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袩芯褋谢械写薪懈褟褌 泻懈褌邪泄褋泻懈 谐芯褌胁邪褔
袙 褋胁芯褟 褔褍胁褋褌胁械薪 懈 锌谢械薪懈褌械谢械薪 褉芯屑邪薪 "袩芯褋谢械写薪懈褟褌 泻懈褌邪泄褋泻懈 谐芯褌胁邪褔" 袧懈泻芯谢 袦芯薪械褋 芯褌胁械卸写邪 褔懈褌邪褌械谢褟 胁 褋泻褉懈褌懈褟 褋胁褟褌 薪邪 械谢懈褌薪邪褌邪 泻褍褏薪褟 薪邪 褋褗胁褉械屑械薪械薪 袣懈褌邪泄 褔褉械蟹 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟褌邪 薪邪 邪屑械褉懈泻邪薪褋泻邪 泻褍谢懈薪邪褉薪邪 卸褍褉薪邪谢懈褋褌泻邪 胁 袩械泻懈薪. 袣芯谐邪褌芯 薪邪褋泻芯褉芯 芯胁写芯胁褟谢邪褌邪 袦邪谐懈 袦邪泻械谢褉芯泄 械 锌芯胁懈泻邪薪邪 胁 袣懈褌邪泄 胁褗胁 胁褉褗蟹泻邪 褋 懈褋泻 泻褗屑 锌芯泻芯泄薪懈褟 泄 褋褗锌褉褍谐, 褌褟 械 褋锌芯谢械褌褟薪邪 懈蟹薪械胁懈写械谢懈褑邪 芯褌 芯褌泻褉懈褌懈械褌芯, 褔械 褌芯泄 屑芯卸械 写邪 械 胁芯写懈谢 写胁芯泄薪褋褌胁械薪 卸懈胁芯褌. 袝写懈薪褋褌胁械薪芯褌芯, 泻芯械褌芯 泄 薪芯褋懈 褍褌械褏邪, 械 褉邪斜芯褌邪褌邪. 袨褌 褋锌懈褋邪薪懈械褌芯, 蟹邪 泻芯械褌芯 锌懈褕械, 泄 胁褗蟹谢邪谐邪褌 写邪 薪邪锌褉邪胁懈 屑邪褌械褉懈邪谢 蟹邪 小邪屑, 薪邪锌芯谢芯胁懈薪邪 泻懈褌邪械褑, 薪邪锌芯谢芯胁懈薪邪 邪屑械褉懈泻邪薪械褑, 薪邪褋谢械写薪懈泻 薪邪 写邪褉芯胁懈褌懈 谐芯褌胁邪褔懈, 褉邪斜芯褌懈谢懈 胁 写胁芯褉械褑邪 薪邪 懈屑锌械褉邪褌芯褉邪. 袛芯泻邪褌芯 薪邪斜谢褞写邪胁邪 泻邪泻 小邪屑 褋械 锌芯写谐芯褌胁褟 蟹邪 泻褍谢懈薪邪褉薪芯 褋褗褋褌械蟹邪薪懈械 蟹邪 袨谢懈屑锌懈泄褋泻懈褌械 懈谐褉懈 胁 袩械泻懈薪, 褌褟 蟹邪锌芯褔胁邪 写邪 褋褗蟹懈褉邪 胁锌谢懈褌邪薪械褌芯 薪邪 泻褍褏薪褟褌邪 胁 泻懈褌邪泄褋泻邪褌邪 褑懈胁懈谢懈蟹邪褑懈褟. 孝褍泻, 褋褉械写 褍褉芯褑懈褌械 蟹邪 褌褉邪写懈褑懈懈褌械, 写褗谢谐邪 懈 褔芯胁械褕泻懈褌械 胁褉褗蟹泻懈 袦邪谐懈 薪邪屑懈褉邪 褌邪泄薪邪褌邪 褋褗褋褌邪胁泻邪, 泻芯褟褌芯 屑芯卸械 写邪 懈蟹谢械泻褍胁邪 褋褗褉褑械褌芯 泄.
孝芯胁邪 械 薪芯胁邪褌邪 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟 薪邪 械写薪邪 薪邪褑懈褟, 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹邪薪邪 锌褉械蟹 褌褉邪写懈褑懈懈褌械 薪邪 薪械泄薪邪褌邪 泻褍褏薪褟. 袩芯写薪械褋械薪邪 褋 褖懈锌泻邪 泻褉邪褋懈胁邪 谢褞斜芯胁, 蟹邪 褋褗胁褗褉褕械薪褋褌胁芯.
孝芯胁邪 械 薪芯胁邪褌邪 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟 薪邪 械写薪邪 薪邪褑懈褟, 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹邪薪邪 锌褉械蟹 褌褉邪写懈褑懈懈褌械 薪邪 薪械泄薪邪褌邪 泻褍褏薪褟. 袩芯写薪械褋械薪邪 褋 褖懈锌泻邪 泻褉邪褋懈胁邪 谢褞斜芯胁, 蟹邪 褋褗胁褗褉褕械薪褋褌胁芯.
390 pages, Paperback
First published May 4, 2007
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6000 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,571 reviews
August 29, 2009
The story goes down like steamed chow mein: Soft and amiable, with nothing too heavy to chew on. Before I realized it, I had finished over half the book. I just kept shoving the words in my brain without stopping to ponder them.
The Last Chinese Chef satisfies the Recommended Daily Allowance of insight into China's culinary traditions. In fact, it contains abundant, nearly toxic levels of Chinese food descriptions, all punctuated by our heroine Maggie gloating about how incredible it tastes. This is all pressed together with superfluous sub-plots and characters, and then deep-fried in love. The ending fortune cookie is a sweet but cringing sex scene. For all its pretenses of being about genuine Chinese cuisine, The Last Chinese Chef sure goes down like American-style Chinese takeout.
The Last Chinese Chef satisfies the Recommended Daily Allowance of insight into China's culinary traditions. In fact, it contains abundant, nearly toxic levels of Chinese food descriptions, all punctuated by our heroine Maggie gloating about how incredible it tastes. This is all pressed together with superfluous sub-plots and characters, and then deep-fried in love. The ending fortune cookie is a sweet but cringing sex scene. For all its pretenses of being about genuine Chinese cuisine, The Last Chinese Chef sure goes down like American-style Chinese takeout.
March 25, 2012
a very quick read, a bit of fluff and not very deep.
maybe i'm a total asshole cynic, but i'm often turned off by sentences like this (last sentence of the summary on the back), "It is here, amid lessons of tradition, obligation, and human connection that she finds the secret ingredient that may yet heal her heart." ok, it's the last 3 words. ugh.
the only part that kept me interested were the descriptions and talk about chinese food, and honestly, it wasn't that enlightening for me. maybe cause i'm chinese? where my dad cooks incredible food like this all the time? i've visited china? this shit ain't new.
this book should be enjoyed by someone who enjoys food and other cultures. BAM. done.
but for me, it was just lacking. sentences felt clumsy and... dialogue felt weird and stilted. i get it, she's writing dialogue for people speaking chinese, and it felt like a weird direct translation.
i mean, dude, my dad has a crazy accent and speaks in broken english. i read amy tan and her dialogue is incredible, it doesn't make me feel awkward, or displaced, but this book totally did that - i felt awkward and it seemed so clunky.
and i write all that and at the same time, there were teeeeeensy blips where i connected with the main character. she feels kinship with the people she meets in beijing, and like when i visit my family in china, even though i can't communicate with them via language, i feel loved. it feels wonderful and calming - it's this great sense of community and the lack of territorial bubbles is a surprisingly welcome facet of life (not in stores or on the street, dear god no, but in a home; it's surprising how not touchy feely we americans are).
so if you're interested in chinese food and the hows and whys of it's interconnectedness with chinese culture in its entirety, give this book a try. i mean, it's not *terrible*, it's just not great. but the food stuff is interesting.
