Meet the Chang Chang Team
Peter & Lisa Chang
Peter was born and raised in Wuhan, China and as a young adult moved to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, to study classical Chinese cooking. There, he discovered his love for Sichuan peppercorns, chilis, and pickles that make humble ingredients shine. He came to Washington D.C. nearly 30 years ago as the chef for the Chinese ambassador to the United States before building his empire of restaurants. Fans flock to his restaurants for his signature dry-fry cauliflower and seafood, mala-flavored dishes, and Wuhan sesame noodles, a dish from his hometown. His wife Lisa, a Chinese pastry chef, created a signature menu item, the bubble pancake, that went viral on social media and also helped put their restaurants on the map. She is his longtime partner in both the kitchen and the home. Together, they are the brand ambassadors for Peter Chang.
Lydia Chang
Lydia is the proprietor of Chang Chang. The daughter of Peter & Lisa, Lydia grew up in China and various suburbs in Virginia, following her parents where their careers took them. She attended King’s College in London, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Economics and now oversees business operations for the Chang family’s thirteen restaurants. With a keen sense of style and design and an astute head for business, she is ensuring that her parents’ legacy will continue for decades to come. The week of Chang Chang DC’s opening, Lydia gave birth to a girl named London.
Pichet Ong
Pichet is a business partner and the pastry chef at Chang Chang. A pioneering and groundbreaking culinary artist, Pichet was born in Thailand to Chinese parents and grew up in Singapore. After atttending Yale University and receiving a master’s degree in architecture at the University of California Berkeley, he went into a career in desserts, working for Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse in Berkeley and Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market in New York. He is the author of The Sweet Spot: Asian-Inspired Desserts. His dessert creations and world travels are documented on his Instagram account, where he has more than 50,000 followers. He splits his time between NYC and Washington D.C., where he recently built a home with his partner Jase and two kittens.