Extra Salty

Out of the frying pan and into a somehow even worse frying pan...

Eric Huang was a sous chef at three Michelin-star restaurant Eleven Madison Park when it was named the Best Restaurant in the World. But he had to celebrate from a hospital bed while recovering from heart surgery. The cause? A 30-gram ball of celery root.

Eric grew up in his family’s dysfunctional Chinese restaurant, becoming a sesame chicken connoisseur and soda fountain sommelier by the age of eight. After failed attempts at conventional success, including a stint at Juilliard and an overpriced history degree, Eric gave in to the call of the restaurant industry. With Anthony Bourdain—aka Chef Jesus—as his North Star, Eric followed the path of countless other young men with not-so-buried daddy issues and a desire to look sexy in a chef’s coat. He climbed the ladder from a seafood restaurant in landlocked Illinois to the Culinary Institute of America to three different Michelin-starred restaurants in New York.

Pressed chef whites, sharp knives, and an impressive resume. By all the usual measures, Eric had made it. But in between grown men committing violence over cucumber sandwiches, entire trays of meticulously brunoised watermelon cubes splattered on the floor, and the Sisyphean task of heating 400 pounds of garden rocks in an industrial oven, Eric began to question whether it was all worth it.

Sometimes, it takes reaching the top to realize that you've actually hit rock bottom.

Eric found himself asking: What if he didn’t need to hinge all of his self-esteem and culinary dreams on the opinion of a tire company? What was the true purpose of being a chef? And what if his future wasn't in celeriac, fine linen napkins, and awards culture, but in fried chicken, wet wipes, and an 800-square foot storefront in Chinatown?

Searingly humorous, heartbreakingly vulnerable, and definitely too honest for his own good, Eric takes readers behind the swinging doors of the kitchen and into the brutal, fast-paced world of fine dining. With mouth-watering food descriptions, the abrasive and irreverent voice that has made him a beloved critic of the industry, and a whole lot of love, Extra Salty introduces a wholly original chef and writer who has made it to the heights of fine dining and lived to tell the tale.

Standard and Primary covers are widely available through general retailers. They often have higher print runs and can be cheaper, especially during sales.

In contrast, Direct Market (DM) and variant covers are primarily sold in comic shops. DM editions tend to have more limited availability and may be more valuable to collectors.

The main differences lie in artwork style, availability, price, and collector appeal. Ultimately, the choice between standard and variant covers depends on personal preference, budget, and individual collecting goals.

Comic book enthusiasts have various formats to choose from when collecting their favorite stories.
Here's a brief overview of the main types:

Omnibus

• Large, hardcover collections
• Usually contain complete runs or extensive story arcs
• Typically 800-1000+ pages
• Higher price point, often €100-€150

Oversized Hardcover (OHC)

• Similar dimensions to omnibus, but thinner
• Collect shorter runs or story arcs
• Usually 300-600 pages
• Priced between €30-€50

Hardcover (HC)

• Standard-sized hardcover books
• Collect 6-12 issues typically
• Similar dimensions to single issues, but with a hard cover
• Priced around €25-€35

Trade Paperback (TP)

• Softcover collections
• Standard comic book size
• Usually collect 4-6 issues
• Most affordable option, typically €15-€25

Other Formats

• Absolute Editions: Oversized, deluxe hardcovers (mainly DC Comics)
• Compendiums: Massive paperback collections
• Graphic Novels (OGN/GN): Original stories not previously released as single issues

The choice between these formats often depends on personal preference, budget, and collecting goals. Omnibus and OHC editions offer larger artwork and more content but at a higher price, while TPs provide a more affordable way to collect complete story arcs