Rule #19 - Copy Don’t Steal
There's a lot you can learn about technique, history, ingredients, and creativity by trying to replicate someone else's cooking. You should do it. You should try to understand what makes the food you love special. And then you should be very careful about your next step.
Throughout Momofuku's history, we've served dishes that were directly inspired by other chefs. Whenever we've done so, we've been careful to note the connection right there on the menu. I feel confident in saying that we've always tried to do right by the cuisines and people to whom we paid homage. If you're 100 percent sure that including someone else's idea is vital to the story you're trying to tell at your restaurant, then acknowledge where it came from. And under no circumstances should you serve something worse than the original. Do not cut corners. Do not do a watered-down version. If it makes the dish better, inject some of your own perspective, but adding cheese to something doesn't make it yours.
- David Chang, To Eat a Peach