... and thus ends my crappy review.
maybe i'm a total asshole cynic, but i'm often turned off by sentences like this (last sentence of the summary on the back), "It is here, amid lessons of tradition, obligation, and human connection that she finds the secret ingredient that may yet heal her heart." ok, it's the last 3 words. ugh.
the only part that kept me interested were the descriptions and talk about chinese food, and honestly, it wasn't that enlightening for me. maybe cause i'm chinese? where my dad cooks incredible food like this all the time? i've visited china? this shit ain't new.
this book should be enjoyed by someone who enjoys food and other cultures. BAM. done.
but for me, it was just lacking. sentences felt clumsy and... dialogue felt weird and stilted. i get it, she's writing dialogue for people speaking chinese, and it felt like a weird direct translation.
i mean, dude, my dad has a crazy accent and speaks in broken english. i read amy tan and her dialogue is incredible, it doesn't make me feel awkward, or displaced, but this book totally did that - i felt awkward and it seemed so clunky.
and i write all that and at the same time, there were teeeeeensy blips where i connected with the main character. she feels kinship with the people she meets in beijing, and like when i visit my family in china, even though i can't communicate with them via language, i feel loved. it feels wonderful and calming - it's this great sense of community and the lack of territorial bubbles is a surprisingly welcome facet of life (not in stores or on the street, dear god no, but in a home; it's surprising how not touchy feely we americans are).
so if you're interested in chinese food and the hows and whys of it's interconnectedness with chinese culture in its entirety, give this book a try. i mean, it's not *terrible*, it's just not great. but the food stuff is interesting.
... and thus ends my crappy review.
August 25, 2007
This is an amazing book and one of the best books I've read all year.
As someone who has limited cooking skills and who is even less adventurous with new food than your average five year old - trust me when I say that this book has made me want to try a world of new things.
Maggie is a widow who writes for Table Magazine. Her husband died a year ago in a sudden accident and she's just found out that a claim has been filed against his estate in China, where he frequently traveled for work. A paternity claim.
Maggie travels to China to unravel the past and on the way picks up an assignment from her boss to write about a man named Sam who is opening a new restaurant. Sam is half Chinese/half American and came to China from America to learn to cook "the old way" from his Uncles who are all chefs.
The things Maggie learns about Chinese food and culture, and about herself, are what make this book come to life. The stories of Sam and his family and their relationships through the history of China are interwoven throughout the book. And of course, you wonder - will Maggie and Sam be more than friends? Every character was interesting, every person's life was read with delight.
I love the little details of food - every meal tells a story. Every dish, every flavor, every texture - they all mean something. Food wasn't just something to eat to live by, it was inspiring; poetry, art, theater - they all arise from the wonderful food everyone shares. I love the community and tradition that go into every meal, that every meal should not just be something to eat, but something to share and savour.
I loved this book. I almost hated reading it because I loved it from the first page, and I knew every page I read meant I was one page closer to the end.
As someone who has limited cooking skills and who is even less adventurous with new food than your average five year old - trust me when I say that this book has made me want to try a world of new things.
Maggie is a widow who writes for Table Magazine. Her husband died a year ago in a sudden accident and she's just found out that a claim has been filed against his estate in China, where he frequently traveled for work. A paternity claim.
Maggie travels to China to unravel the past and on the way picks up an assignment from her boss to write about a man named Sam who is opening a new restaurant. Sam is half Chinese/half American and came to China from America to learn to cook "the old way" from his Uncles who are all chefs.
The things Maggie learns about Chinese food and culture, and about herself, are what make this book come to life. The stories of Sam and his family and their relationships through the history of China are interwoven throughout the book. And of course, you wonder - will Maggie and Sam be more than friends? Every character was interesting, every person's life was read with delight.
I love the little details of food - every meal tells a story. Every dish, every flavor, every texture - they all mean something. Food wasn't just something to eat to live by, it was inspiring; poetry, art, theater - they all arise from the wonderful food everyone shares. I love the community and tradition that go into every meal, that every meal should not just be something to eat, but something to share and savour.
I loved this book. I almost hated reading it because I loved it from the first page, and I knew every page I read meant I was one page closer to the end.
December 2, 2024
Catching Up...
This book, The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones was recommended to me by the staff at Lucy鈥檚 Books in Oregon.
I have always trusted their recommendations, and this one did not disappoint!
As the teaser description for the book shares:
鈥淭his is a novel of food, friendship, and falling in love, one that will forever change the way you look at Chinese food.鈥�
The story goes down like steamed chow mein: Soft and amiable, with nothing too heavy to chew on.
Before I realized it, I had finished the book.
Nicole Mones writes wonderful descriptions of food. I learned about classical Chinese cuisine, the philosophy behind Chinese cooking methods, and got hungry for many of the dishes she described.
And...If readers are really interested in taking it a step further, you can enjoy at least 3 recipes provided at the back of the book.
It was a light read...But then...
There were those moments....Where...There was talking about food and Chinese food philosophy...
And...That is when it was brilliant and delicious.
This book, The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones was recommended to me by the staff at Lucy鈥檚 Books in Oregon.
I have always trusted their recommendations, and this one did not disappoint!
As the teaser description for the book shares:
鈥淭his is a novel of food, friendship, and falling in love, one that will forever change the way you look at Chinese food.鈥�
The story goes down like steamed chow mein: Soft and amiable, with nothing too heavy to chew on.
Before I realized it, I had finished the book.
Nicole Mones writes wonderful descriptions of food. I learned about classical Chinese cuisine, the philosophy behind Chinese cooking methods, and got hungry for many of the dishes she described.
And...If readers are really interested in taking it a step further, you can enjoy at least 3 recipes provided at the back of the book.
It was a light read...But then...
There were those moments....Where...There was talking about food and Chinese food philosophy...
And...That is when it was brilliant and delicious.
April 13, 2021
The Last Chinese Chef: A Novel was a fictional tale about the history and mystique behind the Chinese cuisine and the impact of the cultural revolution and the dislocation and breakup of cultures, traditions and families. Nicole Mones had a unique vantage point from which to explore those themes when she opened a textile shop in China in 1977, shortly after the end of the Cultural Revolution under Chairman Mao that had gripped the country for many years. Ms. Mones remained there for eighteen years, then becoming a food reporter for Gourmet Magazine. The fictional story centers around Liang Wei from his book, The Last Chinese Chef, with each chapter beginning with an epigraph from the chef's writings about the mysteries of Chinese cuisine. Of the chef's four sons, three remained in the Hangzhou region, the home of literature-based cuisine, while one brother emigrated to America where he married and had a son. His son Sam decided that he wanted to pursue the art of Chinese cuisine and was to compete in a cooking contest hoping to be one of the two chefs selected to represent China in the Olympics.
Maggie MccElroy, a food writer for a New York-based food magazine, having her own unfinished business in China subsequent to the death of her husband and the settling of his estate, is grateful for the assignment to fly to Beijing to interview Sam Liang, a rising Chinese American-Jewish chef and write an article about the chef and the upcoming competition. A friendship ensues. What I liked most about this book were the fictional epigraphs about the depth and importance of Chinese cuisine. When we visited China several years ago, what struck me the most was the importance of their cuisine from each province as well as the relationship to family and traditions and holiday celebrations.
