Any self-respecting foodie knows who David Chang is.  After descending on the NY food scene with Momofuku Noodle Bar in the trendy East Village, he's gone on to win a James Beard award, expand his Momofuku empire (with the popular Ssam Bar, delectable Milk Bar and the exclusive Ko), write a cookbook (with amazing pictures and impossible recipes) and expand his reach into the bowels of corporate America with Má Pêche in midtown Manhattan.

On the left coast, Roy Choi has been making national headlines with his Korean taco fare served out of a food truck. Recently, he was named one of Food and Wine Magazine's Top Chefs of 2010. Take a look at that picture and tell me your mouth isn't salivating.

All of which is great - I'm happy for both of them and more than glad to consume their fare.  But - and I'll admit that I haven't had the pleasure of heading out to LA to try the Korean taco yet - I've had a lot of Momofuku Ssam, Noodle and Ko, and well... it's creative, it's delicious, but as an Asian, I often feel underwhelmed by too many of his Asian dishes to grade his food as consistently spectacular.  It makes me wonder if broad acclamation for Chang's "novel" creations has some roots in cultural novelty as much as the pleasure on the palate and the same question would apply to the food truck craze through which Choi was discovered.  And if it does, does that lessen their accomplishment? But that's just a thought and I think it's unfortunate that such thoughts even come to mind. But that's the life.