Anyone looking for some new Asian inspired dishes will want to pick up The Vibrant Hong Kong Table: 88 Iconic Vegan Recipes from Dim Sum to Late-Night Snacks by Christing Wong.

The cookbook has the obligatory chapters and information on ingredients, tools needed, cooking techniques, and tips to help make the dishes successful. There are also some basic recipes such as homemade tofu, cooking stock, and basic sauces. There is even a blurb on dining etiquette,

The recipes are all vegan, which is disappointing to a carnivore, but there are tempting recipes for pastries, snacks, and desserts that are mouthwatering. The author substitutes tofu for eggs, and those of us who aren’t vegan, can just use eggs instead. There are dozens of recipes that everyone can enjoy. The recipes are written in the traditional manner with the ingredients listed first, followed by step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow and insure that both beginning and advanced cooks can make the recipes successfully. There are also notes from the author at the beginning of each recipe.

Most of the recipes include beautiful, professional photographs which make the dishes especially tempting. There are beautiful stir-fries and curries, as well as soups and appetizers. The cookbook is well-written and there is something for everyone here.

All told, this is an excellent cookbook for vegans and vegetarians; carnivores will like it too.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

While not a lot of recipes spoke to me personally, the cookbook was still excellent! I loved the colors, the photos, and the recipes were very articulate.

While I personally won't be trying any of these recipes, I'm very excited to recommend it to other people!

Vibrant is the most perfect word to describe this book for sure! I loved this book. Asian food is not in my wheel house so this book really gave me some wonderful recipes to try.

Christiine Wong's cookbook, The Vibrant Hong Kong Table, is a feast for the eyes and a wealth of information for the curious arm-chair traveler. The author recognizes important dishes from her childhood but has given them a vegan interpretation. I enjoyed the memories, photos, and colorful dishes highlighted in the book.

There are 88 recipes which can be served at various times of the day. Some may find the recipes a bit challenging, and possibly some of the ingredients may be harder to source, but there is certainly plenty to explore and enjoy.here. Those famliar with Hong Kong cooking may find it interesting to see their favorite dishes interpreted without meat.

Tasty tidbits...

I really liked this book. I tried several of the recipes. The egg tart, a classic, favorite dessert, that I can highly recommend. It was easy, too. I tried the sweet and sour cauliflower (liked it!) and the mooncakes (tasty).
Highly recommend for lovely stories and photos.

This was a very interesting cookbook.I like how the author talked about different foods. This was a vegetarian cookbook, but there was a lot of history behind it.And how some of the recipes were meat recipes but they were switched over to like tofu. I liked the history part of it too.Because I learned a lot especially about M I s o. How each chapter had explaining to do with the food and the history behind it. Very important book

I was excited to explore The Vibrant Hong Kong Table by Christine Wong. This beautiful cookbook offers a fresh perspective on vegan cooking, reimagining classic Hong Kong dishes with a plant-based twist.

I was particularly impressed by the variety of recipes included in the book, from breakfast and dim sum to family-style dinners and late-night snacks. Each dish is thoughtfully crafted to capture the essence of traditional Hong Kong cuisine while offering a healthier, more sustainable option.

The book is also beautifully illustrated, with stunning photography that brings each dish to life. I enjoyed reading about the cultural significance of many of these dishes and learning about the techniques used to create them.

While some of the ingredients may be unfamiliar to Western cooks, the recipes are generally easy to follow. The book also includes a helpful glossary of terms and techniques.

Overall, I highly recommend The Vibrant Hong Kong Table to anyone interested in exploring the delicious and diverse world of Hong Kong cuisine. It's a beautiful and informative cookbook that offers a fresh perspective on vegan cooking.

Beautiful book and wonderful vegan recipes. This book highlights the wonderful vegetable dishes of Hong Kong in such a delightful way.

If you love Asian food, especially East Asian food, I highly recommend this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Chronicle Books & Christine Wong for allowing me to have an ARC of this amazing cookbook!

The Vibrant Hong Kong Table is a gorgeously presented vegan cookbook with recipes developed and curated by Christine Wong. Due out 10th Sept 2024 from Chronicle Books, it's 288 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

Iconic Hong Kong dishes are rightfully world renowned for their color, presentation, and unforgettable deliciousness. There's nothing pretentious and everything about hospitality, delicious complex flavor profiles, and camaraderie. The author has taken the assignment seriously: beloved dishes translated into vegan versions whilst maintaining the same appeal and flavor profiles as the non-vegan originals.

The recipes are arranged thematically: introduction & pantry/supplies lists, breakfast & dim sum, cha chaan teng & lunch, dinners festival foods & dai pai dongs, and finally snacks sweets & siu yeh. Recipes include a description, yields, and name in Pinyin, English, and Chinese characters. Ingredients are provided in bullet lists, with measurements in both imperial (American) and metric units (yay!). Many ingredients will require a trip to a very well stocked grocery store, or (more likely) an international food store or market. The author has included helpful resource lists in the appendices for sourcing some ingredients. The step by step prep and cooking instructions are easy to understand and follow.

