Author and narrator Wilson Tang adds history and personality to New York's Chinatown with his heartfelt dive into the neighborhood. The current owner of Nom Wah, Tang gives listeners more than just tools, techniques, and recipes for classic dim sum. This cookbook offers a connection to a culture that is ever waning in America's melting pot. Tang was called from the financial world to help a faltering family business. Once there, he discovered that many of his former Chinese school classmates had also found their way back to the family businesses that had embodied their childhoods. Listeners will hear the frustration and love in Tang's voice as he delves into the gentrification of this aging area, which resonates with so much cultural history. S.K.G. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

In this engagingly written, gorgeously photographed cookbook, the story of Nom Wah, a 100-year-old dim sum restaurant in New York’s Chinatown, comes to life…. Just as essential as its recipes, the cookbook is suffused with lively storytelling that imparts a deep appreciation for the people, the history and hard work behind each dish, behind Nom Wah, and behind Chinatown itself.” — Food and Wine

“From the very first tattoo- and Tsingtao-studded photograph by Alex Lau, Wilson Tang's The Nom Wah Cookbook had me so eager to get into the kitchen that I had to read it standing up…. As much a history lesson as it is a dumpling primer.” — Epicurious

“Tang’s pride in his community is reflected in the glossy pages of “The Nom Wah Cookbook,” a collection of mouth-watering dim sum recipes that manages to be much more than that. It’s also a social history of New York’s Chinatown, with profiles of merchants and artisans who are trying to keep the historic neighborhood alive now.” — Associated Press

“A cookbook that gives a thoughtful history of [Nom Wah], as well as a survey of the evolution of Chinatown.” — New York Times

"Nom Wah is one of the most legendary dining establishments in New York City. Having been open for more than 100 years, this restaurant has seen Chinatown change and evolve in spectacular ways. However, owner Wilson Tang doesn’t get lost in the past. Instead, he uses this moment to celebrate the Chinatown of now, sharing profiles and recipes that celebrate today." — Bon Appétit

“Nom Wah Tea Parlor is a classic restaurant that defines New York dining…. Tucked between the pages are tales from the restaurant, a touch of dim sum history, and essays from other members of the Chinatown community…. Reading the book isn’t quite the same as sitting at a table in the golden-hued restaurant, but during a pandemic, it’s as close as we can get.” — Heated

“The cluster of people typically huddled outside Nom Wah Tea Parlor in New York’s Chinatown tells you there’s something special inside. Once you tuck into the 100-year-old dim sum restaurant’s food, you realize it was worth the wait for silky dumplings, toothsome char sui bao, scallion pancakes, egg rolls, and other dim sum dishes passed down through three generations of owners. The latest, Wilson Tang, reveals these long-standing family secrets and recipes in this new cookbook, along with illustrations that demonstrate how to stuff bao, close eggrolls, and more.” — Plate

“For those who miss those stacks of steaming baskets piled high on the table, Tang and Joshua David Stein help you bring home the experience with THE NOM WAH COOKBOOK… Making dumplings is easy — really!” — New York Times Book Review

"A mouthwatering love letter to Nom Wah’s neighborhood." — Saveur

"What resonates most is the celebration of Chinatown’s family-run shops, its cultural institutions, and the characters who make the neighborhood an enduring source of pride and inspiration." — Grub Street

"A primer on how dim sum works.... The pages of Nom Wah are a beautiful place to be."
— Wired

"While Nom Wah Tea Parlor might be New York City's oldest dim sum restaurant, this is its very first cookbook, spanning 100 years of recipes and stories from the legendary Chinatown spot. It's an opportunity to master everything from rice rolls to scallion pancakes to shrimp balls."
— Conde Nast Traveler

"You'll get a colorful historical background to the restaurant classics you know and love." — The Spruce Eats

"A mouthwatering love letter to Nom Wah’s neighborhood."

A cookbook that gives a thoughtful history of [Nom Wah], as well as a survey of the evolution of Chinatown.

Nom Wah Tea Parlor is a classic restaurant that defines New York dining…. Tucked between the pages are tales from the restaurant, a touch of dim sum history, and essays from other members of the Chinatown community…. Reading the book isn’t quite the same as sitting at a table in the golden-hued restaurant, but during a pandemic, it’s as close as we can get.

