The Last Chinese Chef

By: Nicole Mones

Narrated by: James Chen, Elisabeth Rodgers

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)

A lovely read a romantic foody

What did you love best about The Last Chinese Chef?

The use of language! Mones use of verbs and descriptors made this food/mystery/romance palatable. Since listening to it we have been on a Chinese food cooking jag.

What does Elisabeth Rodgers and James Chen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Beautifully read. One of the best readings we have heard! Lovely intonation, never over done or flat.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes, we laughed. It brought back many memories for my husband.

Any additional comments?

We have already shared our love of this novel with friends

Wonderful!

If you could sum up The Last Chinese Chef in three words, what would they be?

Part history, part food love story, and part relationship - it was a fascinating voyage to a place I've never been before.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The food was my favorite character - the explanations and descriptions made it come alive and brought all the ancient principles to life.

Any additional comments?

It made me hungry - very hungry for Chinese food. The food I ordered had no resemblance to the masterpieces Sam made. I'm still hungry.

Strong on history, food, culture - thin on plot

In "The Last Chinese Chef" author Nicole Mones presents a glimpse into another corner of what we westerners often consider a veiled and mysterious culture. Mones' other credits include "A Cup of Light" and "Lost in Translation" (no relation to the film of the same name). I gave the main narrator Elisabeth Rodgers 4 stars for having the guts to tackle pronunciation of the names and terminology. Her portrayal of the book's characters was quite capable but not memorable. Co-narrator James Chen provides the "intro" to each chapter, reading excerpts from the fictitious book for which the novel is named.

In "Chef", Mones' central character Maggie McElroy is a writer for a popular food magazine whose own personal tragedy results in a journey of discovery into Chinese life and culture, and particularly food. The author draws heavily on her own experience and knowledge gained through many years of living in and writing about it as a contributor to Gourmet magazine. Her wealth of knowledge on the subject lends greatly to the authenticity of the story and also gives this book what I consider its strongest credit.

While the characters are all fairly well developed, the storyline is thin and predictable. However, the story does provide the basis for the rich and detailed descriptions of Chinese cuisine and its surprisingly integral and inextricable ties to the culture. This is the book's true strength. If you are a foodie, you will be enraptured by the detailed descriptions of the various dishes that are focal to the story. If you love history and learning about other cultures, you will find much to enjoy here. If you are a fan of both food and history... well stop reading this and go get "The Last Chinese Chef". Just make sure you read on a full stomach, or you'll soon be calling out for delivery!

Surprising Read

I don't know why I picked this book up in the first place since this is not my typical listen, but I am glad I did. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I enjoyed the historical aspect of the communist impact to food and culture in general in China and the recent resurgence of the food culture. The author's description of widowhood were spot on in several places -- little things that most people don't think about, unless you have experienced it, rang true.

Unfortunately, I think this is a book that is better read than listened to, especially is you speak Mandarin. Elisabeth's reading of this book was disappointing for several reasons.

First, her reading cadence was off. It's not exactly flat but the rhythm is all off. It was difficult to get into the flow of the story for several chapters. Second, she should have spent some time learning to pronounce the very few Mandarin words that were scattered around the book. Even if you can get past the cadence, you get jarred out of the story by her pronunciation of the Mandarin words.

Despite the performance, I'm glad I persevered. It is a lovely story.

A very nice story especially if you enjoy cooking.

If you enjoy cooking or eating Chinese food you will enjoy this book. It's also a sweet look into Chinese culture that is emerging into a modern nation but somehow keeping the identity of the past.

Read it for Imperial cuisine and Chinese people

A pleasant car listen, very relaxing. The food is succulent, but the descriptions of Imperial cuisine, its philosophy, symbolic load, referents, etc. showed I’d never want to eat this stuff or learn the 3000 years of Chinese social/political/literary history necessary to appreciate it. Consider, for example, cooking down 30 crabs (and their shells), and absorbing the puree into tofu, just so it can masquerade as a humble dish and surprise jaded diners. All in all, a great explanation of the Imperial approach to food - and thereby a justification of the Chinese revolution and the revival of antiquarian interest in this genre of historical cookery.
Much better as food/philosophy than as shallow romance. The American narrator protagonist is a clueless space cadet who can do nothing but gush admiration for her man's achievement and for an uncomprehended culture. The man, an appealing sensitive Chinese-American chef who is determined to be traditional Chinese, nonetheless spurns Chinese women, as though only a Westerner will do... In the end, is there any more reason to accept these prejudicial stereotypes in romance novels, than in mystery novels, etc? As always, stereotypes testify to the author's limitations, but it is saddening to see these propagated.
The intertwined lines unfolding the plot are a great technical achievement. Most impressive, though, is the seamless integration of food, history, and attitudes. I hope the author will serve out more of this from the regional cuisines of China, where she’s lived for close to two decades. I am hungry for more of her cooking.

Delicious!

This book was delicious from the appetizers to the dessert! A great sorry woven through with information about the art and history of Chinese cooking. Now for that Chinese meal I am craving!

I enjoyed this very much...

What did you love best about The Last Chinese Chef?

I enjoyed the developing friendship between Sam and Maggie. Sam was my favorite character.

What about Elisabeth Rodgers and James Chen ’s performance did you like?

I felt Elisabeth Rodgers was by turns, superb/outstanding/exceptionally good, but also fell into a cadence at times that irritated me... Still, I had to give the narration 5 stars because I enjoyed her reading more than most audiobooks I've listened to. James Chen was incredible...

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was pretty touched throughout the story actually... I particularly enjoyed the last half hour of the book.

Any additional comments?

I'm glad I picked this one up... I want to listen to it again...

A hidden gem

I started this audio book during a long drive. I think I bought it at one of the Audible sales, and often those turn out to be major duds. This lovely audio book was a complete delight.

The story was engaging, with believable characters with real emotions and concerns. Somehow the author manages to share everyone's viewpoint without making it a jumble of characters with juggled story lines which often leaves me confused and not particularly engaged with any of them. Each character's story is human, believable and plays a major role in helping us understand as the story unfolds.

No spoilers here, listen for yourself. It's a joy, an easy listen, yet deep in many places.

loved it!

this is one I will recommend to people! a really well done piece of writing