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Xi'an Famous Foods: The Cuisine of Western China, from New York's Favorite Noodle Shop
Xi’an Famous The Cuisine of Western China from New York’s Favorite Noodle Shop is the long-awaited cookbook from the iconic restaurant, revealing never-before-published recipes.
“Vibrant photography . . . as satisfying to flip through as it is to cook from .” ―New York Times
“For any cook or foodie, having access to these recipes is almost unfair.” ―Richard Blais, winner, Top Chef All-Stars
“A cultural chronicle of both cuisine and the immigrant experience in America.” ― Vogue
Since its humble opening in 2005, Xi’an Famous Foods has expanded from one stall in Flushing to 14 locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. CEO Jason Wang divulges the untold story of how this empire came to be, alongside the never-before-published recipes that helped create this New York City icon. Recipes Wang writes in his introduction, “Here it is, the never-been-told version of how the XFF empire came to be—the random weird pit stops along the way; the family drama behind the scenes; the labor hidden in the secret recipes, and, yes, some really f*cking good spicy cumin lamb.”
This unique, extraordinary cookbook helps home cooks make the dishes that fans of Xi’an Famous Foods line up for while also exploring the vibrant cuisine and culture of Xi’an. Transporting readers to the streets of Xi’an and the kitchens of New York’s Chinatown, Xi’an Famous Foods is the cookbook that fans of Xi’an Famous Foods have been waiting for.
Includes Color Photographs
“Vibrant photography . . . as satisfying to flip through as it is to cook from .” ―New York Times
“For any cook or foodie, having access to these recipes is almost unfair.” ―Richard Blais, winner, Top Chef All-Stars
“A cultural chronicle of both cuisine and the immigrant experience in America.” ― Vogue
Since its humble opening in 2005, Xi’an Famous Foods has expanded from one stall in Flushing to 14 locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. CEO Jason Wang divulges the untold story of how this empire came to be, alongside the never-before-published recipes that helped create this New York City icon. Recipes Wang writes in his introduction, “Here it is, the never-been-told version of how the XFF empire came to be—the random weird pit stops along the way; the family drama behind the scenes; the labor hidden in the secret recipes, and, yes, some really f*cking good spicy cumin lamb.”
This unique, extraordinary cookbook helps home cooks make the dishes that fans of Xi’an Famous Foods line up for while also exploring the vibrant cuisine and culture of Xi’an. Transporting readers to the streets of Xi’an and the kitchens of New York’s Chinatown, Xi’an Famous Foods is the cookbook that fans of Xi’an Famous Foods have been waiting for.
Includes Color Photographs
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 13, 2020
305 people are currently reading
791 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
November 16, 2020
I wish I hadn’t read this. I like Xi’an Famous Foods and have done since they were a little street stand in Flushing and a quick bus ride from where my parents live. The recipes in the book are ok, not great. But the real bummer in this book is the original owner’s son whose voice takes up a lot of space with his life story and he mostly comes off as a huge d-bag. Feels more like a vanity project than a serious cookbook and it’s really disappointing.
July 28, 2023
Not for me. I'd rather Eat A Peach .
January 15, 2021
It is such a treat to be a member of Abrams Dinner Party because we receive the hot new cookbooks that are sure to wow and excite our palettes. And during this past year with Covid, I think a lot more people were cooking at home and hopefully, they were trying many new recipes.
Not living in the North East, there are many restaurants that I have never heard of but I'm sure the same could be said for those that live there and the restaurants available in Texas. I always enjoy learning about new places and dishes and while I may only drool over some of them, there are always some that I will endeavor to make or adapt.
The wonderful thing about this cookbook, and several others I have enjoyed over the past few years, is that it is more than just a book with recipes and photos of those dishes. It is a story begging to be told about the founders of the restaurant, their family, and the dishes that have made them popular.
