Chef Chris Cheung grew up in Chinatown in New York City. Now, he has written a cookbook that highlights the food he has always enjoyed. Damn Good Chinese Food includes fifty recipes that reflect the culinary diversity of his neighborhood and these recipes are mouth-watering, to say the least. Some are fairly simple, while others will take some practice to perfect. But they all reflect a neighborhood that Chef Cheung doesn’t want to be overlooked.

In addition to the appealing recipes, Chef Cheung has included a number of essays about the neighborhood, the history of Chinese cooking, and stories about his culinary creations. All in all, it is an informational and interesting book about Chinese cooking and traditions.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for this free eARC.
I must say I love Chinese food.
This cookbook leads you from the bare essentials through interesting stories to wonderful recipes I truly believe anyone can make.
The instructions are perfectly written and there are really good recipes the whole family can enjoy.
I highly recommend this cookbook.

This is a great introduction to Chinese food. It's greatest strength is in it's ability to peel back the curtain and tell the reader how to shop in an Asian grocery store, what to look for and what to avoid, and descriptions of different ingredients. There are about 50 recipes in the book, all very easy to understand and follow. I also really enjoyed the author's personal stories. This is more than a cookbook, it's an entire course in cooking and culture!

This was such a fun cookbook! The author writes with first hand experience after growing up in NY Chinatown and spending time “cooking in the old way” in China. He offers lots of advice on stocking the pantry with Chinese ingredients, explains how we need to put down the salt shaker and substitute soy and sings the praises of oyster sauce that keeps soy from being lonely, encouraging the reader to “not cook lonely food” LOL! Written with humor and expertise, the author gives great advice on how to navigate an Asian market and warns to stay out of the way of the little Chinese ladies while taking note of the ingredients they are purchasing. I learned a lot about authentic Chinese cooking as well as Chinese culture. It was interesting to learn of this authors cooking journey from Chinatown to old school China. He even tells the story of Jo Gwan, the Chinese kitchen god. The chapters are well laid out with beautiful photos to illustrate the dishes. There are many helpful tips written throughout, as well as a thorough explanation of the dreaded MSG. I dropped one star only because I felt many of these recipes require time, focus, possibly difficult to find ingredients, and patience. If that doesn’t scare you and you live near a Chinatown where you can shop, then dive in and make some “damn good Chinese food” at home, this author will guide you through step by step.

Thank you to Netgalley, Skyhorse Publishing, and Chris Cheung for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is an outstanding cookbook, full of recipes to make your takeout favorites at home. The recipes were easy to understand, and there are recipes for every cook’s experience level. I especially liked the personal stories, Chris Cheung gave some of the history of Chinese food, what to buy at a Chinese market, and much more.

So far I’ve made potstickers and congee, and I’m planning on making the bao buns and more! I highly recommend this book, 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Why do I read a cookbook? Because I either like the cuisine; want to know more about the culture; or I want great recipes to cook at home. Usually all of the above with an emphasis on the last. I always cook 1 or 2 recipes minimum from any cookbook that I review because a review from a person who hasn’t done that is worth very little to me. I suspect reviewers who give a glowing review to a cookbook without trying the instructions to see if they work.

This book is more opinion piece on the front and back end, with 50 recipes in-between. I address both the opinions and the recipes in this review.

I always read the introduction and information about the recipes before diving in. Chris Cheung states that he leaves MSG in his recipes “…to yield the traditional taste of some classic dishes.” That’s fine, but imagine my surprise to find out that a person is a racist if they ask for MSG to be left out at a Chinese restaurant. I had no idea. The author states that this is what he considers people who ask for “No MSG” in their food. I know that Chinese restaurants are unfairly picked on for adding MSG to food; having a public contact job is no treat. But maybe putting a sign on the door of the restaurant that there is MSG in the food and it can’t be left out is a better option. Educate, don’t judge.

I ate MSG when I was Chris Cheung’s age too. Then it tried to kill me.