"Three qualities of China made it a place where there grew a great cuisine. First, its land has everything under heaven: mountains, deserts, plains, and fertile crescents; great oceans, mighty rivers. Second, the mass of Chinese are numerous but poor. They have always had to extract every possible bit of goodness and nutrition from every scrap of land and fuel, economizing everywhere except with human labor and ingenuity, of which there is a surfeit. Third, there is China's elite. From this world of discriminating taste the gourmet was born. Food became not only a complex tool for ritual and the attainment of prestige, but an art from, pursued by men of passion." -- LIANG WEI, The Last Chinese Chef
Maggie MccElroy, a food writer for a New York-based food magazine, having her own unfinished business in China subsequent to the death of her husband and the settling of his estate, is grateful for the assignment to fly to Beijing to interview Sam Liang, a rising Chinese American-Jewish chef and write an article about the chef and the upcoming competition. A friendship ensues. What I liked most about this book were the fictional epigraphs about the depth and importance of Chinese cuisine. When we visited China several years ago, what struck me the most was the importance of their cuisine from each province as well as the relationship to family and traditions and holiday celebrations.
"Three qualities of China made it a place where there grew a great cuisine. First, its land has everything under heaven: mountains, deserts, plains, and fertile crescents; great oceans, mighty rivers. Second, the mass of Chinese are numerous but poor. They have always had to extract every possible bit of goodness and nutrition from every scrap of land and fuel, economizing everywhere except with human labor and ingenuity, of which there is a surfeit. Third, there is China's elite. From this world of discriminating taste the gourmet was born. Food became not only a complex tool for ritual and the attainment of prestige, but an art from, pursued by men of passion." -- LIANG WEI, The Last Chinese Chef
March 27, 2017
螆谓伪 蟺伪蟻伪渭蠀胃苇谓喂慰 尾喂尾位委慰 ,纬蟻伪渭渭苇谓慰 渭蔚 蟺慰位位萎 伪纬维蟺畏 魏伪喂 蟽蔚尾伪蟽渭蠈 纬喂伪 蟿畏谓 螝委谓伪 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 纬伪蟽蟿蟻慰谓慰渭委伪 蟿畏蟼, 畏 慰蟺慰委伪 蠈蟺蠅蟼 蔚委谓伪喂 蠁蠀蟽喂魏蠈 蔚蟺畏蟻蔚维蟽蟿畏魏蔚 魏伪喂 未喂伪渭慰蟻蠁蠋胃畏魏蔚 渭苇蟽伪 魏伪喂 伪蟺蠈 蟿伪 喂蟽蟿慰蟻喂魏维 魏伪喂 慰喂魏慰谓慰渭喂魏维 纬蔚纬慰谓蠈蟿伪. 螚 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪蟼 蔚尉蠀蠄蠋谓蔚喂 蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰 伪蟺蠈 苇谓伪 伪蟺位蠈 蟻慰渭维谓蟿味慰 蟽蔚 纬伪蟽蟿蟻慰谓慰渭喂魏蠈 蠂维蟻蟿畏 蟿畏蟼 蟽蠉纬蠂蟻慰谓畏蟼 螝委谓伪蟼. 螘委谓伪喂 蟽委纬慰蠀蟻慰 蠈蟿喂 未喂伪尾维味慰谓蟿维蟼 蟿慰 胃伪 蟽伪蟼 蟿蟻苇蠂慰蠀谓 蟿伪 蟽维位喂伪 伪蟺蠈 蟿伪 蟿畏谓 蟺伪蟻伪蟽魏蔚蠀萎 蟿蠅谓 蠁伪纬畏蟿蠋谓 蠈蟺蠅蟼 蟺蔚蟻喂纬蟻维蠁蔚蟿伪喂, 伪位位维 魏伪喂 胃伪 蟽魏蔚蠁蟿蔚委蟿蔚 蟿伪蠀蟿蠈蠂蟻慰谓伪, 渭萎蟺蠅蟼 蟿蔚位喂魏维 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟿慰 魏伪位慰魏伪委蟻喂 蟺蟻苇蟺蔚喂 谓伪 蟿蟽蔚魏维蟻蔚蟿蔚 伪蔚蟻慰蟺慰蟻喂魏维 纬喂伪 螤蔚魏委谓慰 纬喂伪 谓伪 味萎蟽蔚蟿蔚 伪蟺蠈 魏慰谓蟿维 蠈位畏 蟿畏谓 蔚尉蠅蟿喂魏萎 渭伪纬蔚委伪 蟿畏蟼 渭伪魏蟻喂谓萎蟼 伪蠀蟿萎蟼 蠂蠋蟻伪蟼.
November 16, 2016
2.5 stars
The story of an American food writer who flies to China to interview an American, of Chinese descent, competing in China's culinary Olympics. The chef, Sam, comes from a long line of famous Chinese chefs and the contest is very competitive. Ten chefs compete for two spots from their region.
Maggie, the food writer, is in her late 30's and recently widowed. Her husband had done business in China and now a family is filing for support for a child they claimed her husband fathered. Maggie makes the trip to tie up her husband's business, write the article and for a change of pace.
At first the book is quite interesting. I had no idea that during Mao's time, food played such a pivotal part of the Cultural Revolution. I had no idea that chefs were imprisoned for cooking food that the Imperial Palace liked. I had no idea that most restaurants were closed. I had no idea it was such a mine field.
Then the book just becomes tiresome. It's just too much. It's like dipping into a bowl of fat and rolling around it. It might taste good at first but after a while you just have had too much. It's just too effusive. I just couldn't wait for it to be over. It's too bad because it could have been a really interesting story. A good book editor might have reigned in the author's effusiveness. Unfortunately this book didn't have one.
The story of an American food writer who flies to China to interview an American, of Chinese descent, competing in China's culinary Olympics. The chef, Sam, comes from a long line of famous Chinese chefs and the contest is very competitive. Ten chefs compete for two spots from their region.
Maggie, the food writer, is in her late 30's and recently widowed. Her husband had done business in China and now a family is filing for support for a child they claimed her husband fathered. Maggie makes the trip to tie up her husband's business, write the article and for a change of pace.
At first the book is quite interesting. I had no idea that during Mao's time, food played such a pivotal part of the Cultural Revolution. I had no idea that chefs were imprisoned for cooking food that the Imperial Palace liked. I had no idea that most restaurants were closed. I had no idea it was such a mine field.
Then the book just becomes tiresome. It's just too much. It's like dipping into a bowl of fat and rolling around it. It might taste good at first but after a while you just have had too much. It's just too effusive. I just couldn't wait for it to be over. It's too bad because it could have been a really interesting story. A good book editor might have reigned in the author's effusiveness. Unfortunately this book didn't have one.
December 27, 2022
鈥淕reat food needed more than chefs: it needed gourmet diners.鈥�
Recently widowed and struggling, food columnist Maggie McElroy heads to Beijing to cover a chef competition. While her trip is work focused, she has an ulterior motive - dealing with a paternity claim against her late husband Matt who travelled frequently to China on business.
While profiling the rising star, Sam Liang, an American-Chinese-Jewish chef, sparks fly and
Maggie is transformed by the history of Chinese cooking, and by the passion Sam brings to the friendship.
Things I struggled with:
鉁旓笍book within a book format
鉁旓笍lack of emotion despite Maggie鈥檚 grief, attraction to Sam, or anger at Sam鈥檚 alleged infidelity
鉁旓笍sex in the narrative
鉁旓笍lack of sense of place
鉁旓笍lack of food descriptions one expects from a food columnist
Things I liked:
鉁旓笍fantastic insight into Chinese culinary culture
鉁旓笍learning about how food was linked with the Cultural Revolution
While the plot may have been predictable, I enjoyed this novel that reads like a great dim sum experience.