While reading through this book, there are so many different aspects to inhale. Outside of the founder's story, there is a section that is a guide to the flavors of Xi'an. There is a discussion of the spices used to flavor dishes from sour to spicy to super spicy. I enjoyed the history of the spices and how they arrived in this part of China to be used in cooking. There is also a section about what should be stocked in your pantry and refrigerator so when you are craving these foods you have everything ready to make the dish of choice.
We move on to cooking lessons and the biggest lesson is how to cook rice the right way. I learned a few tips I hadn't thought of before and will be trying those out next time I need to make some rice. And while I'm not sure how I feel about trying to make noodles, the recipe looks simple enough and I think it is just a time consideration. So this would need to be a weekend project when I have more time. The same would probably hold true for the dumplings.
Interspersed with the recipes are more stories of the family and restaurant and that it is not all work, there is definitely time to play and have a good time. I think we get a better insight into them from this information and that they are no different than you or me.
Overall, this cookbook is more than meets the eye and should be savored over time.
Not living in the North East, there are many restaurants that I have never heard of but I'm sure the same could be said for those that live there and the restaurants available in Texas. I always enjoy learning about new places and dishes and while I may only drool over some of them, there are always some that I will endeavor to make or adapt.
The wonderful thing about this cookbook, and several others I have enjoyed over the past few years, is that it is more than just a book with recipes and photos of those dishes. It is a story begging to be told about the founders of the restaurant, their family, and the dishes that have made them popular.
While reading through this book, there are so many different aspects to inhale. Outside of the founder's story, there is a section that is a guide to the flavors of Xi'an. There is a discussion of the spices used to flavor dishes from sour to spicy to super spicy. I enjoyed the history of the spices and how they arrived in this part of China to be used in cooking. There is also a section about what should be stocked in your pantry and refrigerator so when you are craving these foods you have everything ready to make the dish of choice.
We move on to cooking lessons and the biggest lesson is how to cook rice the right way. I learned a few tips I hadn't thought of before and will be trying those out next time I need to make some rice. And while I'm not sure how I feel about trying to make noodles, the recipe looks simple enough and I think it is just a time consideration. So this would need to be a weekend project when I have more time. The same would probably hold true for the dumplings.
Interspersed with the recipes are more stories of the family and restaurant and that it is not all work, there is definitely time to play and have a good time. I think we get a better insight into them from this information and that they are no different than you or me.
Overall, this cookbook is more than meets the eye and should be savored over time.
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November 2, 2023I really, really thoroughly enjoyed reading this cookbook… however, I have not cooked a single thing from it, as I concluded these are the sorts of dishes I’d rather go out to eat than bother to make myself.
March 26, 2022
Great narrative voice. Great recipes in general but giving a HUGE thank you for the hot and sour soup recipe. Been low-key trying to replicate the house soup at a place I worked at when I was 17 for, like 30 years. Finally, this recipe nails it.
December 1, 2020
Happy for the recipes and the showcasing of my ancestral cuisine. The author's commentary is occasionally 🙄.
May 27, 2024
4.5 stars. aa I miss xff-- why don't y'all come to CA? I love lamb and maybe that's a big reason I love this cuisine. noods, I wanna try and make them one day, those liang pi look complicated but doable. also, those skewers 🤤 nice to have a bit more background about xff and xian in this book
October 19, 2020
I was introduced to Xi-an Famous Foods on an epic day I spent visiting my food-informed son in NYC. We journeyed to Flushing, and walked around a bustling China Town and he guided me down the stairs of a big building, and we stood in line at a food counter. On his advice, I trepidatiously ordered something called "Cold Skin Noodles" (I had him repeat that several times to be sure I wasn't mis-hearing his instructions) and a "Lamb Burger".
The noodles were a revelation. They were stretchy and springy, kind of like soft, cold chicken skin, though that disturbing analogy would not have come to my mind without the titular prompt. The noodles were coated with a spicy oil, and they were unlike any noodles I had ever tasted before - more texturally interesting than pasta, more flavorful than rice noodles, and simply mind-blowing. And the lamb burger - it was minced lamb with rich, fragrant cumin on a bun that was like a slightly thickened and crispy crumpet. One course was all about texture, and the other was all about flavor, and the meal probably cost around $25 for the both of us to eat like kings.
