Eric Huang - The Dark Secrets Of New York's Elite Kitchens & Why Michelin Has Become CORRUPT!

This week, we’re joined by Eric Huang—Queens native, Juilliard-trained cellist, and the chef behind Pecking House, New York’s cult fried chicken sensation. In a wild ride of an episode, Eric walks us through his transformation from classical musician to Michelin-level chef, dishing on brutal kitchen culture, racial dynamics in fine dining, and the unexpected pandemic pivot that made his chicken world-famous.

He opens up about being hospitalized from stress the same day Eleven Madison Park was crowned the world’s best restaurant, and how stepping away from the obsession with stars helped him find purpose in wok-fried lettuce, family roots, and feeding people real food.

From stir-fried nostalgia to viral password-only menus, Eric's story is one of grit, grace, and gastronomic reinvention. Plus: his go-to NYC haunts, the “curse” of success, and why buffalo wings might just be the perfect starter.

Recorded in London during his residency at Carousel and The Standard Hotel. Don’t miss this one.
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00:00 – Post-Apocalyptic Supermarkets & Fried Chicken Returns
00:36 – Meet Eric Huang: From Juilliard to Fried Chicken Fame
01:15 – Eric’s London Food Tour: Carousel, Brits & Chicken Love
02:12 – Mama Huang’s Banquet: Nostalgia & Chinese Family Legacy
03:40 – Trying British Chinese Food—A Curious Experiment
05:18 – British Food Redemption & Culinary Globalism in London
07:13 – Growing Up in Restaurants—But Never Allowed to Cook
08:59 – From Delinquent to Determined: Eric Gets Expelled from Juilliard
10:04 – Sesame Chicken Dreams & Childhood Cravings
11:44 – Chinese Cooking at Home: Pantry Basics & Flavor Balance
13:29 – Chinese Takeout’s Future in America & Political Pressures
16:38 – Pecking House Origins: From Pandemic Pop-Up to Phenomenon
17:44 – Fried Chicken Frenzy: Going Viral with Password-Protected Orders
21:38 – Health Crisis at EMP: Stress, Celery Root, and Cardiac Ablation
27:03 – Toxic Kitchens: Hazing, Violence & the Fine Dining Delusion
32:17 – Faith Lost in Michelin: Corruption, Elitism & Breaking Free
36:39 – Gramercy Tavern: Live Fire, Simplicity & Rediscovering Joy
43:44 – Love, Hate & Fried Chicken as a Career Path
46:08 – Cultural Erasure in Fine Dining: Misused Asian Ingredients
49:55 – Making Asian Cooking Mainstream at Home
51:24 – The Accidental Genius of Pecking House
54:12 – Viral Sensation: When New York Couldn't Get Enough
57:43 – Building a Menu: Beyond the Chicken
1:02:17 – What’s Next? Chicken Identity Crisis & Fine Dining Temptations
1:05:08 – Eric’s Go-To NYC Eats: Diners, Blowouts & Hidden Gems
1:10:03 – Charleston BBQ & Long Weekend Escapes
1:12:06 – Eric Huang’s Go-To Three Course Meal
1:14:26 – Play Him Out: Jurassic 5’s “If You Only Knew”