Recently widowed and struggling, food columnist Maggie McElroy heads to Beijing to cover a chef competition. While her trip is work focused, she has an ulterior motive - dealing with a paternity claim against her late husband Matt who travelled frequently to China on business.
While profiling the rising star, Sam Liang, an American-Chinese-Jewish chef, sparks fly and
Maggie is transformed by the history of Chinese cooking, and by the passion Sam brings to the friendship.
Things I struggled with:
鉁旓笍book within a book format
鉁旓笍lack of emotion despite Maggie鈥檚 grief, attraction to Sam, or anger at Sam鈥檚 alleged infidelity
鉁旓笍sex in the narrative
鉁旓笍lack of sense of place
鉁旓笍lack of food descriptions one expects from a food columnist
Things I liked:
鉁旓笍fantastic insight into Chinese culinary culture
鉁旓笍learning about how food was linked with the Cultural Revolution
While the plot may have been predictable, I enjoyed this novel that reads like a great dim sum experience.
August 6, 2008
I've never been a great fan of Chinese food. Now I understand why: I've never eaten Chinese food, only some poor hybrid cousin that is is ubiquitous at strip malls and shopping center food courts from Paris, Texas to Paris, France. I might have come close to the real thing a few years ago in Chinatown, San Francisco, but I think cooking as Mones described can only be found in China...
Mones introduced me to a sublime and seductive world of Chinese cuisine that left me trembling with desire for Pork Ribs in Lotus Leaves, 30 Crab Tofu, Beggar's Chicken... It's a story told with tremendous love for her characters, from the 3 Chinese uncles to Sam, who I imagined looking something like Brandon Lee & Christian Bale, with Penelope Cruz's hair) and for China, particular its principal setting of Beijing.
The plot veers towards chick-lit SPOILER ALERT BEGINS(Maggie, food writer at celebrated gourmet magazine must travel to China to pursue paternity claim against her recently-deceased husband. Maggie meets Chinese-Jewish American chef who is about to compete for a slot in the 2008 Olympics national cooking team. More than a wok heats up in Sam's kitchen... SPOILER ALERT ENDS, but the narrative is saved from the banal by Mones's impeccable research into Chinese culinary history and the back story of Sam's family. It's a scrumptious read.
Mones introduced me to a sublime and seductive world of Chinese cuisine that left me trembling with desire for Pork Ribs in Lotus Leaves, 30 Crab Tofu, Beggar's Chicken... It's a story told with tremendous love for her characters, from the 3 Chinese uncles to Sam, who I imagined looking something like Brandon Lee & Christian Bale, with Penelope Cruz's hair) and for China, particular its principal setting of Beijing.
The plot veers towards chick-lit SPOILER ALERT BEGINS(Maggie, food writer at celebrated gourmet magazine must travel to China to pursue paternity claim against her recently-deceased husband. Maggie meets Chinese-Jewish American chef who is about to compete for a slot in the 2008 Olympics national cooking team. More than a wok heats up in Sam's kitchen... SPOILER ALERT ENDS, but the narrative is saved from the banal by Mones's impeccable research into Chinese culinary history and the back story of Sam's family. It's a scrumptious read.
September 5, 2018
Very enjoyable read about the history and culture of Chinese cuisine, which I knew almost nothing about. Unlike Western culture, the Chinese have a very different take on food, it's preparation and presentation. The subtle but important nuances of their cuisine reveal aspects of their political structure, their fine arts, their history, their religion and their reverence to family. This part was fascinating to read about, and the backstories provided an informative and engaging peek into that world.
I wasn't as taken with the main story (the love story between food writer Maggie and chef Sam Liang). It is in the telling of this story where a potentially 4 star story became a 3 star one for me overall. I'm not a person to buy into "insta-love" over a 7 day period, or that a widow would be as generous to . There are probably women who could be this way, but I would not be one of them, and I just couldn't suspend disbelief for this part of the story.
Overall, I think alot of people would enjoy this book. I'm glad I read it for the non-love-story aspects of it, as it certainly educated me in some of the finer points of Chinese cuisine.
I wasn't as taken with the main story (the love story between food writer Maggie and chef Sam Liang). It is in the telling of this story where a potentially 4 star story became a 3 star one for me overall. I'm not a person to buy into "insta-love" over a 7 day period, or that a widow would be as generous to . There are probably women who could be this way, but I would not be one of them, and I just couldn't suspend disbelief for this part of the story.
Overall, I think alot of people would enjoy this book. I'm glad I read it for the non-love-story aspects of it, as it certainly educated me in some of the finer points of Chinese cuisine.
April 18, 2014
Maggie McElroy, food writer and newly widowed, is swamped by grief for her husband Matt - dead in a car accident - when she receives some startling news from a colleague of Matt's in Beijing: a Chinese woman has filed a claim for paternity, saying that her little daughter is Matt's. Maggie, shocked and betrayed, has no option but to go to China to sort out this mess and verify if little Shuying is indeed Matt's or not. But when Maggie's editor at Table magazine discovers about this trip, she makes a suggestion: will Maggie be interested in doing a story while she's in Beijing? For there's a Chinese-American chef, Sam Liang, who's there too, getting ready to open a restaurant that specialises in the cuisine of the erstwhile Chinese imperial palace.
And so begins the story of Maggie's trip to China: a trip, too, for others, back and forth in space and time. For Sam, born and brought up in the US, and having realised that his heart lies in cooking the food of his forefathers, now living in China the past several years. For his father, Liang Yeh, who fled China at the height of the Cultural Revolution and has shunned both his native country and the cooking that was his life, ever since. For his memories of his father, the great chef Liang Wei, writer of the [fictional] eponymous 1925 book on Chinese cuisine, The Last Chinese Chef.
It is also the story of others whose lives are intertwined with those of Maggie and Sam: Sam's three titular 'uncles', his father's old friends and fellow apprentices, now Sam's own mentors. The family of one of these old men, who is dying. The woman who claims Matt fathered her child. Others, met in passing. It is a story of guanxi, the Chinese word for relationships and caring. Of the links between food and culture, food and literature, food and oppression. Of hope and disappointment, of journeys in life.
Best of all, it's a book about food. Beautifully and mouthwateringly described, so wonderfully depicted that it ruined a week's meals for me (sitting and eating a boring weekday lunch while reading this book was sheer torture!) If for nothing else (though the story itself is pleasant, poignant and touching), read The Last Chinese Chef for the food. If you at all like Chinese food, it would be a sin not to.
And so begins the story of Maggie's trip to China: a trip, too, for others, back and forth in space and time. For Sam, born and brought up in the US, and having realised that his heart lies in cooking the food of his forefathers, now living in China the past several years. For his father, Liang Yeh, who fled China at the height of the Cultural Revolution and has shunned both his native country and the cooking that was his life, ever since. For his memories of his father, the great chef Liang Wei, writer of the [fictional] eponymous 1925 book on Chinese cuisine, The Last Chinese Chef.
It is also the story of others whose lives are intertwined with those of Maggie and Sam: Sam's three titular 'uncles', his father's old friends and fellow apprentices, now Sam's own mentors. The family of one of these old men, who is dying. The woman who claims Matt fathered her child. Others, met in passing. It is a story of guanxi, the Chinese word for relationships and caring. Of the links between food and culture, food and literature, food and oppression. Of hope and disappointment, of journeys in life.