I and my husband NEVER ask for “No MSG” when going to ANY restaurant, but instead see if I react to the food. If I react, we NEVER go back. We take our money elsewhere. If there are trace amounts, I don’t react. If the cook has a heavy hand, I react (now in 2021) with a burning “just ate broken glass” tongue and metallic taste in my mouth. For about 20 years, I would react to MSG by having either a powerful asthma attack and/or have my lungs go into spasm, which was diagnosed by a board-certified allergy specialist as “allergic cough.” The spasms were so powerful my husband could put his hand on my chest and feel my lungs spasming. I had experimental pills to stop this which took effect slowly. The very worst episode occurred after having sandwiches or burgers (can’t recall which) at a non-Asian restaurant. By the end of the attack, I was coughing up blood. I was under a specialist’s care during all of this time period. He told me, “[I]f it makes you sick, avoid it.” Note, I DID NOT have “uncontrolled asthma,” nor did I normally have breathing or immune problems. The FDA says MSG is safe, but then this is the same agency that recently handed over chicken inspections to the corporations that own the chicken farms due to lack of federal inspectors. What could go wrong?

Having grown up in the restaurant industry in the positions of owner, manager-but-not-owner, and server-with-no-power-over-anything, I know for a fact that many restaurants use MSG; some even put it on the lettuce in salad bars (it’s not just bacteria and viruses you get at salad bars, yay). One major U.S. burger chain puts it on their lettuce on their hamburgers; we haven’t eaten there in 20+ years. I can understand part of the author’s rant, as there are many people out there that have no idea what they are talking about as far as chemical compounds are concerned and can be very rude about asking restaurants to leave ingredients out of food. But, I was taken aback by the author’s statement and lack of information on the subject. It’s not a great way to sell cookbooks. Of course, it IS his book and he can say whatever he wants. Citing Anthony Bourdain’s opinion is at best merely anecdotal evidence. I cringed a bit when Bourdain’s name was mentioned as he isn’t around to verify what he had said. (This is key to citing someone’s opinion; the editors should try to find this in print or on video as someone may call them on it.)

Just remember Chris, allergies and chemical sensitivities can develop at any age.

MSG is NOT a part of older traditional or authentic Chinese cooking. It can’t be. It was invented in 1908 in Japan by Professor Kikunae Ikeda, who was trying to replicate the flavor of umami in dashi broth (kombu and bonito (tuna) flakes). The irony of the stated belief that a Japanese product is necessary for “traditional” Chinese cooking is not lost on me. Another cringe-inducing moment.

I consulted a sampling of my Chinese cookbooks for the use of MSG in soups and other dishes. From 1968, “Recipes: The Cooking of China” from a series called “Foods of The World,” no author given, 5 soups in the entire cookbook call for corn starch. None call for MSG. MSG is not listed in the ingredients glossary.

From 1979, in “Chinese Regional Cooking” by Deh-Ta Hsiung, the author states in “Glossary of Main Ingredients:”

“You will have noticed that I have not listed monosodium glutamate (MSG). This chemical compound, sometimes known as “taste essence” (veh t’sin), is often used to heighten the flavor of food. It is rather frowned upon by true gourmets as it can wipe out the subtle distinction of a dish when used to excess, so use with discretion.” (I am unable to double indent this quote due to website formatting restrictions.)

“The Complete Chinese Cookbook, Over 500 Authentic Recipes From China” by Jacki Passmore and Daniel P. Reid, (1984) generally doesn’t require MSG, and for wonton soup they list MSG as “optional.”

In 1984’s “Chinese Cooking: Step-by-Step Techniques” by Yan Kit Martin, MSG is NOT mentioned, neither in the ingredients nor the recipes. Corn starch, potato flour, and water chestnut flour are used as thickeners in soups and other dishes with sauces. This is a gorgeous book with numerous color photos.

Finally, in 2007’s “The Shun Lee Cookbook” by Michael Tong, which includes numerous recipes from the New York restaurant dynasty, there is no MSG that I could find. They use cornstarch in their recipes too.

