She’s Making Classic Hong Kong Dishes Vegan

Honored to be featured on the acclaimed docuseries food. curated. by NY Emmy-nominated filmmaker, Liza deGuia. The cinematic storytelling highlights my food journey, sharing my nostalgia for Hong Kong, the importance of sustainability, coping with fear, and immersing myself in the Chinatown community… everything that brought The Vibrant Hong Kong Table to life.

What People Are Saying about the Vibrant Hong Kong Table

Wong (The Plantiful Plate), who’s descended from three generations of Hongkongers, offers scrumptious plant-based recipes contextualized with both her family’s stories and a broader historical backdrop. Never preachy and always informative, she has a nimble touch on serious subjects like racism and the impact of meat consumption on the environment. Sweet dishes include Western toast, a pandan-leaf jam sandwich soaked in milk and pan-fried, and peanut candy that dates to 475 BCE. Plant-based substitutions are clever: vegan XO sauce is made with nori and kombu, while jackfruit stands in for brisket in a hearty noodle soup. This is food for sharing: a chapter on breakfast foods and dim sum features taro croquettes and striking steamed black sesame rolls, while dinner ideas include rice cooked in a clay pot so that a crispy layer forms at the bottom. The street food for which Hong Kong is renowned features throughout: fishballs are here made with potatoes, and eggplant and sweet potato are stuffed into pastry packets for curry puffs. Useful tips abound: a recipe for simple stir-fried greens, for example, incorporates meticulous instructions for cleaning the vegetables, and sidebars cover topics such as Hong Kong restaurant etiquette. Wong’s personable and knowledgeable voice makes this thoughtful effort shine. (Sept.)

PUBLISHERS’ WEEKLY

Christine Wong presents an evocative journey to her beloved Hong Kong–a great city, long dear to me–replete with spectacular photography of both Hong Kong itself and an irresistible selection of classic Cantonese dishes from dim sum to Singapore Noodles with a vegan twist. A vibrant celebration in every way! text goes here
This cookbook is gorgeous, gutsy, and delicious. In Hong Kong, all manner of seafood, meat, dairy, and eggs reign, but Christine Wong bravely charts another path to enjoying beloved traditional tastes, while capturing the city’s unique energy and culture. The Vibrant Hong Kong Table is a supremely satisfying journey through iconic dishes for vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike. It's also a stunning visual feast of colors, textures, and a range of Chinese cooking techniques.
I’ve long admired Christine’s work and and it’s safe to say that this book is one of the absolute best and most beautiful cookbooks I’ve seen. Every page transports you directly to the bustling streets of Hong Kong through stories and mouthwatering recipes that are masterfully crafted, beautifully presented, and iconic indeed. The Vibrant Hong Kong Table is so much more than a cookbook, it’s a love letter to a city, a culture, history, and family.
Chefs say you eat with your eyes first, and nothing proves that adage more than this gorgeous cookbook, which brings to life both Hong Kong’s scrumptious cuisine and its vibrant culture. Christine Wong’s brilliance will make you hunger for her nostalgic dishes and her beloved hometown. The Vibrant Hong Kong Table is so much more than a mere collection of recipes: it is also a song of love and longing for a place and a history—a melody that will forever be remembered just as surely as this tome will be treasured and passed down, for generations to come
Fresh, seasonal and exciting, the cuisine of Hong Kong is deliciously multi-faceted. Now, Christine Wong gives it a thoughtful, modern twist with wholesome, plant-based ingredients. This is a fantastic reference for the food historian as well as the conscientious eater.
Christine Wong writes as beautifully as she cooks. Her book, The Vibrant Hong Kong Table recreates Hong Kong’s Cha Chaan Teng menu using ingenious substitutions with plant based ingredients. Christine vividly explains the culture and history behind the dishes and writes beautifully about her life long ties to Hong Kong-creating a deep felt and generous narrative feast. This book makes a reader, a chef or the diner, fall in love with this unique cuisine. Be ready to be in the mood for delightful food and a beautiful read.
The book I’ve been waiting for. Christine has put together a stunning tribute to Hong Kong cuisine rooted in a deep understanding of its culture, with inventive recipes that make the canon finally accessible to all. This is a work of stylistic flair, exuberant flavor, and abundant heart.
Christine's cookbook is a refreshing addition to my collection. Its vibrant colors and enticing recipes are reason enough to purchase the book, while the stunning photographs of Hong Kong help to create an exciting culinary journey making it an absolute joy to read.