--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was in Japan, everyone wanted to…" description: "\"When I was in Japan, everyone wanted to work for Pierre Gagnaire, and they wouldn't miss a beat.\" — David Chang" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57c/david-chang-8104_beat_when-i-was-in-japan-everyone-wanted-to-w_152768.png" --- # When I was in Japan, everyone wanted to work for Pierre… ![“When I was in Japan, everyone wanted to work for Pierre Gagnaire, and they wouldn't miss a beat.” quote by David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57c/david-chang-8104_beat_when-i-was-in-japan-everyone-wanted-to-w_152768.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57c/david-chang-8104_beat_when-i-was-in-japan-everyone-wanted-to-w_152768.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57c/david-chang-8104_beat_when-i-was-in-japan-everyone-wanted-to-w_152768.png) > “When I was in Japan, everyone wanted to work for Pierre Gagnaire, and they wouldn't miss a beat.” [David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In Japan, aspiring chefs eagerly sought to work for a renowned chef, showing dedication and collective ambition. **In simple terms:** People passionately pursue opportunities with top mentors. Key Takeaway Seek mentorship and work hard. Themes career ambition mentor dedication culture Mood inspired ambitious Type advice motivational When to use this quote - culinary industry - creative fields - internships Key Concepts professional growth learning from experts Questions to Reflect On - What draws you to a particular mentor? - How do you balance ambition with personal well‑being? A Different Perspective High competition can create pressure and burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Japan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/japan/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [I don't know if Yves St Laurent likes my work but Pierre Bergé does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-don-t-know-if-yves-st-laurent-likes-my-work-but-pierre-berg-does/) [Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/) > [I feel as if I accomplished everything in Japan, so I wanted to challenge myself. I wanted something new, so I decided to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shinsuke-nakamura/i-feel-as-if-i-accomplished-everything-in-japan-so-i-wanted-to/) [Shinsuke Nakamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shinsuke-nakamura/) > [“How could I explain to this man how much I wanted to work? Did he have the slightest idea how much I missed my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/how-could-i-explain-to-this-man-how-much-i-wanted-to-work-did-he-have/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) > [If you go back to all my interviews as a rookie, I was very shy and didn't want to say a lot at all.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-watt/if-you-go-back-to-all-my-interviews-as-a-rookie-i-was-very-shy-and/) [T. J. Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-j-watt/) > [“I wanted to work out a trade with things that aren’t alive but aren’t dead either. I wanted to make an emergency exchange, trading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herta-m-ller/i-wanted-to-work-out-a-trade-with-things-that-aren-t-alive-but-aren-t/) [Herta Müller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herta-m-ller/) > [I was willing to accept a bad reputation if I deserved it, but it was going to be based on my actions, not on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-wasserman/i-was-willing-to-accept-a-bad-reputation-if-i-deserved-it-but-it-was/) [Casey Wasserman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-wasserman/) > [“If my life was to be all work no play, I wanted my work to be play.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-knight/if-my-life-was-to-be-all-work-no-play-i-wanted-my-work-to-be-play/) [Phil Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-knight/) > [When I came to CBS it was the mother church. I mean that was - everybody wanted to go to work for CBS News.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/when-i-came-to-cbs-it-was-the-mother-church-i-mean-that-was-everybody/) [Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/) > [I wanted to work in the Hindi film industry much more than what I was offered. But if you are a grain of rice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soni-razdan/i-wanted-to-work-in-the-hindi-film-industry-much-more-than-what-i-was/) [Soni Razdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soni-razdan/) > [It's very nice to see when somebody who wanted to work hard and is willing to put the work in gets rewarded for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-lendl/it-s-very-nice-to-see-when-somebody-who-wanted-to-work-hard-and-is/) [Ivan Lendl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-lendl/) > [I always wanted to act and I always wanted to work in comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-povitsky/i-always-wanted-to-act-and-i-always-wanted-to-work-in-comedy/) [Esther Povitsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-povitsky/) > [I cast very much from the gut, and I think I was very lucky to be able to get... many amazing international... people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-sanders/i-cast-very-much-from-the-gut-and-i-think-i-was-very-lucky-to-be-able/) [Rupert Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-sanders/) > [I just wanted to work, build a relationship with my teammates, and earn their trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weddle/i-just-wanted-to-work-build-a-relationship-with-my-teammates-and-earn/) [Eric Weddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weddle/) > [At age 28, I had no retail experience, no consumer marketing experience and no real Internet experience. But I decided I wanted to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-naficy/at-age-28-i-had-no-retail-experience-no-consumer-marketing-experience/) [Mariam Naficy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-naficy/) > [One of the reasons I wanted to start a company is because I wanted an environment that I wanted to work in. I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tory-burch/one-of-the-reasons-i-wanted-to-start-a-company-is-because-i-wanted-an/) [Tory Burch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tory-burch/) ## More by David Chang > [In New York, we're always confined with spaces. Our restaurants are difficult to navigate as cooks and to operate. We fight against the buildings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/in-new-york-we-re-always-confined-with-spaces-our-restaurants-are/) [David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/) > [If you ask what people say what American cuisine is, they cannot really do it. I don't know what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/if-you-ask-what-people-say-what-american-cuisine-is-they-cannot/) [David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/) > [Lifes too short to just breeze on by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/lifes-too-short-to-just-breeze-on-by/) [David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/) > [My dad was in the restaurant business, but I didn't really think about following him. Had I done better at school, I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/my-dad-was-in-the-restaurant-business-but-i-didn-t-really-think-about/) [David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/) > [Say a child raises this beautiful beet. It's going to give her a sense of ownership, and that changes everything. You stop taking things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/say-a-child-raises-this-beautiful-beet-it-s-going-to-give-her-a-sense/) [David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/) > ['Tampopo's amazing. I think it's an absolutely fantastic movie, but I don't think it captures for me the meaning of food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/tampopo-s-amazing-i-think-it-s-an-absolutely-fantastic-movie-but-i/) [David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/) > [If people think you are this amazing, own it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/if-people-think-you-are-this-amazing-own-it/) [David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/) > [Any processed chicken from any place - I'll order it in a heartbeat. I'm very picky about my pork, though.