Best of all, it's a book about food. Beautifully and mouthwateringly described, so wonderfully depicted that it ruined a week's meals for me (sitting and eating a boring weekday lunch while reading this book was sheer torture!) If for nothing else (though the story itself is pleasant, poignant and touching), read The Last Chinese Chef for the food. If you at all like Chinese food, it would be a sin not to.
September 22, 2007
Because Nicole Mones was/is a writer for Gourmet Magazine, I fully expected beautifully tantalizing textual food to tempt me off the path of my diet. This book delivers in spades-- with the added benefit of being incredibly, emotionally TRUE to what it means to cook and eat Chinese food. This is the Chinese food I grew up with and the Chinese food that I cook. This is food that I have never really been able to verbally articulate to my Western friends, being forced to instead fall back to cooking more and more in the hopes that maybe one day, one of them would understand.
Now I don't have to. I'll just shove this book at them for them to read in the kitchen, while they wait for their food.
Nicole Mones has as strong, clean approach to her writing that's both simple, yet descriptive. She writes the story from the outside perspective of a woman who knows nothing at all about Chinese food, and an American born who's living in China to learn the craft. Some have complained that this outsider perspective causes the book to be less authentic, but as an ABC myself, I found the story to resonate particularly well. It balanced nicely between the needed information, and the gently surprised sense of discovery that the characters tiptoe through as each page passes.
For the food alone, it's a must read.
But there's also an extra added bonus: There lies, in this book, a Chinese man who also happens to be a sexual being. *gasp* How many times does _that_ happen in Western fiction? The slow development of his love is very stylishly and tastefully handled. As this love story developed, my love for this book developed as well. <3
Now I don't have to. I'll just shove this book at them for them to read in the kitchen, while they wait for their food.
Nicole Mones has as strong, clean approach to her writing that's both simple, yet descriptive. She writes the story from the outside perspective of a woman who knows nothing at all about Chinese food, and an American born who's living in China to learn the craft. Some have complained that this outsider perspective causes the book to be less authentic, but as an ABC myself, I found the story to resonate particularly well. It balanced nicely between the needed information, and the gently surprised sense of discovery that the characters tiptoe through as each page passes.
For the food alone, it's a must read.
But there's also an extra added bonus: There lies, in this book, a Chinese man who also happens to be a sexual being. *gasp* How many times does _that_ happen in Western fiction? The slow development of his love is very stylishly and tastefully handled. As this love story developed, my love for this book developed as well. <3
February 8, 2017
When I first read the first epigraph from the 1925 鈥渂ook,鈥� Last Chinese Chef 鈥� which was written by Nicole Mones for the novel of the same name 鈥� I was optimistic and enthusiastic. Mones lived in China for 18 years exporting textiles, then wrote about Chinese food for Gourmet. Her book is deeply researched and, on this level, is very satisfying. The characters, especially the central American character, Maggie, an American food columnist drawn to China to investigate a paternity suit against her recently-deceased husband, however, seemed superficial. The food writing early in the book, as Maggie was introduced to Chinese culture and Chinese cuisines seemed overly pedantic.
I kept going and I鈥檓 glad I did. The further I went in the book, the better I liked it. Perhaps Mone initially drew the characters simply, then allowed them to develop 鈥� much as some of the foods she described were initially one thing then were recognized as something else. Perhaps the characters developed as they were faced with new and different challenges. Perhaps it just took me some time to get into Last Chinese Chef. Regardless, I鈥檓 glad that I did, as its latter half was surprising, engaging, and textured, much like the food that Mones described. She ended on a beautiful note, leaving me hungry and wanting more.
I kept going and I鈥檓 glad I did. The further I went in the book, the better I liked it. Perhaps Mone initially drew the characters simply, then allowed them to develop 鈥� much as some of the foods she described were initially one thing then were recognized as something else. Perhaps the characters developed as they were faced with new and different challenges. Perhaps it just took me some time to get into Last Chinese Chef. Regardless, I鈥檓 glad that I did, as its latter half was surprising, engaging, and textured, much like the food that Mones described. She ended on a beautiful note, leaving me hungry and wanting more.
December 20, 2012
Nicole Mones writes wonderful descriptions of food. Which is not surprising, given her 'day job' is writing for Gourmet magazine. I learned about classical Chinese cuisine, the philosophy behind Chinese cooking methods, and got hungry for many of the dishes she elaborated.
But beyond that - it was pretty standard chick-lit fare. The first two chapters set up our protagonists: Maggie the food writer, who has emotionally closed in on herself since her husband died a year ago, and Sam, the Chinese-American chef who's returned to Beijing to revive his grandfather's classical Chinese cooking, and whose uncles get excited because he's talking to a 'female person' on the phone. Any guesses on will happen between them?
Predictable story lines, very little character development, but a lot of gorgeous descriptions of Chinese settings. Although Mones has lived in China for a long time and clearly can be counted as some kind of 'insider', I also found the description of Chinese situations and attitudes overly romanticized. Modern China is a lot more complex, and in many cases, uglier, than this, and I'm sure Mones knows that. But it doesn't sell as well.
My new resolution for 2013: Avoid any book with a 'Book Club Discussion Guide' in the back.
But beyond that - it was pretty standard chick-lit fare. The first two chapters set up our protagonists: Maggie the food writer, who has emotionally closed in on herself since her husband died a year ago, and Sam, the Chinese-American chef who's returned to Beijing to revive his grandfather's classical Chinese cooking, and whose uncles get excited because he's talking to a 'female person' on the phone. Any guesses on will happen between them?
Predictable story lines, very little character development, but a lot of gorgeous descriptions of Chinese settings. Although Mones has lived in China for a long time and clearly can be counted as some kind of 'insider', I also found the description of Chinese situations and attitudes overly romanticized. Modern China is a lot more complex, and in many cases, uglier, than this, and I'm sure Mones knows that. But it doesn't sell as well.
My new resolution for 2013: Avoid any book with a 'Book Club Discussion Guide' in the back.
October 20, 2009
The blurbs on the cover and the reviews give you just about everything you need to know about this book going in--it's a combination of mystery/drama and culinary guide to Chinese food. It's a solid book, but given the level of ambition here I felt like I needed a bit more from it. The setup is somewhere between postmodern and magic realist, but the prose is not quite equal to either subgenre. My problem with the novel is this: as trade market novels go it's quite good, but there's potential for a better story here.
The (practically useless) reader's guide suggests a knock on the book has been its lack of "villains." Mones certainly works hard here to ensure that every character's motivations get clarified, and while this knocks down some of the black-and-white morality we expect from such a story it doesn't humanize things quite as thoroughly as it seems like it should. Strained coincidences abound here, and they seem to arrive mainly to keep the central plot moving. I found myself wishing it would slow down and allow more space to build tension between characters and maintain some of the mystery and ambiguity in the relationships among them. When everything gets explained so assiduously, the opportunities for magic coincidences deflate into barely concealed plot devices. For a book so full of wonderful, interesting imagery, this is a shame--and a bit of a letdown.
Still, it's well worth the short amount of time it takes to read. The introduction to the breadth of Chinese cuisine provided here is itself worth the price of admission.
The (practically useless) reader's guide suggests a knock on the book has been its lack of "villains." Mones certainly works hard here to ensure that every character's motivations get clarified, and while this knocks down some of the black-and-white morality we expect from such a story it doesn't humanize things quite as thoroughly as it seems like it should. Strained coincidences abound here, and they seem to arrive mainly to keep the central plot moving. I found myself wishing it would slow down and allow more space to build tension between characters and maintain some of the mystery and ambiguity in the relationships among them. When everything gets explained so assiduously, the opportunities for magic coincidences deflate into barely concealed plot devices. For a book so full of wonderful, interesting imagery, this is a shame--and a bit of a letdown.