Each recipe is accompanied by a clear color photograph. Serving suggestions are appetizing and appropriate and the food is well (professionally) styled. There are dishes which would be great for both casual family meals as well as more formal gatherings.

Five stars. There are partial and ingredient recipes such as mushroom powder and twists on DIY tofu that are likely worth the price of the book by themselves. Additionally, the appendices, bibliography, resource lists, and sample menus are -very- useful.This would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home use, and gift giving.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

What a stellar book with 88 delicious vegan recipes of classic dishes from Hong Kong. Gorgeous illustrations and photos capture the scrumptious food and bustling city, while the beautifully written stories reveal Hong Kong's cultural customs and traditions. A delight!

A neat visual guide to the foods of Hong Kong, but reimagined as vegan dishes! I really enjoyed all of the content and recipes. Though I didn't personally love the photography style, but it was a fun book to peruse and I will have to try some of these recipes! This would make an excellent gift for a vegan chef or someone looking to expand their repertoire.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

As someone who has traveled to Hong Kong on more than one occasion for the sole purpose of eating as much as I can I was excited to see what this cook book could offer. I found so much more than I was expecting! Along with some staple food items that I’ve built into my rotation I loved that the book gave background on many of the foods and provided cooking techniques as well. Overall a great cookbook but also educational beyond just the recipes.

I received this as an Advanced Reading Copy from NetGalley.

This book was so wonderfully nostalgic. I loved the photos and accompanying personal stories from the author's experience. There is a great section in the book introducing traditional ingredients and techniques. My favorite parts of the book were actually the history lessons that provided around the recipes' significance and place in the cultural landscape. While I'm not a vegan, I would buy this book for the stories alone. It's a great cookbook with an intimate narrative voice. I really enjoyed it and would buy this book for my own collection. I may substitute a few ingredients with meat but I'm sure I'd also enjoy the vegan dishes as they are described.

I enjoyed this book. I wasn't completely sold on a few substitutions (like the "spam" for Hong Kong noodle soup), but this would be a good book for a vegan expanding their repertoire into regional asian cuisine. I also thought the many recipes for homemade tofu were useful. It's a well thought out, well-researched book that pays respect to the current science and Hong Kong history.

This is a beautiful book with recipes that are new to me. Chickpea tofu is a revelation. There are beautiful photos, very dramatic. You almost want to lick the page, but you will most certainly want to try and recreate these recipes.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy. This is a beautiful book filled with recipes that I can't wait to try.

A BIG THANK YOU to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the ARC of The Vibrant Hong Kong Table: 88 Iconic Vegan Recipes from Dim Sum to Sweet Buns by Christine Wong.

This collection of recipes is a culinary journey that reimagines the iconic flavors of Hong Kong through a vibrant plant-based lens. With a deep personal connection to the city's rich food culture, Wong successfully captures the essence of traditional dishes while adapting them to a vegan lifestyle, making this book a fusion of heritage and innovation. Each recipe is thoughtfully crafted to honor the original while providing a fresh, health-conscious twist that will appeal to both vegans and non-vegans alike.

Christine Wong's storytelling is as captivating as her recipes, drawing readers into her childhood memories of family gatherings and festive feasts in Hong Kong. The book is structured to guide you through a typical day of eating in the city, from the morning delights of Sampan Congee and "Egg" Tarts to the comforting family-style dinners of Sweet & Sour Cauliflower and Snow Skin Mooncakes. The inclusion of "Hong Kong Highlights" and Mama Wong’s tips throughout the book adds a rich cultural layer, making it not just a cookbook but a heartfelt homage to Hong Kong’s culinary and societal traditions.

Visually, The Vibrant Hong Kong Table is a feast for the eyes, with stunning photography that brings each dish to life. The imagery, combined with Wong's clear and easy-to-follow instructions, makes the recipes accessible even for those new to vegan cooking. This book is more than just a collection of recipes, it’s an invitation to explore the vibrant and diverse world of Hong Kong cuisine in a new, plant-based way. Whether you're looking to recreate childhood favorites or discover new vegan dishes, Christine Wong's celebration of Hong Kong's food is sure to inspire and delight.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 06 August 2024
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This was a diverse collection of vegan Hong Kong recipes from dim sum and more. The recipes are rooted in tradition but are also unique and creative.

Beautiful cookbook! The photography and graphic design are fantastic, some of the best I've seen. I also really enjoyed the glimpses into Hong Kong's culture and daily life.

The recipes are interesting, and I have mixed feelings about them. On one hand, I think it's great that they're not watered down and overly westernized, but I do think the unusual ingredients (for US readers) and equipment needed makes many of these inaccessible for most people to actually make. This is probably exacerbated by being plant-based/vegan, which can add to the complexity. I did really like the introductions to the recipes--informative and interesting, but not overly long.

I did think the introduction was a bit meandering and long-winded--if there's one area to shore up, I think that'd be it.

An absolutely gorgeous book. The recipes are mouth-watering. I loved the author's story and the recipes they included. I can't wait to make my own tofu. The artistry in the plating was incredible. Wonderful cookbook!