House of Nanking

A Best New Cookbook of 2025 from CHOWHOUND * THE STRATEGIST * EATER From a beloved San Francisco culinary landmark, a showstopper cookbook that honors a family legacy and celebrates ingredient-driven, multi-regional Chinese cooking in America The 100-plus recipes in this beautiful book include all the greatest hits from three generations of Fang family cooking from Canton to Shanghai, and readers will learn how to pan-fry, steam, cook in a wok, shop for ingredients, and prep vegetables the Chinese way. With accessible recipes that are adaptable to any type of home kitchen, anyone will be able to make these dishes, wherever they are. Since it opened in 1988, House of Nanking has been a popular spot for countless tourists, honeymooners, celebrities, and everyday San Franciscans who have lined up for their legendary Shanghai and Chinese American dishes. This book marks the first time their recipes have appeared in print and have been adapted for the home kitchen. But it’ll be the stories behind them, which few have heard—of Peter Fang’s ingenuity and his early adventures in the kitchen, how he imported and adapted his favorite Shanghai dishes for America, and Kathy’s experience growing up with parents who bet it all on the restaurant, under the tutelage of all these rich Chinese culinary traditions—that will capture the heart.