The chef and owner of Momofuku restaurants fondly recalls preparing ducks, turkeys, soups, and pastas for one special holiday meal.

Question: What is the best meal you’ve ever prepared?

David Chang:  I think the best meal I ever prepared; wow.  I might have to say  Thanksgiving four years ago.  Yeah.  I don’t remember exactly what I made, but I think I was home for a little bit from Japan or something.  And I had a week to make this crazy, crazy Thanksgiving dinner.  And I just sort of blew it out.  I cooked for four days straight and there was this massive feast – from turkeys and ducks to soups and pastas.

I just remember the cleanup being massive.  That’s the thing.  It’s like food memories like that is usually with your friends and family.

It’s nothing crazy fancy, but it’s something that you’re giving something to the people you care about.  And that sounds so cliché, but I think it’s something that I remember.

And if I’m going to say what’s the best meal that I ever made, it’s not at a restaurant because that’s something that you expect that you want to be good.  But I think it was the first time like my family was like, “Wow, this is actually really amazing.”