That was my introduction to Xi'an Famous Foods.
(To complete the story, we ate dinner at Momofuku Ko for dinner, where, with wine, I think the tab came to ~$150 for each of us. Again, we were served at a counter, and again, the food was a lesson in tastes and textures. Both were revelatory food experiences. My son paid for both!)
When I saw that Xi'an was coming out with a cookbook, I was excited. I received it a few days ago, and the recipes are accessible, without requiring extra equipment or an overwhelming amount of specially-bought ingredients. Next weekend, I will attempt a few of the recipes - and I will be content to struggle a bit to develop the touch and taste to master these recipes.
The book itself, of course, covers biography and geography. It is fun to read, and informative about a city in Western China I still cannot find on a map, where a Muslim quarter exists and serves lamb skewers. Where the silk road once thrived, and near where terra cotta warriors wait to serve. This book expanded my horizons, just as the trip down those stairs did, several years ago.
The noodles were a revelation. They were stretchy and springy, kind of like soft, cold chicken skin, though that disturbing analogy would not have come to my mind without the titular prompt. The noodles were coated with a spicy oil, and they were unlike any noodles I had ever tasted before - more texturally interesting than pasta, more flavorful than rice noodles, and simply mind-blowing. And the lamb burger - it was minced lamb with rich, fragrant cumin on a bun that was like a slightly thickened and crispy crumpet. One course was all about texture, and the other was all about flavor, and the meal probably cost around $25 for the both of us to eat like kings.
That was my introduction to Xi'an Famous Foods.
(To complete the story, we ate dinner at Momofuku Ko for dinner, where, with wine, I think the tab came to ~$150 for each of us. Again, we were served at a counter, and again, the food was a lesson in tastes and textures. Both were revelatory food experiences. My son paid for both!)
When I saw that Xi'an was coming out with a cookbook, I was excited. I received it a few days ago, and the recipes are accessible, without requiring extra equipment or an overwhelming amount of specially-bought ingredients. Next weekend, I will attempt a few of the recipes - and I will be content to struggle a bit to develop the touch and taste to master these recipes.
The book itself, of course, covers biography and geography. It is fun to read, and informative about a city in Western China I still cannot find on a map, where a Muslim quarter exists and serves lamb skewers. Where the silk road once thrived, and near where terra cotta warriors wait to serve. This book expanded my horizons, just as the trip down those stairs did, several years ago.
October 25, 2022
I found this book through a TikTok reviewing it and it made the point in that TikTok that I do think is valid - namely that these recipes are not home-cook friendly. Reading the book through, I can kind of see why - Jason Wang’s father, the primary chef for Xi’an Famous Foods, was apparently always a restaurant cook. When Jason describes him after their arrival in the US it’s always about his dad moving from kitchen to kitchen across the East Coast Chinese restaurant scene. The materials/equipment needed (I think one of the recipes calls for a pretty big steamer) and the expertise required (I cannot figure out how I would be able to navigate those diagrams to hand-pull noodles) makes this not super feasible.
I did not personally try any of the recipes - as someone who can’t do gluten, this recipe book is not terribly forgiving. I picked it up because of the story that runs alongside it. That said, I did add a few potential sauces to be on the lookout for, so it was not a culinary miss for me.
It was interesting reading about Jason Wang’s life, and having the recipes kind of match up to his life story. The main things working against this book are that the writer is not the most interesting character in his own biography - seriously, this book should probably have been written by his father - and he can come across as a bit of a tool. I don’t know how many times you should talk about your Aston Martin in a cookbook, but I feel like this was too many times.
I did not personally try any of the recipes - as someone who can’t do gluten, this recipe book is not terribly forgiving. I picked it up because of the story that runs alongside it. That said, I did add a few potential sauces to be on the lookout for, so it was not a culinary miss for me.