Still, it's well worth the short amount of time it takes to read. The introduction to the breadth of Chinese cuisine provided here is itself worth the price of admission.
September 14, 2008
This book was written by the same author as Lost In Translation, Nicole Mones
I really liked this book about a woman who is widowed when her husband is run over by a car when is is on a buisness trip to San francisco.
She is a food writer and travels often herself. They agreed to never have children, and yet he starts to feel differently, and pressures her to reconsider.
He had traveled often to China on business with his law firm. One of the partners from the China office calls to tell her that there has been a paternity suite filed against her husbands estate, and that she will need to come to China and deal with it in person.
She is stunned. Her editor assigns a story about a new Chef & restaurant in China.
This chef slowly becomes her new friend and ali in this difficult time.
His story is eqally facinating, and begins to explain the history and meaning behind all of the chinese food traditions from centuries ago.
Facinating! I learned more about the Chinese philosophy of food than I ever knew before. It goes way beyond taste, colour, texture, & smell.
I really liked this book about a woman who is widowed when her husband is run over by a car when is is on a buisness trip to San francisco.
She is a food writer and travels often herself. They agreed to never have children, and yet he starts to feel differently, and pressures her to reconsider.
He had traveled often to China on business with his law firm. One of the partners from the China office calls to tell her that there has been a paternity suite filed against her husbands estate, and that she will need to come to China and deal with it in person.
She is stunned. Her editor assigns a story about a new Chef & restaurant in China.
This chef slowly becomes her new friend and ali in this difficult time.
His story is eqally facinating, and begins to explain the history and meaning behind all of the chinese food traditions from centuries ago.
Facinating! I learned more about the Chinese philosophy of food than I ever knew before. It goes way beyond taste, colour, texture, & smell.
September 25, 2009
One of the main characters, Sam, talks about the striving for simplicity of Chinese food. The Chinese chef should put so many layers into their food that to the observer, the food, like tofu, looks simply like tofu, but when they bite into it, they realize that what is seemingly simple, is very complex and surprising.
Mones surprises with her layers of subplots that will appeal to more than one kind of reader. There's the story of Maggie, recently widowed and in China to address a paternity suit filed against her husband. There's Sam, half Jewish, half Chinese chef, now living in China to honor his grandfather, the last Chinese chef of imperial China. There is the relationship between Maggie, the food writer, and Sam, the competitor in a national contest for chefs. There are many other layers, cultural and familial, but the most important layer is the food and Mones's keen writer's need for immersion, precision and sensuality of the food makes this a book to be devoured slowly, course by course.
Mones surprises with her layers of subplots that will appeal to more than one kind of reader. There's the story of Maggie, recently widowed and in China to address a paternity suit filed against her husband. There's Sam, half Jewish, half Chinese chef, now living in China to honor his grandfather, the last Chinese chef of imperial China. There is the relationship between Maggie, the food writer, and Sam, the competitor in a national contest for chefs. There are many other layers, cultural and familial, but the most important layer is the food and Mones's keen writer's need for immersion, precision and sensuality of the food makes this a book to be devoured slowly, course by course.
February 2, 2014
效褍写械褋薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪! 袦邪泻邪褉 懈 褋褞卸械褌褗褌 写邪 薪械 械 薪懈褖芯 芯褋芯斜械薪芯 懈 锌芯-褋泻芯褉芯 写邪 械 懈蟹锌芯谢蟹胁邪薪, 蟹邪 写邪 斜褗写械 锌芯写薪械褋械薪邪 懈薪褎芯褉屑邪褑懈褟褌邪 蟹邪 泻懈褌邪泄褋泻邪褌邪 泻褍褏薪褟, 褌芯胁邪 谢械褋薪芯 屑芯卸械 写邪 斜褗写械 锌褉械谐谢褗褌薪邪褌芯, 锌褉懈 锌芯谢芯卸械薪懈械, 褔械 褋 胁褋褟泻邪 褋谢械写胁邪褖邪 褋褌褉邪薪懈褑邪 薪邪褍褔邪胁邪褕 薪械褖芯 薪芯胁芯 - 邪斜褋芯谢褞褌薪芯 薪械锌芯蟹薪邪褌芯 懈 懈薪褌褉懈谐褍胁邪褖芯, 泻邪褌芯 芯褌薪芯褕械薪懈械褌芯 泻褗屑 谐芯褌胁械薪械褌芯, 褏褉邪薪邪褌邪, 褋锌芯写械谢褟薪械褌芯 懈 褌褉邪写懈褑懈懈褌械 胁 袣懈褌邪泄.
袣薪懈谐邪褌邪 械 薪邪锌懈褋邪薪邪 褋 懈蟹泻谢褞褔懈褌械谢薪邪 谐褉懈卸邪, 胁薪懈屑邪薪懈械 泻褗屑 写械褌邪泄谢邪, 泻褍锌 锌褉芯褍褔胁邪薪懈褟 懈 谢褞斜芯胁 泻褗屑 褏褉邪薪邪褌邪.
袩褉械锌芯褉褗褔胁邪屑!
袣薪懈谐邪褌邪 械 薪邪锌懈褋邪薪邪 褋 懈蟹泻谢褞褔懈褌械谢薪邪 谐褉懈卸邪, 胁薪懈屑邪薪懈械 泻褗屑 写械褌邪泄谢邪, 泻褍锌 锌褉芯褍褔胁邪薪懈褟 懈 谢褞斜芯胁 泻褗屑 褏褉邪薪邪褌邪.
袩褉械锌芯褉褗褔胁邪屑!
December 31, 2008
As I read "The Last Chinese Chef" I craved every dish described, begged my husband to go out to Chinese food, spent tons of money at Uwajimaya on all sorts of noodles and spices and sauces that I can't read let alone know what to do with, got a really fancy rice cooker for Christmas, and am now trying to figure out how to use cleavers. One dish in particular, in which the chef works the skin off of a whole chicken in one piece and then stuffs the skin with sliced vegetables, pork, and other meats and then cooks it so that it looks like a roasted chicken but completely fools the diner with its unique taste was described so incredibly well that I need to go to the author's web site (which evidently includes some recipes) and see if I can figure it out. Having been to banquets in China, as well as to the Hutong in Beijing, many of the descriptions rang particularly true to my own experience and also brought out so much of the culture that I did not understand at the time. Clearly, this book is well researched and the research adds a depth and credibility to the story. The story line, beyond cooking, is okay (which is why I rated this book a 4 and not a 5. If the book only included the culinary story line, with no discussion of the romance, etc. it would have been a 5). Woman (food writer) is widowed, life is shattered, finds out that a woman in China is claiming to have had an affair with her husband which produced a child, according to a "treaty" the child may have rights to 1/2 the deceased's estate, goes to China to figure out this situation and also to write a story about a Chinese American chef. Instead of food being a backdrop for the story the story is really a backdrop for the food.
Gotta go - I'm hungry again just thinking about it.
Gotta go - I'm hungry again just thinking about it.
September 30, 2008
A treasure! "Food was always to be shared...The high point of every meal was never the food itself, he taught us, but always the act of sharing it." One of my favorite things to read about is cultural diversity. This was a wonderful story that describes culture through food and its preparation with an extra dollop of a blooming romance. I am not one to like the philosophical passages some books place at the beginning of their chapters but I found these passages in the story quite insightful and useful. Although not much of a cook myself I was not put off or bored with the cooking phases of the story--the author artfully placed them without losing the interest of the reader. Another thing I appreciated about the author, she didn't show the main characters' love affair with China at the expense of the American culture. It shows how you can appreciate another culture as not being better but just different.
