The Last Chinese Chef
A Novel
eBook - 2013
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Opinion
From Library Staff
From Library Staff
multcolib_dianaa
Apr 07, 2020
Are Chinese restaurants in town delivering? You might want to figure this out before reading this great novel by a local author, because it’s very much concerned with food. There’s a wonderful friendship- which might become more?- between the narrator and the titular chef, but I especially valued... Read More »
This novel, about an American journalist visiting China for a magazine story and for complicated personal reasons, is not only a satisfying and engaging novel, but is also a great introduction to the complicated and fascinating philosophy of Chinese food.
This is both an absorbing novel and an introduction to the philosophy behind Chinese cooking. I found it very, very interesting.-- Diana
This is both a very satisfying novel and an introductory primer to the philosophical underpinnings of Chinese cooking. I found it fascinating, and it's my favorite novel in which food plays an important part.
In this novel, you'll find a love story and a mystery, as well as a primer on the fascinating philosophy behind Chinese cuisine.
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Add a CommentWonderful book with a mild love story, but mostly about the whole culture surrounding true Chinese cuisine. Very detailed and yet so well written that it's easy to read.
Really enjoyed this book. Agree with CharlieO about the pace and plot development. Well crafted and delicious read.
Not something I would normally pickup but it was a Book club selection. I enjoyed the depth of respect that is shown to food and its reflection in the culture of China. Oh, and there's also a plot concerning a widow, a chef, a contest and a paternity suit. The story unravels delicately and without rush. Recommended for food lovers and lovers.
I have read all of Nicole Mones' books, enjoying them greatly, especially because of personal experience in China. This one was good but not as well written as the others. There are some situations that are not believable, for instance, engaging in a serious conversation on the side line of a crisis preparing the banquet. One can learn a lot about the importance of food in Chinese culture.
For anyone interested in Chinese food, history and romance this is a wonderful read. Maggie, a widowed American food writer, finds herself faced with a paternity suit against her late husband. She goes to Beijing to find out if the claim is legitimate and is given an assignment profiling Sam Liang, a rising American-Chinese chef. As she learns about the history of Sam's family and its deep connections to the great imperial kitchens of the past, she finds her senses reawakened and her feelings for all things Chinese intensified.
Absolutely gorgeous story. I loved the explanations of Chinese culinary history and it's relationship to art, culture, and family. Juxtaposed with a broken heart and a surprising love story, "The Last Chinese Chef" is both an interesting and a beautiful read.