It was interesting reading about Jason Wang’s life, and having the recipes kind of match up to his life story. The main things working against this book are that the writer is not the most interesting character in his own biography - seriously, this book should probably have been written by his father - and he can come across as a bit of a tool. I don’t know how many times you should talk about your Aston Martin in a cookbook, but I feel like this was too many times.
October 21, 2022
The recipes are ok but the author is trying waaay too hard to sound like David Chang, and comes across as an insufferably arrogant immature brat. He also isn't a very good writer, and despite an attributed female co-author a lot of the stories sound like he was drunk and boasting to his bros and just wrote that down.
Some of the basic recipes make way too much, although they are used as elements in a lot of the other recipes, which is appropriate for high volume restaurant cooking but leads to an unnecessary amount of work in the home kitchen.
A lot of the recipes are also quite greasy, like dumping 1/3 cup of oil into a single bowl of noodles, where 2 tablespoons is more than enough. (I did try the biang biang noodle recipe last night and it was quite good, here's my version: https://aardvark007.wordpress.com/202...)
Some of the basic recipes make way too much, although they are used as elements in a lot of the other recipes, which is appropriate for high volume restaurant cooking but leads to an unnecessary amount of work in the home kitchen.
A lot of the recipes are also quite greasy, like dumping 1/3 cup of oil into a single bowl of noodles, where 2 tablespoons is more than enough. (I did try the biang biang noodle recipe last night and it was quite good, here's my version: https://aardvark007.wordpress.com/202...)
March 17, 2021
Ignore the complaints about tone.
I’ve worked in restaurants for years, and to be perfectly frank, this is better food and better, more honest writing than anything Dave Chang has put out.
It’s not a perfect guide to or intro to “authentic” Chinese cuisine, and it’s better for it. It’s the story of one Chinese family’s food, and attempts to recreate what they loved at home after moving to the US, the fight to make their perfect version of it and share it.
Jason doesn’t shy away from a throw-away mention of the excesses & anger that’s present in most kitchens. He owns up to it, and tries to move beyond it. Chefs like Chang hide their complicity and boring people eat it up like gospel while heaping scorn on people trying to do more with less.
I’ve worked in restaurants for years, and to be perfectly frank, this is better food and better, more honest writing than anything Dave Chang has put out.
It’s not a perfect guide to or intro to “authentic” Chinese cuisine, and it’s better for it. It’s the story of one Chinese family’s food, and attempts to recreate what they loved at home after moving to the US, the fight to make their perfect version of it and share it.
Jason doesn’t shy away from a throw-away mention of the excesses & anger that’s present in most kitchens. He owns up to it, and tries to move beyond it. Chefs like Chang hide their complicity and boring people eat it up like gospel while heaping scorn on people trying to do more with less.
January 9, 2023
Was so excited when i got this, it's a fantastic set of recipes and the photography is great. The problem is it seems like there's been little to no testing - lots of mistakes, omissions etc. I think if you look through reviews here, most of the people giving it 4 or 5 don't seem to have actually tried *using* it.
Lots of comments about the tone - IMO yes he does sound very annoying, I wouldn't want to go for a meal with him to be honest. But at least you get a sense of who he is, I prefer that to most of the cookbooks i pick up these days, where there is no sense at all of any personality and the author speaks entirely in trite cliches.
Lots of comments about the tone - IMO yes he does sound very annoying, I wouldn't want to go for a meal with him to be honest. But at least you get a sense of who he is, I prefer that to most of the cookbooks i pick up these days, where there is no sense at all of any personality and the author speaks entirely in trite cliches.
October 14, 2020
5 stars so far for content, photos, and making me hungry. Next up to try some recipes, although I will admit they look a bit intimidating.
October 20, 2020
Beautiful layout and pictures. I love the family history throughout with yummy recipes. Highly recommended.
