Danny Bowien - Buddakan
WHO: Danny Bowien is culinary director at Buddakan, the New York dining institution known for its inventive, pan-Asian cuisine, convivial sharing plates, and a menu that puts bold flavors and polished technique at the center of the experience.
ABOUT: Bowien is one of the most influential American chefs of his generation, best known as the co-founder of Mission Chinese Food, the groundbreaking restaurant that transformed the conversation around Chinese-American cooking with its bold, boundary-pushing approach.
Born in South Korea and raised in Oklahoma, Bowien moved to San Francisco at 19, where he began his culinary career and launched Mission Chinese Food in 2010. The restaurant quickly became a national sensation, earning spots on Bon Appétit and GQ’s Best New Restaurants lists, while Bowien was added to Food & Wine's Top 40 Under 40 list and named a James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2013. He later became the subject of the Emmy-nominated season of The Mind of a Chef and the author of The Mission Chinese Food Cookbook.
Acclaimed Philadelphia restaurateur Stephen Starr has enlisted Bowien to reimagine Buddakan, giving the nearly two-decade-old New York institution a fresh culinary direction while preserving what has made it such an enduring destination.
Buddakan has been serving its distinctive take on modern Asian cuisine since opening to great fanfare in 2006. The menu brings together vivid flavors and techniques from across Asia, with a focus on shareable dishes including dim sum, seafood, whole Peking duck, and other specialties. Starr has built one of the country’s most influential independent restaurant groups and was named Outstanding Restaurateur by the James Beard Foundation in 2017. Buddakan was among his first major New York ventures and helped establish his reputation for pairing ambitious, globally inspired food with exceptional hospitality.
WHAT: Danny Bowien, a James Beard Award–winning chef, cookbook author, and founder of Mission Chinese Food, has taken the reins at this dining institution known for its inventive, pan-Asian cuisine. Learn the secrets behind their vibrant dishes designed for sharing.
WHEN: Thursday, Dec 3, 2026, 6:00 PM-8:00 PM EST
WHERE: De Gustibus Culinary Studio