Danielle Chang launched LUCKYRICE in 2010 to showcase Asian food cultures at festivals and events around the U.S.
Courtesy Danielle Chang
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Danielle Chang, founder of Asian culinary events company LUCKYRICE, Emmy-nominated producer, creator and host of Lucky Chow on PBS, and co-founder of Chinese wellness brand the Hao Life, as been determined to share what she loves most about Asian culture with Americans since she immigrated to the U.S. from Taiwan when she was 5 years old.
Chang, now 50, launched LUCKYRICE in 2010 to showcase Asian food cultures at festivals and events around the U.S.
“Since [LUCKYRICE’s] founding, the Asian food scene in America has exploded with celebrity chefs like David Chang and soy sauce in every kitchen cupboard,” she says. “It’s so exciting to see Asian food cultures thriving and evolving today.” In January, LUCKYRICE hosted Lunar New Year feasts in New York, where Chang is based.
Chang digs into the stories behind Asian food in America on Lucky Chow. She says of the new season on PBS, “William Li and I traveled from the islands of Manhattan to Oahu in exploration of stories that share the impact of Asian farmers, cooks, eaters, healers in the backyards of America. I left—as I do each season—feeling grateful and changed from the people who I met and honored to tell their stories.”
The entrepreneur’s latest venture, the Hao Life, aims to share the benefits of Chinese wellness and educate people on plant-based benefits. The Hao Life’s products leverage Chinese mushrooms like lion’s mane, reishi and tremella.
Chang shared her favorite places and things with Penta.
Chang’s latest venture is the Hao Life, which aims to share the benefits of Chinese wellness and educate people on plant-based benefits.
Courtesy Danielle Chang
My favorite neighborhood in the world is… Chinatowns—anywhere, really, but particularly Manhattan’s Chinatown. That’s where I eat, shop, and support local independent shop owners whenever I can. I tell people to just follow their nose when in Chinatown and it will inevitably lead you in the right direction.
The place that inspires me the most is… Orient, a hamlet on the easternmost tip of Long Island, separated from the rest of the world by a causeway. I believe in the principle of geomancy, and that people have a particular affinity toward different places at different times throughout our lives. During the pandemic, I was drawn toward water and found inspiration in Orient for the first time.
The one thing in my home I can’t live without is… my fireplace. Nothing beats a cozy night in with loved ones around the fireplace.
My travel uniform is… monochromatic—that’s the easiest way to dress. This season, I’m particularly into blush and rosy shades. This winter, I’ll be traveling in easy-to-pack, easy-to-pair, and easy-on-the-eyes pieces from Maria Cornejo, with lots of cashmere and overalls. Having a strong, bright coat pulls it all together.
The first thing I do when I check into a hotel is… honestly? Plug into wifi and check my emails.
If I were to buy a piece of art, it would be by… so many! But I would buy young contemporary Chinese art. There’s so much talent to invest in. I love getting to know an artist, and working together to create something personally meaningful.
The best book I’ve read in the last year is… I’m loving the Woks of Life cookbook. We featured them in an episode of Lucky Chow from Season 4, and fell in love with this family who just came out with a cookbook that breaks down the components of Chinese cooking while also providing a rich tapestry of their family’s personal story.
My favorite comfort dish is… hot pot. Seasonal, brothy, steamy, simple. It’s my go-to for family dinners, where each eater gets to choose whatever they want to add into the soup. We usually have lots of tofu—yuba skin, silken tofu, tofu knot —as well as goji berries, jujubes, ginger—and lots of mushrooms (enoki, lions mane, shitake, oysters mushrooms). My favorite part is the flavored soup at the end of the meal!
The one trip I’ve taken that I would love to do again… Parrot Cay, in the Turks and Caicos, is my easy winter getaway from NYC’s icy pavements. I could be more adventurous, but the harmonious energy of Parrot Cay feels like home away from home so I return whenever I can.
The next destination on my travel itinerary is… Bhutan. David Melladew, Chief Wellness Officer for the Hao Life, has been promising to take William and I on a trek through this Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas come fall! It’ll be a great adventure as I transition into being an empty-nester, with my youngest daughter off to college soon.
The thing that gets me up in the morning is… I’m up before the sun practicing ashtanga yoga, which is a traditional form of yoga from Mysore, India, that is about moving energy with breath and mindful movement. The practice takes about 90 minutes, so it’s a good chunk of time to put aside, but I love to do sun salutations as the sun is actually rising. On weekends, I go to the Broome Street Ganesha Temple for Eddie Stern’s awe-inspiring class. That’s my church.
The restaurant/bar in my hometown that I love to take a visitor is… Balthazar. I’ve been going there for decades. It’s my neighborhood bistro.
A person who inspired me to do what I do is… my grandmother, who became the family breadwinner at an early age and taught me that success and happiness in life comes with channeling the duality inherent in all of us—the yin and the yang energies, and keeping our masculine and feminine energies in harmony.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