In this engagingly written, gorgeously photographed cookbook, the story of Nom Wah, a 100-year-old dim sum restaurant in New York’s Chinatown, comes to life…. Just as essential as its recipes, the cookbook is suffused with lively storytelling that imparts a deep appreciation for the people, the history and hard work behind each dish, behind Nom Wah, and behind Chinatown itself.

"What resonates most is the celebration of Chinatown’s family-run shops, its cultural institutions, and the characters who make the neighborhood an enduring source of pride and inspiration."

From the very first tattoo- and Tsingtao-studded photograph by Alex Lau, Wilson Tang's The Nom Wah Cookbook had me so eager to get into the kitchen that I had to read it standing up…. As much a history lesson as it is a dumpling primer.

For those who miss those stacks of steaming baskets piled high on the table, Tang and Joshua David Stein help you bring home the experience with THE NOM WAH COOKBOOK… Making dumplings is easy — really!

Tang’s pride in his community is reflected in the glossy pages of “The Nom Wah Cookbook,” a collection of mouth-watering dim sum recipes that manages to be much more than that. It’s also a social history of New York’s Chinatown, with profiles of merchants and artisans who are trying to keep the historic neighborhood alive now.

The cluster of people typically huddled outside Nom Wah Tea Parlor in New York’s Chinatown tells you there’s something special inside. Once you tuck into the 100-year-old dim sum restaurant’s food, you realize it was worth the wait for silky dumplings, toothsome char sui bao, scallion pancakes, egg rolls, and other dim sum dishes passed down through three generations of owners. The latest, Wilson Tang, reveals these long-standing family secrets and recipes in this new cookbook, along with illustrations that demonstrate how to stuff bao, close eggrolls, and more.

"Nom Wah is one of the most legendary dining establishments in New York City. Having been open for more than 100 years, this restaurant has seen Chinatown change and evolve in spectacular ways. However, owner Wilson Tang doesn’t get lost in the past. Instead, he uses this moment to celebrate the Chinatown of now, sharing profiles and recipes that celebrate today."

"A primer on how dim sum works.... The pages of Nom Wah are a beautiful place to be."

"You'll get a colorful historical background to the restaurant classics you know and love."

"While Nom Wah Tea Parlor might be New York City's oldest dim sum restaurant, this is its very first cookbook, spanning 100 years of recipes and stories from the legendary Chinatown spot. It's an opportunity to master everything from rice rolls to scallion pancakes to shrimp balls."

"Nom Wah is one of the most legendary dining establishments in New York City. Having been open for more than 100 years, this restaurant has seen Chinatown change and evolve in spectacular ways. However, owner Wilson Tang doesn’t get lost in the past. Instead, he uses this moment to celebrate the Chinatown of now, sharing profiles and recipes that celebrate today."

12/01/2020

Tang, owner of Nom Wah Tea Parlor in New York's Chinatown, offers recipes that pay homage to its culinary tradition while adapting the cuisine to a modern palate. The majority of the recipes are considered dim sum, or bite-sized dishes that can be divided into two parts: wrappers and fillings. Tang provides a short list of accessible kitchen utensils, key pantry items that can be found in many grocery stores and online, an explanation of the three cooking methods used (steam, pan fry, and stir fry), as well as admitting that he uses store-bought wrappers for many of his dishes because of their high quality. Recipes for the three Master Fillings (pork, shrimp, and vegetables) can be used to create variations on the recipes for dumplings, rolls, rice, and noodle dishes. Recipes of note include their popular har gow (shrimp in delicate dumpling wrappers) as well as scallion pancakes, which are a crowd-pleasing appetizer. VERDICT While the list of necessary items might deter some, the variations on the recipes will appeal to both carnivores and vegetarians.—David Miller, Farmville P.L., NC

Author and narrator Wilson Tang adds history and personality to New York's Chinatown with his heartfelt dive into the neighborhood. The current owner of Nom Wah, Tang gives listeners more than just tools, techniques, and recipes for classic dim sum. This cookbook offers a connection to a culture that is ever waning in America's melting pot. Tang was called from the financial world to help a faltering family business. Once there, he discovered that many of his former Chinese school classmates had also found their way back to the family businesses that had embodied their childhoods. Listeners will hear the frustration and love in Tang's voice as he delves into the gentrification of this aging area, which resonates with so much cultural history. S.K.G. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine