of food media. What a great talk! Felix is one of our faves, and we hope you enjoy it.Also, did you read our big story about Trader Joe’s this week? It got a lot of attention and we are joined by the piece’s terrific writer, Adam Reiner, to talk about the company’s questionable private label practices.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. MORE FROM FELIX SALMON: The Real Reason Cocoa Prices Have Soared [Axios]Slate Money [official]We Need to Talk About Trader Joe’s [TASTE]See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s really great to catch up with Cree LeFavour, a novelist, cookbook author, and chef who just returned from four months at the South Pole, as documented in her excellent Substack. What is it like to bake bread at elevation in the world’s largest freezer? Her story is pretty entertaining, and we hear about how the world’s harshest environment can inspire creativity in the most interesting way. We also talk about her cookbook career and some of the cool projects she is working on since returning from the Pole. Also on the show, Aliza tells us all about her recent trip to New Orleans. Fewer oysters and more…roti! Visits include carrot yogurt at Molly’s Rise and Shine, the “White Claw of cheese” at Mister Mao 😭, the “fajita effect” (but with bananas foster) at Brennan’s, good hurricanes at Cane & Table, and the griddled biscuit at Panola Street Cafe.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. MORE FROM CREE LAFAVOUR:My Antarctica [Substack]Private Means [Grove Atlantic]See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Yes, Bill Addison is back on the show. We’ve long been a fan of Bill’s writing, going back to his well-considered restaurant criticism in Atlanta, Dallas, and San Francisco, for Eater as a roving national critic, and for the past four-plus years as the head restaurant critic at the Los Angeles Times. Bill is our favorite critic, writing about our favorite food city in the United States, and we catch up with him in Los Angeles about some of his recent reviews and tap into his thoughts on LA’s modern Korean food scene. It's a grab bag of topics. Bill also gamely takes our TASTE check, which is one of our favorites four minutes in audio. Bill is always welcome back on the show, and this is one for the books.Also on the show, Matt shares details from his recent trip to Los Angeles, including some of the places he dined at including: Sicilian corners and GOAT cheesecake at Quarter Sheets, celery salad at Stir Crazy, creative banchan and the new flow at Yangban, soba at Otafuku, 💯 grilled sweet potato and miso butter at Budonoki, Majordomo is still really good, and a final stop for the ages. Or, this age.    Send questions, comments, hot takes to: hello@tastecooking.com and we may read it on a future episode.MORE FROM BILL ADDISON:Inside NYC’s Korean Wave [Los Angeles Times]A Destination Restaurant in the High Desert [Los Angeles Times]21 of the Best Bagel Shops in Los Angeles [Los Angeles Times]This Is TASTE 194: Bill Addison [TASTE] See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joshua Weissman is one of the strongest (and largest) voices on the food internet and the host of a series of YouTube shows that clock more than nine million subscribers. He has an abounding love of food and proper technique, and we get into what makes a great cooking video, how Joshua likes to spend his off time in Austin, Texas, and his great cookbook, Texture Over Taste.Wylie Dufresne is a legendary force in the New York City chef world. As the owner of wd~50, he pioneered a form of cooking, sometimes called modernist cuisine, and brought it to worldwide attention. And now he’s turned his attention to pizza with the opening of Stretch Pizza on Park Avenue. In this lively conversation, we talk about Wylie’s pandemic pizza project that went to the next level. We also discuss cookbooks and our shared love for the New York City shop Kitchen Arts & Letters.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today is JG day, and we are thrilled! Jean-Georges Vongerichten is the man behind his eponymous Midtown restaurant as well as some of the most influential dining in the canon of American gastronomy: Spice Market, JoJo, 66, Vong, Matsugen, the Tin Building. When JG stopped by the studio on Monday,, we didn’t have a detailed plan for our talk. We wanted to go back in time, mostly, but also to talk about how the guy stays fresh when operating restaurants in over 16 countries. We discuss the drive to earn back a third Michelin star at the flagship, and where he likes to dine out for inspiration. We also talk about how JG travels, creates signature dishes, and remains one of the strongest voices in food—without doing much press at all. Plus, we talk about Wendy’s. What a joy it was having Jean-Georges in the studio, and we hope you enjoy the conversation.Also on the show, Aliza and Matt talk about three things they are feeling right now, including Sri Lankan milk tea from Kola Goodies, Westholme Australian Wagyu, and Potluck gochujang. Plus, Manischewitz debuts a new look, and don’t sleep on Raisinets. Lastly, Koreaworld NYC events are coming up! April 23 at Rizzoli Bookstore, with an April 24 launch party at Seoul Salon. In Los Angeles, May 3 at the Butcher, the Baker, the Cappuccino Maker. Check out the full Koreaworld world tour schedule.  Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.  