The consensus? The overwhelming majority of recipes call for cornstarch; so, you can do what you want at home. You don’t have to put a chemical in your food for an “authentic” Chinese recipe.

Like other 19th and 20th Century ingredients such as Saccharine (1879) and Red Dye No. 2 (first regulated in 1906, banned in 1976), MSG needs to be put back on the shelf. It’s used primarily by restaurants to boost the flavor of their products and add “umami,” an elusive savory flavor best obtained from shiitake mushrooms. MSG is sold in bulk and is a cheap way for restaurants to maintain enough of a financial margin to stay in business. The restaurant industry is tough, and MSG is a way to increase the margin. Working inside the restaurant industry, I heard restaurant owners call it a “flavor cheat” to cover up “second” or “poor” quality ingredients. You definitely don’t need to use it at home unless you need to save money or like the flavor (it tastes like licking a metal can to me, so I’ll take the author’s word on it that he loves it). And, our closest Asian supermarket, which is huge, does not have it stacked up or in an aisle of its own; I couldn’t find it! If you want a substitute for umami, buy shiitake or porcini powder from a local market or Etsy (to support small business), or Amazon. It’s a great source of non-chemical umami flavor. It will add a brown color to soups, so proceed with caution if you want a clear broth.

The author addresses Asian Hate as well, and I am in 100% agreement with him: it has to stop. We have elements in U.S. politics who say whatever they want and target groups with no concern for violence against that group. This deliberate misinformation and outright lying is to blame for real violence. People who spread lies must be confronted. Hate groups must be identified and broken up. A good place for anyone to start is to read up on hate group information from the Southern Poverty Law Center’s website.

On to the recipes.

There are two chapters on “The Markets” and “Cooking Tools” that are more appropriate for beginners, and a chapter on “Chinese-American Cooking” that covers “Basic Techniques for Cooking,”

There aren’t many recipes, 50 in all. Four in the “Home Cooking” section, followed by “Chasing the Perfect Dumpling,” showcasing various shumai, dumplings, potstickers, sauces and oils, and Wonton Noodle Soup. There is next a chapter called “Chinese-American Cooking” that covers “Basic Techniques for Cooking,” and goes on with recipes such as Egg Drop Soup (that states that Sambal Olek is a good brand of garlic-chili paste when Sambal Olek is actually a type); General Tso’s Chicken; Egg Rolls; Chicken Chow Mein; Beef and Broccoli; and Sweet and Sour Pork, Peking Style. Further chapters are “Vegetables,” “Fish and Seafood,” “Meat and Poultry,” “Damn Good Snacks,” “Sweets,” and an afterword of “Chinese Food for Thought. There are no tofu/bean curd recipes included in this book, which I found odd.

Honestly, the chapter on vegetables I think was the most useful for me. Many of the meat recipes have meats that are deep-fried before putting into the stir-fry, and other recipes are simply deep-fried. The meat dishes could be re-worked with no deep-frying but to fairly evaluate the cookbook, I thought following a recipe as printed was the only way to do it.

I decided to try the Cold Sesame Noodles recipe first. This recipe is from Shanghai and the author repeatedly refers to “slurping” these noodle down. Well, not with his recipe. His recipe calls for 1 1/4 CUPS of sugar. That essentially makes it into a type of semi-stiff fudge, even after letting the noodles sit out at room temperature during the summer for 2 hours. This recipe was absolutely disgusting, a huge waste of time and money. I had never made this dish before but I did wonder about all of the sugar. I wish I had researched more recipes for this dish before making it, as other recipes call for between 1/2 teaspoon and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Total. This recipe gets 0 stars. Gross.

The second recipe I tried was Stir-Fried Eggplant. This was a simple recipe; the hardest part was getting fresh Chinese eggplants. I scored those at an Asian supermarket about 15 miles away and went to work leaving out the MSG. I do love the mushroom-flavored soy sauce in some of the recipes, and will continue to use it. The eggplant recipe was easy and good, it just wasn’t great. It needed a little top-dressing with Maggi Seasoning or Chinese light (not lite) soy sauce.

