Xi'an Famous Foods: The Cuisine of Western China, from New Yorks Favorite Noodle Shop
By (Author) Jason Wang
Text by Jessica Chou
By (photographer) Jenny Huang
Abrams
Abrams
13th October 2020
13th October 2020
United States
General
Non Fiction
641.595143
Hardback
304
Width 211mm, Height 262mm, Spine 27mm
1180g
Since its humble opening in 2005, Xian Famous Foods has expanded from one stall in Flushing to fourteen locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. Cofounder and CEO Jason Wang divulges the untold story of how this empire came to be alongside the neverbeforepublished recipes that helped create this New York City icon. From heavenly ribbons of liang pi doused in a bright vinegar sauce to flatbread filled with caramelized pork to cumin lamb over handpulled Biang Biang noodles, this cookbook helps home cooks make the dishes that fans of Xian Famous Foods line up for while also exploring the vibrant cuisine and culture of Xian. Transporting readers to the streets of Xian and the kitchens of New Yorks Chinatown, Xian Famous Foods is the cookbook that fans of Xian Famous Foods have been waiting for.
When I moved to New York to open Pok Pok, I ate at Xian Famous Foods probably two or three times a week for months, working my way through the menu of dishes that were unknown to me at that time but came blazing right up my alley. The spicy, herbaceous, meaty flavors and textures of Xi'an cuisine bowled me over; I was hooked. Today, I no longer live in NYC and one of the things I miss the most are XFF Liang Pi Cold Skin Noodles, so when Jason sent me this book I hoped to find the secrets that would allow me to replicate that haunting flavor here in the cold Pacific Northwest . . . and I'm happy to say that Jason has revealed all! -- Andy Ricker * James Beard Awardwinning chef and author of Pok Pok *
Xi'an Famous Foods is one of the few restaurants I always make sure to eat at when I visit NYC. I'm so excited that this cookbook provides a way for me to have their yummy dishes on the West Coast. -- Ali Wong
Xian Famous Foods is one of the most delicious, craveable, and hottest restaurant concepts Ive encountered in my life. There are days Ive had three meals in their restaurants. For any cook or foodie, having access to these recipes is almost unfair. Were all about to level up. -- Richard Blais * winner of Top Chef All-Stars *
No one has done more for the popularization of the flavors of northwest China in the US than Xian Famous Foods. This impressive new cookbook goes far beyond XFFs most recognizable dishes, providing a cultural education through Jasons personal lens. Its distinctly Xian Famous Foods, a blend of Chinese and American sensibilities. -- Serena Dai * editor of Eater NY *
With the publication of chef-restaurateur Jason Wang's cookbook Xi'an Famous Foods: The Cuisine of Western China, from New York's Favorite Noodle Shop, people all over the world can create their own versions of these assertively spiced (but not all that incendiary), soul-warming dishes. And as an added bonus, the book offers something that Wang's restaurants can'tan unflinchingly honest and heart-wrenching account of his family's unlikely path to restaurant success." -- Ed Levine * founder of Serious Eats and author of Serious Eater *
Jason and his family have introduced a generation of New Yorkers to the flavors of his hometown of Xian. I've been thrilled to watch him turn the original shop into a small empire, where my friends now know liang pi, tiger vegetables salad, and Mt. Qi pork with hand-ripped noodles. This book will bring these dishes to broader audiences. The flavors are from Xian, but many of the dishes are inventive new combinationsnative to New York. -- Jennifer 8. Lee * journalist and New York Times bestselling author of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles *
The debut cookbook from the New York City restaurant chain Xian Famous Foods is worth picking up whether or not you have slurped the restaurants hand-pulled noodles. This is a book on how to operate a food business CEO Jason Wang outlines five lessons to know before diving into the business and strips away the glamor of running a restaurant empire. Its also a food history of the flavors of Xian, China. With so many layers to appreciate, Xian Famous Foods is a prime example of what a restaurant cookbook can be. * Eater *
With its vibrant photography and storytelling, this book, written with Jessica K. Chou, is as satisfying to flip through as it is to cook from. * The New York Times *
In this highly anticipated cookbook, Xian Famous Foods CEO Jason Wang reflects on the humble beginnings of his family business, founded in Queens by his father in 2005. But he also introduces readers to his birthplace of Xian the city that inspired the iconic noodle shop's most adored dishes, like biang biang noodles seared in oil with cumin-rubbed lamb. * Travel + Leisure *
This book, written by Xi'an CEO Jason Wang, offers basic cooking skills for noodle-freaks like me who are adept at ordering Western Chinese food but completely inept at cooking it. I'm a devoted customer at the Xi'an noodle shops but never imagined those chewy spiced dishes were easy to make at home. * CNN Travel *
Oftentimes, in cookbooks, the text is secondary to the recipes. But dont skip over the words in Xian Famous Foodsthey serve as a cultural chronicle of both cuisine and the immigrant experience in America. * Vogue *
Jason Wang is the CEO and owner of Xian Famous Foods, which has 14 locations. Wang was named an Eater Young Gun, a Zagat 30 Under 30, a Forbes 30 Under 30, and a Crains 40 Under 40.