October 30, 2020
I mainly picked up this book because I have been a huge fan of the restaurant ever since a friend of mine who lived in Flushing told me about the opening of one of her favorite restaurants in the St Marks area of NYC that I used to frequent often back then. When Xian Famous Foods opened in the LES (Lower East Side for the unfamiliar), I had recently returned from my first trip to the Eastern Hemisphere to visit a friend who worked for the US Embassy in China. I spent a few months traveling to various places there and loved it (including Xi'an, but just briefly to see the Terra Cotta Soldiers). I was initially attracted to XFF in NYC by the very cheap prices for a filling, unique, and delicious meal (I think the lamb burger was only $2? Try finding prices like those in NYC!) but after a while I found myself having cravings and making the trek over to the LES for some good noodles in soup or a quick bite of the burgers.
Due to events of 2020 XFF has been (mostly) closed in NYC at the moment and when I heard about this book I wanted to try to see if I can get my XFF cravings satisfied at home. I was pleasantly surprised by this book! Originally I was expecting more of a cookbook for some of the dishes at one of my more favorite "fast casual" restaurants in NYC (which it is!), but this book is so much more, for me it was also a coming-of-age slash rags-to-riches story, a nice nostalgia trip (I have a lot of Asian friends in NYC, so I have also had some Circle/KTown nights that Jason describes at one point), and an appreciative retrospection for Jason, all while making my mouth water the whole entire time.
One thing I love about this book as a cookbook is the simplified list of ingredients -- most cookbooks require a large array of ingredients to craft the recipes at home on your own, which becomes even more of a problem when the recipes require ingredients that are quickly perishable. I feel like there are a small subset of ingredients required that are constantly used throughout the recipes in this book, if you are fortunate enough to live near an Asian market you can get started on many of the recipes right away in a short amount of time. It also really shows you the versatility of the ingredients, with some creativity you can use some of the sauces and spices to make a "XFF-style" dish of your own.
Do yourself a favor and grab a copy of this book for your shelf and try out some of the recipes! If you are intimidated by some of the steps, like noodle-pulling to be specific, take a look around the internet for some videos to help supplement the book, once you see the process it becomes a lot less intimidating
Due to events of 2020 XFF has been (mostly) closed in NYC at the moment and when I heard about this book I wanted to try to see if I can get my XFF cravings satisfied at home. I was pleasantly surprised by this book! Originally I was expecting more of a cookbook for some of the dishes at one of my more favorite "fast casual" restaurants in NYC (which it is!), but this book is so much more, for me it was also a coming-of-age slash rags-to-riches story, a nice nostalgia trip (I have a lot of Asian friends in NYC, so I have also had some Circle/KTown nights that Jason describes at one point), and an appreciative retrospection for Jason, all while making my mouth water the whole entire time.
One thing I love about this book as a cookbook is the simplified list of ingredients -- most cookbooks require a large array of ingredients to craft the recipes at home on your own, which becomes even more of a problem when the recipes require ingredients that are quickly perishable. I feel like there are a small subset of ingredients required that are constantly used throughout the recipes in this book, if you are fortunate enough to live near an Asian market you can get started on many of the recipes right away in a short amount of time. It also really shows you the versatility of the ingredients, with some creativity you can use some of the sauces and spices to make a "XFF-style" dish of your own.
Do yourself a favor and grab a copy of this book for your shelf and try out some of the recipes! If you are intimidated by some of the steps, like noodle-pulling to be specific, take a look around the internet for some videos to help supplement the book, once you see the process it becomes a lot less intimidating
May 12, 2024
It took me a long time to decide to buy this book. I like the cuisine featured in this collection but I know I won't cook from it regularly. What won me over was that my partner visited this restaurant and highly recommended their food. So this book was both a memento as well as a cookbook.
...And what turned this book into a great read was the storytelling. Jason Wang (current CEO and son of the Founder) tells the story of his family and their restaurant with enthusiasm, humour and a sense of wonder. It celebrates the achievement of the Great American Dream - a migrant family who overcome really tough times to find success; overcoming prejudice to achieve that success on the basis of celebrating their ethnic background and identity. It does not shy away from the pretty inhuman conditions that they lived in as they settled into their new country; and the confusion and sometimes antagonism felt by the migrant kids (first or second-get) as they tried to define their identities and navigated around two sometimes competing cultures.
