The Last Chinese Chef

By: Nicole Mones

Narrated by: James Chen, Elisabeth Rodgers

Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

In her satisfying, sensual third novel, Nicole Mones takes readers inside the hidden world of elite cuisine in modern China through the story of an American food writer in Beijing. When recently widowed Maggie McElroy is called to China to settle a claim against her late husband's estate, she is blindsided by the discovery that he may have led a double life. Since work is all that will keep her sane, her magazine editor assigns her to profile Sam, a half-Chinese American who is the last in a line of gifted chefs tracing back to the imperial palace. As she watches Sam gear up for Chinas Olympic culinary competition by planning the banquet of a lifetime, she begins to see past the cuisines artistry to glimpse its coherent expression of Chinese civilization. It is here, amid lessons of tradition, obligation, and human connection that she finds the secret ingredient that may yet heal her heart.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2008 Nicole Mones (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The novel is rich with meaning and lore and an examination of loving relationships. Don't even touch this book when you're hungry. The descriptions make the aromas and textures float right off the page." (Amazon.com review)
"Early in her visit, Maggie scoffs at the idea that 'food can heal the human heart.' Mones smartly proves her wrong." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Elisabeth Rodgers delivers the novel with verve. James Chen narrates the chapter openings, which are quotes from a revered ancient tome on Chinese food preparation and philosophy. Cookery lore; subtle aromas and flavors; bold colors and textures all vie with story elements that focus on culture and family to keep listeners fully engaged." ( AudioFile)

This reader is barely bearable

I listened to this story a little at a time over several months because the reader was just getting on my nerves. Her tone was so completely inappropriate at times (especially in the voice of Sam). Too bad this wasn't noted by the author / editor before release. With the proper dramatic tone and voice it could have been a lot better. The story mix was a little weird too. Oh well. Some folks have obviously loved it.

Good read on Chinese cuisine and culture

Being a Chinese grew up in China, I highly appreciate this book. The author shows that she does understand and appreciate Chinese culture and its relationship with its cuisine. Very entertaining listen.

Wonderful Book

This was a fantastic book. It did a great job weaving Chinease history into a modern day love story. Her descriptions of the Chinese way of eating / cooking / culture were filled with amazing details. I could almost taste the meals! Highly recommend.

Mouth-watering

As someone of Chinese descent I can only say: mouth-watering. I don't know that much about Chinese food - but I love eating it. And listening to this book I must say, the author understood the preeminent place Food takes in Chinese culture.
The rest of the story was pretty predictable, but okay.
Caveat: I had trouble with the pronunciation of Chinese expressions/names. It's certainly not Mandarin as I've learned it and maybe the narrator does not know Chinese at all. But I did find it a bit distracting, trying to figure out what she was saying.

Don’t read when hungry!

This is a wonderful story of relationships set in modern day and old China. The author sumptuously describes Chinese meals such that I longed to be (back) in China, because I know I can’t get such wonderful food here in the south ( although possibly in east coast or west coast Chinatowns). The story is well read written.

Interesante inmersión en cultura China

Si bien la historia no es impactante ante el manejo y presentación de la cultura China lo hace muy interesante y atractivo.
Buen libro.

Interesting look into Chinese culture and cooking

Would you listen to The Last Chinese Chef again? Why?

Yes, it's a book I would revisit every few years.

What other book might you compare The Last Chinese Chef to and why?

Perhaps The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Swet due to,the clash between cultures.

Have you listened to any of Elisabeth Rodgers and James Chen ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but they were both outstanding.

If you could take any character from The Last Chinese Chef out to dinner, who would it be and why?

It would have to be the chef himself. I would want him to explain the meaning behind each dish.

Any additional comments?

I'm looking forward to listening to other books by this author.

Sumptuous feasts, atrocious Chinese pronunciations

I really enjoyed this gentle love-after-loss STORY and especially the mouth-watering descriptions of extraordinary Chinese dishes. That said, the reader's Chinese pronunciation was so inaccurate that I, as an American-born Mandarin speaker, finally gave up even trying to tell what words she was trying to say. What a shame, and a really stupid choice of narrator on the part of the audiobook producers when there are countless Chinese speakers with unaccented American English who would have elevated this audiobook instead of playing into the Ugly American stereotype. I'm really surprised that the author allowed this narrator to ruin her audiobook.

It takes awhile....

I have no idea when -- or indeed why -- I bought this book. I am a low-key foodie of sorts, but plain and simple are the operative words. I have no knowledge of, or indeed, much interest in, anything Asian at all. Beyond the fact that we eat Chinese food on Christmas, I'm not really hooked into this kind of food, or the history of the country, or much of anything else Asian. (Nothing personal. Just that I already straddle three-and-a-half cultures. I can't take on another one.)

No kidding, my first recollection of this book is in my passing it by, time after time, as I scrolled through my iPod playlist, every time skipping it with a "What in the world was I thinking?" shrug. Don't get me wrong - I'm sure I did buy it -- must have been a hellva sale somewhere, I just don't know when or what I was planning.

So. Maybe three weeks ago, I was listening to Joseph Finder's new book, "The Fixer". That book ended, and because I had my hands deep into the dirt outside in a fervor of tree planting, I didn't stop to select a new book. I merely allowed it to rotate over to the next book on the list, which was, indeed, "The Last Chinese Chef."

Well, huh. In spite of all everything I've said, the book drew me in from the very beginning. The idea of this food writer, newly widowed, struggling to find her way mirrored, in a way, my daughter's situation. She too is a new widow, her husband having lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. No, no paternity claim (thank Gd) but at age 40, she's floundering a bit, too, trying to adjust to this new reality for herself and her three-year old daughter. So I found myself listening pretty closely, finding common ground.

It's a darn good story, I'll say that. I blush to admit that when I got back into the house, maybe three hours into the book, I actually went to check, to see if it was fiction or if it could be a true story on some level. It's fiction, but really really well done..... very credible.

The only times my mind wandered was during the parts where the "last chef" -- the real last chef, which was Sam's grandfather -- was telling the story of his youth, his escape, his hard times. I just have no cultural markers on which to attach that kind of history, so I wasn't quite as keyed in as I was to the rest of the story. My mind went to other matters during those parts. I also felt queasy at some parts of the actual "food" tales -- I can't deal with animal slaughter, and far worse than that, the idea of eating things that are still alive is to me pure evil. A couple of times I took out my ear buds to let that insanity pass. I wish that hadn't been there -- that's the stuff of nightmares as far as I'm concerned.

Still, those parts are minimal. I thought there'd be a slightly different ending than there was, but I wasn't at all disappointed. I finished it, but even then didn't plan to write a review -- I usually only comment on books that I really loved, or those I was really disappointed in. This one, while good, edged too close to "Meh?" territory. I liked it, but I didn't really love it.

Then, a couple of days ago, I realized something had happened. In the two weeks or so since I finished listening, several times I found myself remembering things that happened, or were said, in this book. There are lots of memorable story elements -- in fact, it's filled with them. One was the whole idea of eating always being a communal activity -- not something one ever does alone. Very interesting -- and compelling, the way it's told. Then too, the whole notion of some foods being for taste, others for texture, or color... I hadn't thought of any of that before, but now that I have, it's stuck in my mind. That's just two -- there are many other things I remember from having listened to this book.

So now I have to rate this long-ignored book much higher than I would have, even a couple of weeks ago. I can even see the day when I might listen to it again -- it's that good.

It's still way out of my cultural ken, but still, a fine novel. Very engrossing. I'm glad I finally latched on to it.

i loved this book

i have listened to this book a few times already ... it is charming, soulful and performed well. don't hesitate to purchase this one!