I realize that the recipe included for Char Siu (BBQ’d Pork) is what the author does in a restaurant setting. I don’t really have a place to hang pork strips unless the whole thing would fit in my convection oven, which is smaller than a regular oven. I did find another recipe for Char Siu from an Asian-American blogger that can be done without hanging, so don’t give up hope if you have no place to hang meat. I did find the author’s direction to hang the pork strips “under a catch pan” to be odd.

Overall, this cookbook doesn’t have a lot of recipes. I found it strange that other reviewers gushed over the number of “mouthwatering” recipes included within. I doubt that they have read many Chinese cookbooks!

I thought this was about a 2 1/2 to 3 star cookbook when compared to others that are out there.

Thank you to Skyhorse Publishing, Chris Cheung, and NetGalley for letting me read this book before it is published. I did not receive anything for my review and my opinions are my own.

This is a great primer for getting started with Chinese cuisine. There’s a helpful section at the beginning about navigating Chinese supermarkets and what to look out for, as well as one on recommended tools and equipment. The recipes begin with some foundational home cooking style dishes, though even these are somewhat complex. The book goes on to cover other well known Chinese dishes like different kinds of dumplings, Chinese American favorites, and popular side dishes. While this book would be good for novices in Chinese cooking specifically, it’s not for general beginner cooks as the recipes can be fairly involved, requiring many ingredients and steps. If you’ve got some experience in the kitchen and want to try your hand at Chinese dishes, give this one a look.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Well, this cookbook was a bit of a surprise. I was just expecting a cookbook filled with recipes and not much else. What I got is a cookbook filled with fun, interesting and inspiring stories from the author’s life depicting personal experiences that he has had that helped lead him down his culinary path, as well as recipes. He talks of personal family experiences, experiences with other immigrant families and how they have come together to create this neighborhood dedicated to good Chinese food for reasonable prices. He even gives you some tricks and tricks for navigating the vendors in big cities (I am not from a big city).

As I read I felt compelled to take notes. For the recipes, yes but also... yes, please tell me how to roll and fold and seal a dumpling. Please! Please, tell me when it does make more sense to buy the shell/dough than to make it. These are things a zero experience in Chinese cooking person needs to know! Teach me to make yummy food! Explain MSG to me!!! I did not know the paste I made had a name, slurry.

Now do note that not every recipe gets a picture, which is something I generally like so I can see what I’m making is supposed to look like. You know, in case I make a grievous mistake…(shakes off flashback) anyhow. The recipes range for relatively simple to very labor intense to assemble a posse (kinda like when you decide to make perogies). But I can guarantee whatever you make, so long as you stick to the recipe the first time out the gate, will be delicious.

Conclusion
This is an excellent guide into Chinese cooking. Highly recommend!

This was really helpful as my daughter has just started getting into Chinese food and this really helped me.

The recipes were easy to follow.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

When selecting a cookbook dedicated to a particular cuisine, I always search for authentic recipes. I want the tried and true. This cookbook fits the bill in that regard. Chris Cheung includes plenty of background and explanations on Chinese cooking, including shopping in Chinese markets and specific Asian products. The recipes themselves, as mentioned, are very traditional. They are not the North American fast-food variety, but what you you will find in an authentic restaurant, should you be lucky enough to have one in your neighborhood. My one complaint with the recipes is that almost all of them list MSG as a specific ingredient. I'm sure many of us are aware of how unhealthy MSG is, and therefore try to avoid it. Of course, I could omit it, but fear my final product will lack flavor. That leaves me with few options, unfortunately. I think the photos and formatting in this book could be a little better, but overall, I think I got a good feel for what the book was after. Overall, if you're looking for traditional Chinese recipes, and don't mind using MSG, this book is worth a go.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Great introduction and discussion of the basics of Chinese cooking! The author clearly has a passion for cooking. This book is well organized with strong recipes, in which the author sprinkles familial and personal stories to help bring the culture alive!

