I. LOVE. THIS. SERIES.

Cozy restaurant slice of live vibes. Emily does an excellent narration always. Sprinkle of magic, sprinkle of customer chaos. I eat this up every time. LOVE.

I like audiobooks that keep me either engrossed or relaxed when I'm driving. This was so soothing that it couldn't even hold my attention. I like cooking and hearing/reading descriptions of cooking but this failed to interest me. Maybe it was me this time, but I'm going to move on to something that is interesting enough to focus on.

This was a good book I enjoyed the .magic and all the food creations the audio book was a fun experience

This is a cozy supernatural eatery novella series that either works for you or it doesn't. It's a very slice of life story and arguably not a lot happens. However, if you're into being a fly on the wall of a hidden eatery run and frequented by immortal and supernatural beings, in a very otherwise mundane Toronto, with lingering descriptions of the menu for the day and musings on the state of humanity and the times, spend an evening at Mo Meng's. At this point in the series, it's much like visiting old friends and new flavors, and just the cozy escape you crave. This one feels the most well-paced and controlled so far despite all the different POVs. That said, my lingering quibble is how oblique everyone's specific flavor of supernatural identity is in this. Feels intentional and coy, but hey, it's still overall, quite literally, a vibe.

I am obsessed with this novella series. Before receiving this audio ARC, I hadn't heard of Tao Wong, but Thaumaturgic Tapas was an engrossing and calming slice of life cozy fantasy. I loved the depth in which we explore the foods and patrons of the nameless restaurant.

Beyond the actual story, this narration was literally perfect. The narrators smooth and determined voice made this one of the most calming audiobook experiences I've ever had!

This third book in the mouthwateringly delicious Hidden Dishes series (after The Nameless Restaurant and Chaotic Aperitifs) was supposed to be titled Sorcerous Plates. Magical chef Mo Meng’s ‘plates’ absolutely are not sorcerous – no matter what each book might be called – but the dishes he serves on those mundane plates are definitely magically delicious. And all without the use of any charms, lucky or otherwise, in his cooking process.

Not that he isn’t using a bit more magic in his cooking than he promised himself he would in the early days of his Nameless Restaurant. When the series began, Mo Meng served a small and self-selecting clientele of mostly supernatural diners – or at least those in the know about the supernatural world.

Until a chaotic visit from a newly awakened jinn changed all that which is the story in The Nameless Restaurant, and now Mo Meng and his human jill-of-all-trades-except-cooking, Kelly, have way more diners than they can handle or the tiny restaurant can actually hold.

Bowing to the necessity that either Kelly or himself – and someday both – need help before they are run literally off their feet, he has placed magical ‘Help Wanted’ signs around Toronto’s magical district. Those signs bear strange fruit in the person of a young demon looking to get out from under his infamous sire’s very large and possibly downright sulfurous thumb.

As long as Damian doesn’t set either the restaurant or its patrons on fire – literally – his help is very much needed as part of this evening’s crew at the restaurant, as Mo Meng has chosen to challenge himself by creating a menu consisting entirely of ‘leftovers’.

Which leads to a lot of small plates attempting to fill some supernaturally large appetites, some upset mundanes who don’t like the lack of a fixed menu, a reservation system, a waiting list and especially the lack of electronic outlets for their ever-present gadgets.

But the real story at the Nameless Restaurant is all about the creation of this quirky community of ultimate insiders, along with the inside joke of a vampire lawyer negotiating a contract between a very young demon and a very old witch, while a pair of government agents look on trying to determine whether it is, or is not, their circus and whether they should or are even capable of doing anything about this particular bit of magical ‘monkey business’.

It’s all in a day’s, or an evening’s, work at the Nameless Restaurant, a truly magical place to spend an evening. If only there were a way to magically pull the meals Mo Meng prepares out of the book and onto one’s own table!

Escape Rating A-: First, this series needs a trigger warning – but not the usual kind. Because reading and/or listening to Mo Meng’s meditations on cooking as well as his descriptions of the ingredients he’s using and the meal he’s preparing are guaranteed to make anyone hungry. This warning particularly applies to listening in the car on the way to the grocery store!

Howsomever, Mo Meng’s thoughts and observations about his long life and experience as a chef, as well as his meditations about available ingredients and exactly how he plans to use them in that night’s recipes are very, well, meditative. In the voice of the narrator of the series, Emily Woo Zeller, I could have listened to Mo Meng for hours – which I did.

Having listened to the first book, The Nameless Restaurant, and this latest, Thaumaturgic Tapas, while having read the second, Chaotic Aperitifs, I would personally recommend that if you enjoy audiobooks at all you get this series in audio if you can. It’s still very good as a book, but the audio adds something special, at least IMHO.

