Alex Chang is the chef and co-owner of Kiko, an Asian-inspired restaurant in downtown Manhattan, which he owns and operates alongside his wife, sommelier Lina Goujjane. Born in Hong Kong to a Mexican mother and Chinese father, and raised in Tokyo and California, Alex’s global upbringing shaped his eclectic culinary style. He began his culinary journey in college, hosting supper clubs in his college apartment at the University of Southern California. Later, after staging at Tokyo’s two-Michelin-starred Les Créations de Narisawa, he refined his craft at celebrated restaurants like Animal in Los Angeles, Pujol and Quintonil in Mexico City, and In De Wulf in Belgium. When he was 24, he opened Vagabond in Miami, earning Zagat’s “30 Under 30” and StarChefs Rising Star accolades. He later led The Exchange at LA’s Freehand Hotel, which received praise from former LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold and a spot on publication’s Best 101 Restaurants list. In 2019, Alex and Lina tested the concept that would later become Kiko in Los Angeles as a series of pop-ups, which was met with critical acclaim. After moving to New York City, Chang worked as the executive chef of Soho House in the Meatpacking District, as well as Il Buco Alimentari in Manhattan and Il Buco al Mare in Amagansett. In Fall 2024, he opened Kiko in Hudson Square alongside his wife, Lina. At Kiko, Alex harmoniously blends globally inspired dishes with Asian accents, balancing innovation, comfort and creativity, while drawing on his multicultural background and international training.