February 4, 2010
One positive: good food description. decent exploration behind the culture and philosophy of Chinese gourmet cuisine
One huge beef: The caricature of Asian characters in literature.
It's bad enough in Hollywood that asians are always reduced to being sidekicks, either weak geeks or kung-fu nuts. asian women are always dominating seductive harpies. I really thought this author would have known better. Did Sam Liang's uncles really need to speak in pidgin English (in translation from Chinese) in China? no. In fact, though the novel was set mostly in China and most of the characters were and spoke Chinese, still their conversations were translated into ungrammatical Chinglish. I'm pretty disgusted to be honest.
One more annoyance: white main character going native. rediscovering herself. finding peace in a foreign country. annoying. REALLY annoying. 'nuff said.
One huge beef: The caricature of Asian characters in literature.
It's bad enough in Hollywood that asians are always reduced to being sidekicks, either weak geeks or kung-fu nuts. asian women are always dominating seductive harpies. I really thought this author would have known better. Did Sam Liang's uncles really need to speak in pidgin English (in translation from Chinese) in China? no. In fact, though the novel was set mostly in China and most of the characters were and spoke Chinese, still their conversations were translated into ungrammatical Chinglish. I'm pretty disgusted to be honest.
One more annoyance: white main character going native. rediscovering herself. finding peace in a foreign country. annoying. REALLY annoying. 'nuff said.
October 17, 2010
The timing of my reading was auspicious (as the Chinese would say). I was in China at the time. This was one of those rare books that I loved from the moment I picked it up. Normally, I'll go through about 20 pages of a book before I will like or dislike it, but this one had me from page 1. It's about a woman who is grieving her husband and goes to China to work out a paternity suit. While there, she discovers Chinese cuisine. The story is okay, nothing predictable but not too exciting either. What puts it over the edge is Mones's writing. She is excellent with words and has a keen eye for people. I was very sorry to see it end--well, I was also sorry to leave China. The two were intertwined.
May 31, 2012
The components seem irresistible: food, foreign travel, a mystery. But, in the end this is a pretty pat novel, though very fun to read. The book was at its best describing Chinese cuisine and the community element in dining. It made me want to cook this food, eat this food and travel to China. The love story and the plot regarding the main character's "unresolved business" in China are rushed and predictable. Nonetheless, good read. Would like to read this writer's non-fiction regarding Chinese culture and food.
March 9, 2014
Her husband died a year ago in a random street accident while on a business trip. Since that time, Maggie McElroy has been dealing with grief. They had no children 鈥� her decision. They both had demanding jobs requiring frequent travel. He was a lawyer. She is a food writer. Then, Maggie receives a call from one of her husband's colleagues, based in Beijing. A Chinese woman has filed a paternity suit and she needs to travel to China to obtain a DNA sample from the child. The narrative up to this point follows a familiar template: Widow stunned by husband's secrets.
We are rescued by a second narrative. Sam Liang, a Chinese-American, had returned to Beijing to learn traditional Chinese cooking from his uncles, Jiang Wanli, Tan Jingfu, and Xie Er. Timed with the Peking Olympics, there is to be a culinary competition. Sam will be one of ten contestants vying for the two Northern Chinese chef spots on the team. The two stories converge when Maggie agrees to interview Sam for her magazine while she is in China. Sam has an interesting history. His grandfather, Liang Wei, was trained in the waning days of imperial rule and wrote a book about Chinese cuisine and aesthetics that might be comparable to Brillat-Savarin's analysis of western gastronomy. His father Liang Yeh was rigorously trained by Liang Wei, but was forced to flee for his life when the ideology of the cultural revolution sought to eradicate all vestiges of tradition, including food preparation. Restaurants were closed and chefs either imprisoned, executed, or like much of the population, starved. He made it to America where Sam was born.
There is a studied delicacy in the friendship that grows between Maggie and Sam. They begin as reluctant professional contacts. Maggie begins to act on her tentative instincts when an opportunity presents itself. 鈥淪he and Sam seemed to be in the first stages of alliance people pass through while deciding whether or not to become friends. Already they seemed to be looking out for each other, at least a little.鈥� (p.92)
However, the true momentum of this book derives from the descriptions of food. A taxonomy of flavors includes xian (shee-in)-sweet; xiang (shee-ahng)-fragrant; nong-complex and concentrated; and you er bu ni (yuu-er-buu-nee)-fat. In addition, there are considerations of texture: cui (tswai)-dry and crispy; nen (nuhn)-fibrous and tender; and ruan (rwahn)-softness. Sam teaches Maggie a little about Chinese cuisine and its goals. The point is not just taste, but a whole network of associations 鈥� personal, familial, cultural, and even historical. This network of relationships is summarized by the word guanxi (gwahn-she). In order to plan a banquet, the chef must first select a theme. Sam chooses a literary theme. Intended to allude to the Song poet, Su Dongpo, he selects a dish called dongpo rou (doong-pwaw roe) for one of his dishes. The discerning judges will immediately grasp the connection of the dish with the famous poet, the region of Hangzhou renowned for the dish, and Sam's own familial ties to the region. It will also offer a variety of desirable contrasts: The precisely shaped cut of pork, the cloud-like softness of the crown of fat, and the subtlety of the flavored sauce. For presentation, Sam will surround the square with rice studded with ginkgo nuts, dates, lotus buds, gelatinous silver ear mushroom and pine nuts suffused with the sauce. Cultural continuity is reflected in these traditional dishes. Sam's uncle, Xie Er muses: 鈥淧eople sometimes said the cuisine's long history was the very thing that made it special, but it was not the longevity of the art itself that counted 鈥� no. Rather, it was the cuisine's constant position as observer and interpreter. Throughout history chefs created dishes to evoke not only the natural world but also events, people, philosophical thought, and famous works of art such as operas, paintings, poems, and novels. A repertoire was developed that kept civilization alive, for diners to enjoy, to eat, to remember.鈥� (p.98) This memory was what made food a dangerous topic and a political target during the cultural revolution.
This is a light-weight romance saved by its rich cultural references. The tension between tradition and innovation that has marked China's long history is left untouched. The permanent foreignness of the outsider is frequently mentioned, and then dropped. Some of the aesthetic descriptions indulge in a mystique lauding over-refinement. Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable story about food, history and cooking. It ties together some very modern ideas about the connection between taste, sight, smell and childhood associations with the theme of traditional Chinese cuisine. Finally, there's a lively sense of pacing as the story shifts backward and forward in time. One of the most charming stories is of xiao wo tou (shee-ow waw toe), a simple corncake which the Dowager Empress favored because it reminded her of her youth and the Court's flight after the Boxer Rebellion. A few of the recipes and much of the author's restaurant journal are summarized on her website, .
We are rescued by a second narrative. Sam Liang, a Chinese-American, had returned to Beijing to learn traditional Chinese cooking from his uncles, Jiang Wanli, Tan Jingfu, and Xie Er. Timed with the Peking Olympics, there is to be a culinary competition. Sam will be one of ten contestants vying for the two Northern Chinese chef spots on the team. The two stories converge when Maggie agrees to interview Sam for her magazine while she is in China. Sam has an interesting history. His grandfather, Liang Wei, was trained in the waning days of imperial rule and wrote a book about Chinese cuisine and aesthetics that might be comparable to Brillat-Savarin's analysis of western gastronomy. His father Liang Yeh was rigorously trained by Liang Wei, but was forced to flee for his life when the ideology of the cultural revolution sought to eradicate all vestiges of tradition, including food preparation. Restaurants were closed and chefs either imprisoned, executed, or like much of the population, starved. He made it to America where Sam was born.