I have a growing interest in Chinese cooking, although as the author makes clear, "Chinese" food can be so vast and capture many backgrounds given the heterogeneity of family cultures and resources available with cooking.

I do highly recommend! I love leaning more about the "why" and "how" for each recipe, and look forward to more books from this author!

Very rare am I interested in cookbooks, but this one caught my eye as I was interested in learning the secrets of "good Chinese food". The author shares stories of upbringing back to the days when he had some good food, and the recipes he shares are broken down in categories of varying categories. Since I have no other recipes to compare to, I will have to attempt to try out these recipes on my own to see how they fare.

This was a good cookbook for Chinese food, with the author explaining so much about the foods he grew up eating. He also shares how to get the ingredients and tools for the cooking at Chinese markets or online. There are thoroughly explained directions for the recipes, some of which are a bit harder with many steps. The dishes are varied and many familiar. A very informative and enjoyable read. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Chris Cheung, and the publisher.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review, "Damn Good Chinese Food
by Chris Cheung. I really enjoyed the detail and stories that flowed throughout the book. While the recipes do seem more advanced, they are not impossible. I can tell a lot of love and hard work went into making this cookbook which made me enjoy it even more.

part memoir, part cookbook, this well-written book will give you great recipes to make restaurant-quality Chinese food while celebrating the delights and memories of eating food in Chinatown. The recipes are detailed with ingredients grouped into sections such as brine or sauce, and with detailed step-by-step instructions.

The cook book has a very detailed introduction to the art of Chinese cooking as well as a detailed background around the recipes. There is a lot of detailed information regarding the cooking process, equipment needed and where to source your ingredients.
Each recipe is quite detailed with a lot of ingredients that some might find hard to source, although still very authentic. The pictures for step by step dumpling making are quite good, although the overall presentation of this book Is a little underwhelming. I do like eye capturing photos in my cookbooks which are not featured in this particular book. The overall presentation of this book is quite underwhelming and does not catch the eye, it is rather plain and does not capture interest.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars, Authentic recipes

Damn Good Chinese Food
by Chris Cheung

This is a nice book, that gives a color photo of each recipe. Many of them looked delicious. I, personally don't care for the name of the book, could have been something more like "Superb Chinese Food," but that's just me.

I received a complimentary copy of #damngoodchinesefood from #netgalley #skyhorse @skyhorse I was under no obligation to post a review.

Chef Chris Cheung takes us on a journey through his childhood, sharing the flavors not only from his family's kitchens but from the many favorite places he frequented growing up in New York City's Chinatown. The recipes are well-written and seem pretty straight-forward, ranging from simpler fare to more elaborate dishes. The dumpling chapter is a must-have for me, I've always wanted to make these and now I have no excuse for not having good instructions! I'm looking forward to getting a physical copy when published!

All the classic Chinese restaurant dishes, the most popular ones, are here. This is not an easy cookbook, and some of the recipes are very time consuming, but it gives you the real steps and the actual techniques you will need to get those tastes that you love - from the BBQ duck to the soup dumpling and egg rolls.
While I wasn't wowed by any of the recipes, all felt much too familiar, I was impressed by the detailed explanations, not only of what you have to do, but why you do it. This allows you to bring Chinese tastes and method into all of your other dishes which is a rather nice thing.
The tone was very casual, kind of like a friend who wants to show you that area he grew up in and is taking you under his wing, and makes for a pleasant read.
None of the photos will blow you over, but you are getting very good staples here and if you don't have a Chinese cookbook that is a good one to get if you are not specific about a region and want to make what you get in restaurants.

I like this book! Its complete and the stories are fascinating. The recipes aren’t that simple to me but that’s ok. I want to keep this book with me always! It’s one Chinese cookbook I’ll want to keep.

I also like the note at the end about the Chef’s call to stop Asian hate. Most wouldn’t put that there.

Thank you Skyhorse Publishing and NetGalley for this arc! Can’t wait to try out the recipes.