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/any-processed-chicken-from-any-place-i-ll-order-it-in-a-heartbeat-i-m/) [David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/) > [New York gives us a wide colour palette to cook from. We have cuisines from around the world, and that lets us pick and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/new-york-gives-us-a-wide-colour-palette-to-cook-from-we-have-cuisines/) [David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/) > [I think the best restaurants in America should be in California.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/i-think-the-best-restaurants-in-america-should-be-in-california/) [David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/) > [Why can't it be awesome to work for a food company? Why can't we create an environment where people are trying to push each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/why-can-t-it-be-awesome-to-work-for-a-food-company-why-can-t-we/) [David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/) > [You can't go into the chef's office of any serious kitchen and not see a copy of Larousse. A must-have for professional and home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/you-can-t-go-into-the-chef-s-office-of-any-serious-kitchen-and-not/) [David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/) > [I work so hard that I forget to take care of myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/i-work-so-hard-that-i-forget-to-take-care-of-myself/) [David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/) > [I don't like eating in restaurants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/i-don-t-like-eating-in-restaurants/) [David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/) > [The livelihood of the restaurant is dependent upon getting the word out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/the-livelihood-of-the-restaurant-is-dependent-upon-getting-the-word/) [David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/) [Explore all 84 David Chang quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/) ## More Beat quotes > [Drumming's pretty physical. We sit at the back of the stage getting beat up like a workhorse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee/drumming-s-pretty-physical-we-sit-at-the-back-of-the-stage-getting/) [Tommy Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee/) > [I beat the odds, and I beat the odds so many times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-scherzer/i-beat-the-odds-and-i-beat-the-odds-so-many-times/) [Max Scherzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-scherzer/) > [Britain has united to send a strong message to anyone who seeks to peddle hate. Together we are stronger. Together we can beat hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/britain-has-united-to-send-a-strong-message-to-anyone-who-seeks-to/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) > [If I can beat a proven champion like Canelo, that will take my career to a different level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennady-golovkin/if-i-can-beat-a-proven-champion-like-canelo-that-will-take-my-career/) [Gennady Golovkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennady-golovkin/) > [There are more pleasant things to do than beat up people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-are-more-pleasant-things-to-do-than-beat-up-people/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Only two to three per cent of an audience is interested in words and pays attention to lyrics; most of the rest of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stewart/only-two-to-three-per-cent-of-an-audience-is-interested-in-words-and/) [Al Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stewart/) > [Practice to beat the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bennett/practice-to-beat-the-best/) [Dick Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bennett/) > [“I'm an idealist who has outgrown my idealism I have nothing to do the rest of my life but do it and the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-m-an-idealist-who-has-outgrown-my-idealism-i-have-nothing-to-do-the/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [You know, I definitely believe that I can beat Manny. There's so many advantages I have against him that people are overlooking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mosley/you-know-i-definitely-believe-that-i-can-beat-manny-there-s-so-many/) [Shane Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mosley/) > [If I serve good and play aggressive from the baseline, I can beat everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karolina-pliskova/if-i-serve-good-and-play-aggressive-from-the-baseline-i-can-beat/) [Karolina Pliskova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karolina-pliskova/) > [It goes way, way back when we were under Sweden's rule. We always think they are better than us. We played against them so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saku-koivu/it-goes-way-way-back-when-we-were-under-sweden-s-rule-we-always-think/) [Saku Koivu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saku-koivu/) > [I never do any album to beat it. I do it to extend it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-never-do-any-album-to-beat-it-i-do-it-to-extend-it/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [Back back back it up, can't no one compete. If I was a snare she's the kick to my beat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-latimore/back-back-back-it-up-can-t-no-one-compete-if-i-was-a-snare-she-s-the/) [Jacob Latimore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-latimore/) > [It's hard to beat somebody when they don't give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babe-ruth/it-s-hard-to-beat-somebody-when-they-don-t-give-up/) [Babe Ruth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babe-ruth/) > [To beat Shevchenko, you'd have to close the distance and work with strikes close to the cage to take away her energy, her strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-andrade/to-beat-shevchenko-you-d-have-to-close-the-distance-and-work-with/) [Jessica Andrade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-andrade/) Browse all 1,713 Beat quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was in Japan, everyone wanted to work for Pierre Gagnaire, and they wouldn't miss a beat.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Chang" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/when-i-was-in-japan-everyone-wanted-to-work-for-pierre-gagnaire-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beat" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/when-i-was-in-japan-everyone-wanted-to-work-for-pierre-gagnaire-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57c/david-chang-8104_beat_when-i-was-in-japan-everyone-wanted-to-w_152768.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57c/david-chang-8104_beat_when-i-was-in-japan-everyone-wanted-to-w_152768.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57c/david-chang-8104_beat_when-i-was-in-japan-everyone-wanted-to-w_152768.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I was in Japan, everyone wanted to work for Pierre Gagnaire, and they wouldn't miss a beat.” — David Chang", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Chang", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I was in Japan, everyone...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/when-i-was-in-japan-everyone-wanted-to-work-for-pierre-gagnaire-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/when-i-was-in-japan-everyone-wanted-to-work-for-pierre-gagnaire-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```