The recipes also seem to do a good job balancing authenticity with looking/feeling new and fresh.
...And what turned this book into a great read was the storytelling. Jason Wang (current CEO and son of the Founder) tells the story of his family and their restaurant with enthusiasm, humour and a sense of wonder. It celebrates the achievement of the Great American Dream - a migrant family who overcome really tough times to find success; overcoming prejudice to achieve that success on the basis of celebrating their ethnic background and identity. It does not shy away from the pretty inhuman conditions that they lived in as they settled into their new country; and the confusion and sometimes antagonism felt by the migrant kids (first or second-get) as they tried to define their identities and navigated around two sometimes competing cultures.
The recipes also seem to do a good job balancing authenticity with looking/feeling new and fresh.
December 31, 2021
This book was a fun read, but overall so-so. I did love learning more about a lesser-known Chinese cuisine, but I can't imagine myself using many of the recipes. I also second many readers' comments about the tone at times distracting from the work. His stories about coming to America as a child and meditations on evolution/authenticity in food culture were interesting and cogent, but nothing particularly revelatory. The recipes themselves are heavily focused on meat and noodles/bread, as the cuisine is, and he freely admits that many of the recipes are challenging to do well. I'm sure this is the kind of challenge many people would be glad to take on, but not much here that would fit into my busy family life.
March 24, 2024
I love Chinese hand-pulled noodles, I love cold skin noodles and I simply adore Sichuan peppery chilli oil, lamb and cumin, so this is a book filled with stuff I want to eat.
I'll be honest, I'm taking the shortcut here, I buy the noodles dry and just make the sauce.
I used to make a version of those flatbreads filled with burning cumin mince, copying something I'd eaten in a tiny restaurant specialised in the same region, and I'm so happy to find it there.
I'm less of a fan of the writing voice, the author's a little obnoxious, but it is very real and that's so important. It's part of the authentic feel of the book, no matter if this isn't what people do in China, it comes from the heart of a real family, real people, who love food.
I'll be honest, I'm taking the shortcut here, I buy the noodles dry and just make the sauce.
I used to make a version of those flatbreads filled with burning cumin mince, copying something I'd eaten in a tiny restaurant specialised in the same region, and I'm so happy to find it there.
I'm less of a fan of the writing voice, the author's a little obnoxious, but it is very real and that's so important. It's part of the authentic feel of the book, no matter if this isn't what people do in China, it comes from the heart of a real family, real people, who love food.
February 11, 2022
Makes me wish I lived closer to a big city to get some of the ingredients he lists, honestly. There are a few that are probably feasible to put together with my limited options, so that’s nice.
I see some of the top reviews commenting on how the writer comes across as kind of a “D-bag” in his descriptions, but I honestly didn’t think he was super rude for the majority (he could be more polite when talking about women - that was the main thing I noticed). The stories and anecdotes were more interesting than a bunch of the white-people cookbooks I’ve read, so I didn’t mind these glimpses into his life.
I see some of the top reviews commenting on how the writer comes across as kind of a “D-bag” in his descriptions, but I honestly didn’t think he was super rude for the majority (he could be more polite when talking about women - that was the main thing I noticed). The stories and anecdotes were more interesting than a bunch of the white-people cookbooks I’ve read, so I didn’t mind these glimpses into his life.
February 16, 2023
I loved the stories in the book! The recipes hmmm... Apart from the sauces and a few side dishes wasn't useful to a vegetarian like me 😅 yet to try the recipe itself but I remember trying xian style noodles in LA and was surprised by the strong cumin flavor. So it was fun to read about its significance in Xian HOWEVER cumin is not part of any of the sauce or noodle recipes lol? Like did I miss something? And just for that I am gonna take a star down tho I definitely enjoyed reading through. You can notice it's amateur writer/chef tone which I loved because that way we got to experience the raw joy that the author felt as a kid around the food.
