Kitchen Chinese: A Novel About Food, Family, and Finding Yourself

Ann Mah

Jan 2010 · Harper Collins

About this eBook

“Ann Mah’s Kitchen Chinese is a delicious debut novel, seasoned with just the right balance of humor and heart, and sprinkled with fascinating cultural tidbits.”
 —Claire Cook, bestselling author of Must Love Dogs

Kitchen Chinese, Ann Mah’s funny and poignant first novel about a young Chinese-American woman who travels to Beijing to discover food, family, and herself is a delight—complete with mouth-watering descriptions of Asian culinary delicacies, from Peking duck and Mongolian hot pot to the colorful, lesser known Ants in a Tree that will delight foodies everywhere. Reminiscent of Elizabeth Gilbert’s runaway bestseller Eat, Pray, Love, Mah’s tale of clashing cultures, rival siblings, and fine dining is an unforgettable, unexpectedly sensual reading experience—the story of one woman’s search for identity and purpose in an exotic and faraway land.

Ratings and reviews

The title of this book is misleading. Granted I've been on a real food-lit kick lately and that's why the title caught my eye, but even the little blurb on the back suggested a foodie would enjoy the food imagery. The main character does end up being a food writer in Beijing, but that is very much a side-note in the story. That said, I enjoyed this light read. I actually ran through it on a single Saturday. The exploration of the sister-sister relationship was fun, even if it followed what has become the stereotypical portrayal of Chinese-American childhood. The love story was also nice, if completely transparent. Overall I think this would make a nice, brainless summer read.

About the author

Ann Mah is an American food and travel writer. She is the author of the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller The Lost Vintage, as well as three other books. She contributes regularly to the New York Times Travel section, and her articles have appeared in the Washington Post, Condé Nast Traveler, The Best American Travel Writing, The New York Times Footsteps, Washingtonian magazine, Vogue.com, BonAppetit.com, Food52.com, TheKitchn.com, and other publications.