David Chang, chef and founder at Momofuku, has become somewhat synonymous in the U.S. with Korean fine dining, microwave cooking and a host of Asian supermarket goods. As a celebrity chef, he’s no stranger to controversy: Chang isn’t afraid to share hot takes online, and he’s been accused of facilitating toxic work environments in his restaurants.
” Jing Gao, founder and CEO of Fly by Jing, a Sichuan chili sauce company, wrote on LinkedIn that she is “disheartened” to see Chang’s company allegedly “go after numerous brands including small minority women founded businesses.” “This kind of action, if successful, sets a dangerous precedent for the squashing of fair competition, not to mention how ridiculous it is to try and take ownership of a generic cultural term,” Gao continued. She tells TODAY.