If Ali Wong Threw a Dinner Party, She'd Invite Chris Rock

No, Ali Wong’s new Netflix series Beef is not about burgers (it centers on two people who are consumed by a road rage incident and can’t seem to move on). When we spoke shortly after the show wrapped, Wong shared her favorite quick meal hack, her New York City pizza of choice, and the stunning garden in which she’d host her ideal gathering

Before we get to your dream dinner party, I’m curious about where you dine out before or after you take in a comedy show in NYC?
I have to eat at Xi’an Famous Foods every single time I’m in the city. I also love Artichoke Basille’s Pizza and Blue Ribbon Sushi.

What about after a grueling day of shooting Beef? What is your quick go-to meal?
When I’m at home it’s GreeNoodle, this kind of healthy ramen. I add corn from the freezer, some spinach, drop in an egg, and open a can of spicy sardines.

Now to the dream dinner party. Who gets the invite?
Lee Sung Jin, the showrunner and creator of Beef, Steven Yeun, who’s my costar, and Jake Schreier, who directed six of the 10 episodes. We were so busy making the show that we didn’t get to hang out much outside of the taping beyond the occasional Korean barbecue dinner. I miss them. So if it’s my dream dinner, then it’s those three.

Where do you do it? What’s the vibe?
We dine on a round table— I love a round table—at the Chinese Garden at The Huntington in Pasadena, CA, in one of the pavilions that overlooks the lake. If it’s my dream meal and I’m not paying for it, it would be the tasting menu from [LA restaurant] n/naka. Everything chef Niki Nakayama makes is so good. I mean that spaghettini with abalone! Then we’d have the coconut mango dessert from Morimoto Las Vegas. The dinnerware would be Tory Burch. I love her line.

What do you talk about?
Our personal lives. Jake and I are single, so I’m sure we’d talk about dating. What we’ve been eating and doing. How we’re trying to keep healthy.

If you were to invite one fellow comedian, who would it be?
Hands down, Chris Rock. Talking to him, it’s like a TED Talk. The funniest one. He’s probably the wisest, most insightful person I’ve ever met in my life. I always hang on his every word, so I would love to have him at dinner with my three close friends.