MORE FROM JEAN-GEORGES VONGERICHTEN:     The Fifth Season [NY Mag]Jean-Georges Celebrates 50 years of Culinary Excellence [Today]Can Dried Fruit Get a Facelift? [TASTE]See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Olga Massov and Sanaë Lemoine are the authors of Hot Sheet, a delightful new cookbook dedicated to the wide world of possibilities unlocked by the humble sheet pan. They’ve conjured up seriously smart recipes for breakfasts, starters, dinners, and desserts, and today they’re going deep on their process for developing creative yet accessible sheet pan staples.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.  MORE FROM OLGA MASSOV AND SANAĔ LEMOINEThe Thanksgiving Sheet Pan [Voraciously]This Is TASTE 311: Sanaë Lemoine [TASTE]Hot SheetSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Marguerite Zabar Mariscal started as an intern at Momofuku in 2011, working her way through the influential restaurant group founded by David Chang all the way to the position of CEO, which she has held since 2019. On this entertaining episode, we speak about Marguerite’s journey from growing up a Zabar (that is, New York City grocery royalty) to running Momofuku’s sprawling restaurant and consumer packaged goods business, all while working side by side with the famously difficult and impossibly genius David Chang. It’s so good catching up with one of the brightest stars in the food world today.Also on the show, Matt shares about his recent trip to Palm Springs, California. Palm Springs has good food? Indeed! He shares his visit to French Miso Café, Bar Cecil, Billy Reed's, and some thoughts on the homes of Palm Springs via the amazing Mod Squad mid-century architecture tours.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.  MORE FROM MARGUERITE ZABAR MARISCAL:Momofuku’s Secret Sauce: A 30-Year-Old C.E.O. [NYT]This Is TASTE 336: Eunjo Park [TASTE]This Is TASTE 36: Eli Zabar [TASTE]This Is TASTE 28: Max Ng [TASTE]See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the show we have a special conversation with Emily Sundberg, the voice behind the must-read (and much-read) Feed Me, a newsletter about business, culture, food, and good gossip. Emily and Matt shared the stage at the recent Adweek Commerce Week in New York, and here they talk about all kinds of craziness, including F*og Club, probiotic sodas, Faire, Graza potato chips, the future of food media, the rise of retail media, the best and worst food retail, and so much more. Thanks to our friends at Adweek for inviting us to join the stage.For TASTE partnerships reach out to Peter Romero: promero@tastecooking.com MORE FROM EMILY SUNDBERG:  Ultimate New York Beauty Black Book [Feed Me]The Dinner Party Is Over [NY Mag]Your Employees are Probably Recording You [Feed Me]See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest this episode is one of our friends in the food podcasting world. Dan Pashman is the creator and host of the long-running podcast The Sporkful. He’s also the author of a great new book, Anything’s Pastable: 81 Inventive Pasta Recipes for Saucy People. In this episode, we talk about his pasta journey, from creating his own pasta shape to rigorously researching the many ways pasta can be cooked outside the Italian vernacular. It’s a great talk with Pashman.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.  MORE FROM DAN PASHMAN:Everything You Need to Know About Cascatelli [The Sporkful]Anything’s Pastable Episode 1 [The Sporkful]Are Shallots Bull$#!t?  [The Sporkful]See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Arielle Johnson is a flavor scientist who advises some of the top restaurants and chefs in the world on how to turbocharge their cooking with chemistry. She’s currently the science director of Noma Projects, and she’s sharing all her wisdom in a new book: Flavorama. It’s a delight having her on the show to answer all our questions about the science behind what we eat—truly a must-listen episode for anyone interested in food.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.  MORE FROM ARIELLE JOHNSON:Getting Curious With Jonathan Van Ness [Netflix]Arielle Johnson Has Flavor Down to a Science [Glamour]See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nicolaia Rips is a true New Yorker. She grew up in Manhattan’s famous Chelsea Hotel, which served as the subject of her memoir, Trying to Float. Now she’s the features editor of HommeGirls, and she’s writing for places like Cultured, Air Mail, and the New York Times. It’s so fun to have her on the show in an all-out New York episode.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.  MORE FROM NICOLAIA RIPS:When the Ghost of the Chelsea Hotel Is You [New York Times]Who The Hell Are 2girls1bottl3? [The Face]See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sun Noodle is a legend in the ramen game and the company behind many of your favorite bowls around the country. Kenshiro Uki, our guest on today’s show, grew up in Hawaii working at his family’s noodle company and later helped lead an expansion throughout the United States and beyond. On this episode we hear about what goes into making noodles perfectly matched for legendary shops like Momofuku Noodle Bar and Yuji Ramen, to name a few. We also hear about Sun Noodle’s growing consumer packaged goods business, which brings bowls of miso and shoyu ramen to home cooks. It’s super fun catching up with Kenshiro.Also on the show, Aliza and Matt go over three things they are each feeling right now including: Eric Kim’s black sesame Rice Krispies treats, coconut and pineapple payasam at Kanyakumari, the pasta tarot deck, Mel the bakery in Hudson, NY, Happy by Celina Baljeet Basra, The Bartender’s Pantry by Jim Meehan.   Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.      MORE FROM SUN NOODLES:How a Ramen Noodle Factory Makes 300,000 Noodle Orders a Day [Eater]Taking Flight to a Land of Noodles [NYT] See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.