There is a studied delicacy in the friendship that grows between Maggie and Sam. They begin as reluctant professional contacts. Maggie begins to act on her tentative instincts when an opportunity presents itself. 鈥淪he and Sam seemed to be in the first stages of alliance people pass through while deciding whether or not to become friends. Already they seemed to be looking out for each other, at least a little.鈥� (p.92)
However, the true momentum of this book derives from the descriptions of food. A taxonomy of flavors includes xian (shee-in)-sweet; xiang (shee-ahng)-fragrant; nong-complex and concentrated; and you er bu ni (yuu-er-buu-nee)-fat. In addition, there are considerations of texture: cui (tswai)-dry and crispy; nen (nuhn)-fibrous and tender; and ruan (rwahn)-softness. Sam teaches Maggie a little about Chinese cuisine and its goals. The point is not just taste, but a whole network of associations 鈥� personal, familial, cultural, and even historical. This network of relationships is summarized by the word guanxi (gwahn-she). In order to plan a banquet, the chef must first select a theme. Sam chooses a literary theme. Intended to allude to the Song poet, Su Dongpo, he selects a dish called dongpo rou (doong-pwaw roe) for one of his dishes. The discerning judges will immediately grasp the connection of the dish with the famous poet, the region of Hangzhou renowned for the dish, and Sam's own familial ties to the region. It will also offer a variety of desirable contrasts: The precisely shaped cut of pork, the cloud-like softness of the crown of fat, and the subtlety of the flavored sauce. For presentation, Sam will surround the square with rice studded with ginkgo nuts, dates, lotus buds, gelatinous silver ear mushroom and pine nuts suffused with the sauce. Cultural continuity is reflected in these traditional dishes. Sam's uncle, Xie Er muses: 鈥淧eople sometimes said the cuisine's long history was the very thing that made it special, but it was not the longevity of the art itself that counted 鈥� no. Rather, it was the cuisine's constant position as observer and interpreter. Throughout history chefs created dishes to evoke not only the natural world but also events, people, philosophical thought, and famous works of art such as operas, paintings, poems, and novels. A repertoire was developed that kept civilization alive, for diners to enjoy, to eat, to remember.鈥� (p.98) This memory was what made food a dangerous topic and a political target during the cultural revolution.
This is a light-weight romance saved by its rich cultural references. The tension between tradition and innovation that has marked China's long history is left untouched. The permanent foreignness of the outsider is frequently mentioned, and then dropped. Some of the aesthetic descriptions indulge in a mystique lauding over-refinement. Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable story about food, history and cooking. It ties together some very modern ideas about the connection between taste, sight, smell and childhood associations with the theme of traditional Chinese cuisine. Finally, there's a lively sense of pacing as the story shifts backward and forward in time. One of the most charming stories is of xiao wo tou (shee-ow waw toe), a simple corncake which the Dowager Empress favored because it reminded her of her youth and the Court's flight after the Boxer Rebellion. A few of the recipes and much of the author's restaurant journal are summarized on her website, .
April 12, 2018
It was a light read I found looking for novels with the theme of food. As many other American novels it was hundred pages too long, full of repetitions as if it wanted to teach you a lesson. But in good moments, moments of talking about food and Chinese food philosophy, it was brilliant and delicious. By the way tell me if you know any good food novel. I am always up for one!
July 9, 2021
Firstly, I confess to unfamiliarity with Nicole Mones, neither as a writer for Gourmet magazine, nor as a novelist. Pure serendipity led me to select The Last Chinese Chef from the library shelves, as I searched for items on my "want to read" list. What good fortune!
Like most Americans, I know nothing about real Chinese cuisine. Nicole Mones introduces us to the historical, cultural and literary traditions in the most beautiful way imaginable. She creates a fictitious historic text she names The Last Chinese Chef, and weaves her story around the translation of that book into English by a descendent of the original author. Sam is a Chinese-American chef, returned to his routes, and learning the fine points of authentic Chinese cooking, from the Imperial courts of his ancestor to the rustic, simple foods from the poorest villages. He learns the classic writings, especially poetry, which are part of truly appreciating and preparing food. Always, he returns to the central philosophy of relationships: food must be shared.
Maggie is a traveling food writer for Table Magazine, living in a boat at a marina when not on the road. Confronted with a shocking paternity claim from China against her deceased husband, she combines her personal mission to investigate the validity of this claim with a professional assignment to interview a chef in Beijing. It is through her observant senses that the reader experiences the richness of Chinese culture centered on cuisine.
Like most Americans, I know nothing about real Chinese cuisine. Nicole Mones introduces us to the historical, cultural and literary traditions in the most beautiful way imaginable. She creates a fictitious historic text she names The Last Chinese Chef, and weaves her story around the translation of that book into English by a descendent of the original author. Sam is a Chinese-American chef, returned to his routes, and learning the fine points of authentic Chinese cooking, from the Imperial courts of his ancestor to the rustic, simple foods from the poorest villages. He learns the classic writings, especially poetry, which are part of truly appreciating and preparing food. Always, he returns to the central philosophy of relationships: food must be shared.
Maggie is a traveling food writer for Table Magazine, living in a boat at a marina when not on the road. Confronted with a shocking paternity claim from China against her deceased husband, she combines her personal mission to investigate the validity of this claim with a professional assignment to interview a chef in Beijing. It is through her observant senses that the reader experiences the richness of Chinese culture centered on cuisine.
March 10, 2010
This book is filled with mouth-watering descriptions of Chinese food: tastes, textures, appearances, and smells. I felt the stories moved slowly at first, although they picked up at the end. I've read quite a few novels set during the post-1949 revolution, so was waiting for a death-defying escape by the father of one of the main characters. I was a little disappointed that that never happened. I also thought Sam's character could have been developed better. He's supposed to be half-Jewish, but then other than his early experiences cooking Jewish food, we never learn more about that part of his life. I did like The Last Chinese Chef better than a food memoir I recently read about China. If you want to learn more about Chinese food and the philosophy behind the preparation of Chinese food, I would strongly recommend this book. If you want a thrilling story with strong characters, this book will entertain you, but you might walk away feeling it could have been a bit stronger in both these areas.
December 2, 2011
I read 'Lost in Translation' long enough ago now to have forgotten most of the details, and having only the mist of the story drifting in my memory, so when I began "Last Chef", I was expecting explorations in human relationships and personal truths. These are present, in spades, but I was more than pleasantly surprised to find that these are subsumed underneath, around, and within the more prominant story which is the relationship that Chinese have with their food, and how deeply and thickly steeped in their culture food and the meaning of food is to them.
With some culinary training under my belt, and a passion for food of my own, I found this book by Mones historically and culturally intriguing, as well as still having the undercurrent of human self-reflection and emotional catharsis.
With some culinary training under my belt, and a passion for food of my own, I found this book by Mones historically and culturally intriguing, as well as still having the undercurrent of human self-reflection and emotional catharsis.
January 4, 2009
This was an interesting history of Chinese cooking and Chinese Empires however I didn't enjoy the love story or even believe in it. I see on Amazon most people loved this book so I feel out of step but my main criticism is that I dont' feel it was well written. I couldn't get past that
August 20, 2019
Loved this book, more to come.
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