October 10, 2023
Not bad, aside from being a killer restaurant this book gives a lot of valuable recipes for the cuisine. Easy to read, and they did a good job filling the book out with stories and perspectives. The author does seem to throw shade on “cookie cutter” homes of the Midwest right before the page with a picture of a vast amount of duplicate Xian high-rises. Either way I recommend the book, but more so I suggest eating at one of the restaurants. It’s always good, very consistent, and my only complaint is that they took the oxtail off the menu, but that’s probably not their fault. Beef prices are through the roof these days!
March 21, 2023
Amazing! I cook a lot, so I am no stranger to recipes. Nowadays I can pretty much look at a recipe and know if it will be good or not. This book is full of recipes that I absolutely want to try. The layout is a little weird, with a good amount of referencing to other section, but these recipes look like they are to die for.
This book was available on KU, so I snatched it up for free, just to take a cursory look. I was so blown away, that by the time I was done looking at the KU version, I bought a hardcover version. I need these recipes in my life (in a tangible, hardcover format).
This book was available on KU, so I snatched it up for free, just to take a cursory look. I was so blown away, that by the time I was done looking at the KU version, I bought a hardcover version. I need these recipes in my life (in a tangible, hardcover format).
January 9, 2021
3.5 stars. I love their noodles but this book isn’t well written. It’s half memoir half recipe, and somehow despite his honesty about his work hard party hard lifestyle, it sounds douchebag-y. The recipes are also not very detailed and lack instruction, even some of the illustrations are not helpful.. I think it just failed to capture the essence of Chinese cooking. Also, some of the “other” recipes are only ok.
March 13, 2021
Met Jason Wang last week, and I told him how I've been taking my CA friends to Xi'an every time they visit NYC for years. We saw the Anthony Bourdain episodes, have gone to pretty much all the Xi'an locations, eaten there hundreds of times, got the meal kits, and now we got the cookbook to make some dishes at home.
LOVE the food, Jason and his dad's story, and this book is so much more than a regular cookbook. Highly recommend (and you will get hungry)!
LOVE the food, Jason and his dad's story, and this book is so much more than a regular cookbook. Highly recommend (and you will get hungry)!
August 6, 2022
Jason Wang has written a memoir of his family’s journey from western China to the U.S. through food. It was interesting and mostly honestly written. It would benefit from less gratuitous profanity, which often makes Wang appear arrogant (which, I imagine, is the case). The recipes I’ve tried are good, and I would like to try one of their restaurants. However, buy this book more for the story in food than the recipes, most of which aren’t game changers for the home kitchen.
February 13, 2025
Well-written! This book is a great example of a popular and emerging format for cookbooks based on a specific chef or restaurant: part biography, part history of the restaurant, they use anecdotes to give flavor and context. If you've read any of Dave Chang's cookbooks, you know what I'm talking about. Fun to read, and inspiring, besides.
I haven't tried the recipes yet, but I am a huge fan of XFF's food, and can't wait to start cooking out of this one.
I haven't tried the recipes yet, but I am a huge fan of XFF's food, and can't wait to start cooking out of this one.
January 13, 2023
The first cookbook I’ve ever read cover to cover thanks to the BookRiot Read Harder Challenge 2023. This was everything I was looking for in a cookbook to actually read through- history, both of Xi’an, Jason’s family and his own story, and the birth and growth of Xi’an Famous Foods. Can’t wait to try some of these dishes!
March 29, 2021
4 stars for the recipes, 3 stars for the prose... there are tons of interesting dishes to try here, but the accompanying story wasn't all that I had hoped, would have loved to hear more details of their immigrant story, it sounded very interesting.
June 27, 2021
Enjoyed the experience of reading this book. Now to try some recipes! I really appreciate a cookbook that gives a lot of explanation and background about the recipes and the chef/family/people behind them. This book did an amazing job with that exact kind of presentation.
July 15, 2021
Xi’an Famous Foods
This was a really good cookbook, and the recipes looked very delicious, and the photos in the book were very beautiful. It made me want to go to the restaurant and try their foods out.
This was a really good cookbook, and the recipes looked very delicious, and the photos in the book were very beautiful. It made me want to go to the restaurant and try their foods out.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews