An insatiable curiosity

Fall 2024 California Bountiful magazine

New Jersey native Michael Hung has cooked in California for nearly two decades. Photo: © 2024 Mollie Kimberling

Research is one of this chef’s most valuable tools

Story by Barbara Arciero
Photos by Mollie Kimberling

With chef Michael Hung, the conversational topics run the gamut: literature, ocean sustainability, investment strategies, surfing, mental health, animated movies and, oh yeah, food.

Hung acknowledges an insatiable curiosity.

“My brain is always working, so if I don’t feed it something, then it will move in the wrong direction,” he says with a laugh. Hung holds a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature and a master of fine arts in fiction writing. He has worked in the kitchens of some of the nation’s top restaurants and even served as menu chef and consultant on the Academy Award-winning film “Ratatouille.”

At the time of the conversation, Hung was wrapping up a community college class in psychology—“I’m just a big fan of continuing education”—and embracing his new role as director of food and beverage for the Palm Springs Surf Club.

Hung was recruited to help turn the struggling business around and has been given “100% support” to reimagine the property’s three restaurants. And he’s adding a fourth—a food truck.

He says his curiosity about virtually any subject allows him to adapt well to new circumstances and cuisines. When he’s launching or relaunching a restaurant, for example, he studies the region, potential customers, space, décor and culture the restaurant represents. Then comes the menu.

“I understand flavor. I have a very good palate. I have a very good taste memory. And I can also taste in my thoughts. When I imagine a dish, I can already taste it,” he says. “Part of it’s innate, part of it’s developed through intensive work and study and training. But I can use that skillset paired with my curiosity and my ability to research, and I can cook anything in the world.”

Barbara Arciero

Late season tomato gazpacho: Chef Michael Hung says making this refreshing soup is not much more difficult than selecting the best ingredients (easy in California at this time of year!) and blending them together.

Pan roasted spatchcocked chicken: Spatchcocking, which involves splitting and spreading a chicken prior to roasting it, is a game-changing skill. When a whole chicken is prepared this way, it cooks faster and gets crispier skin.

Salad of golden beets, English cucumber and fennel: Tasting his first fresh beet as a newcomer to California was “a revelation” to chef Michael Hung,
who describes the vegetable as earthy, sweet and versatile.

Madeira braised mushrooms: Chef Michael Hung describes this as “a wonderful California fall dish” that can be further amplified if the cook has access to a reliable source of wild mushrooms.

Pear and almond clafoutis: This French-style dessert comes with a bonus: It looks more difficult to make than it really is. “It can be impressive, particularly if you use a nice serving vessel,” chef Michael Hung says.