The format of each entry in the series so far is that of a ‘day in the life’ of Mo Meng and his restaurant. He begins the day deciding what he’ll serve that night, shopping for ingredients, and often having a conversation with his front-of-house manager (and jill of all trades), Kelly, about how things are going.

This entry in the series begins with both of them admitting out loud, for each other if not for themselves, that they are being run off their feet and that something has got to give. In this case, what gives is his wish to not add another employee. Mo Meng is immortal and he can use magic to help himself in the kitchen – although he’d rather not. But Kelly is mortal and she can only run but so fast in a tiny restaurant filled with tables.

So change has come, and Damian the young demon sweeps in with it, lowering himself to starting at the bottom – as a mere busboy – even as he battles the pride that seems to be one of his besetting – or perhaps inherited – sins.

Most of the story, however, is taken up with the bustling hours of the evening, when the restaurant is open and filled with customers – as well as with customers’ impatience and egos. But the mundane customers who chafe at the restrictions are mostly there to add a bit of heat and spice to the recipe.

What makes the story are the regular customers, who are not so regular at all. They offer a glimpse into the supernatural community, as well as the continuity of their continuing stories. Also, in this particular case, a bit of ballast, as long-time frenemies, Jotun and Tobias, a frost giant and a dwarf, have an eating contest that leaves them both groaning from over-excess.

That the two ‘creatures’ manage to leave their bill in the hands of the government agents set to watch them adds just the right – and light – note to this charming third entry in this delicious cozy fantasy series.

If you are waiting for the next books in either the Legends & Lattes series or The Kamogawa Food Detectives series, these Hidden Dishes will fill the empty spot while you’re waiting.

Speaking of waiting, it turns out those Sorcerous Plates might be magical after all – or at least in possession of a time travel charm. The next book in the Hidden Dishes series is, once again, Sorcerous Plates.

This is another lovely entry in the nameless restaurant series, and now that people know about it, problems begin to arise.

Mo Meng, who runs the whimsical establishment that caters to fantastical beings, has his rules and traditions and must now deal with an influx of customers as well as a new busboy.

I love these novellas, they offer a brief but vivid respite from longer books while still creating a fully fleshed world and characters.

I love this series so much! "Thaumaturgic Tapas" by Tao Wong is a great continuation of the series! This series is the one that got me into cozy fantasy.

Thaumaturgic Tapas is the third book in the Hidden Dishes novella series. One thing is for sure: this book makes me hungry! I truly love the food descriptions. I genuinely enjoy this series; it has a slice of life feel, and I liked revisiting the characters from previous novellas and getting a glimpse into their lives for a few pages. There was also a building tension in the background, and I can't wait to read more about that too. As for the audiobook, I really love Emily Woo Zeller's narration; she definitely brings these characters to life very well. I really liked this series and I hope to read more in the future. Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another enjoyable day in the life of The Nameless Restaurant. If you enjoy cozy, slice of life fantasy and like food, this series is for you.

We follow Mo Meng and his waitress Kelly as they decide they need more help. Enter Damien. After Mo preps the dishes for the day and Kelly shows Damien around, it's time for customers. The regulars continue to be a fun bunch. Magic creatures bickering, what's not to like? The food all sounds delicious. Also a quick, short read.

I enjoyed the narration as well. She toned down the voices from the last one and it's a huge improvement

The narration adds more personality to the restaurant and characters. This book is well written and is an interesting blend of characterisation and culinary knowledge.

I read this book first as it was my first encounter with the series. I immediately had to go and find the first 2 books! It is so light-hearted, cozy, and I love that the setting is contained to the restaurant. This (and the previous books in the series) are the perfect size for a long car ride or an afternoon of cleaning. The low stakes element was beautiful as well - you felt some of the tension in the book but it was at a level where you felt invested in the characters but it wasn't heavy hitting.

This is such a magical (literally and figuratively) series! I love the blending of cookery and politics in the magical/mundane worlds. The characters are such a wonderful mixture of personalities and mythologies, and the ongoing storylines are as engaging as the daily meals presented in the books. I really liked the introduction of Damian to the storyline and am curious to see where things go with him. The political situation appears to be building in tension also, which makes for a nicely anticipatory element.

The narration is really excellent and definitely adds to my enjoyment of the series. I have not tried reading any of the books so far, only listening, and I've not felt like I was missing out on any details (which is often the case when I listen compared to read).

Delightful novella set during one night at a magical restaurant. The chef makes different, creative dishes and no night is the same. But tonight is tapas using leftovers from previous creations. We get descriptions of cooking the food and the tastes, which sound amazing. But there are also political and magical machinations happening among the dinner guests. And the new busboy seems to have a mysterious past. Fun cozy fantasy and a quick read! The audio narration is done well. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.