One Lucky Peach

David Chang's new food quarterly redefines food writing.

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4.5 out of 5 stars(2)

Crazed Momofuku fans, rejoice! Chef-owner of the New York City restaurant family David Chang has taken his acclaimed culinary skills to the literary world, launching a food-focused quarterly called Lucky Peach, published by McSweeney’s. The first issue is dedicated to all things ramen, packed with stories, original artwork and recipes for your noodle-loving soul. It’s edgy and distinctive, both visually and verbally, making it a refreshing change of pace.

The artwork goes beyond vivid photos and graphics accompanying pieces of text. Recipes are designed in a funky yet brilliant way; some might say the visual style of instructions works better than your standard written recipe. Enough directions (and photos at each step) are given so the reader won’t get lost, yet they’re vague enough to let you season to your liking and grasp the essentials instead of weighing down with detail. When taking a stab at alkaline noodles, this proved a brilliant process; recipe-makers and cookbook authors should take note.

Chang calls on some culinary friends to make for a solid roundup of contributors to the ramen issue. Peter Meehan (co-author of Momofuku, the cookbook), who co-created Lucky Peach with Chang, shares a ramen-laden Japan travelogue, former Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl chronicles her Instant Ramen Showdown, and food scientist extraordinaire Harold McGee delves into alkalinity and alkaline noodles. Anthony Bourdain and Wylie Dufresne make notable appearances as well.

This is not a publication to be relegated to the magazine rack. Lucky Peach is a foodie treasure trove, and the ramen issue a spectacular introduction to what’s to come from this quarterly. Grab a subscription and learn more at mcsweeneys.net/luckypeach.
-Denise Shoukas