David Chang’s critically-acclaimed Momofuku Ko is one of the must-visit spots in New York City (even though it comes with a hefty price tag). So it’s wicked cool to hear that the fine dining restaurant’s newly-promoted chef de cuisine, Max Ng, hails from Singapore.
The 31-year-old, who graduated from the Singapore Hotel And Tourism Education Centre and the Culinary Institute of America, got his start in the Momofuku empire with an internship at Ssam Bar. According to TODAY, Ng turned up at the bar on a weekend afternoon with his chef’s coat and knives, requested for a trial and passed it. After that, he climbed the ladder to a commis chef role at Ko in 2013, before landing his coveted current position.
Ng’s certainly come a long way from his days of burning fried rice during home economics lessons at Temasek Secondary School, where his passion for cooking blossomed.
Interestingly enough, Ng told TODAY that if he could add a Singaporean touch to the menu at Ko, he’d choose kaya for its ‘interesting texture’ and its place as ‘one of the more iconic Singaporean things’.
He also admitted that even though he’s committed to Momofuku, the Little Red Dot is still home to him. Perhaps we can look forward to his return and the launch of his own restaurant after he’s achieved big things in NYC.
