The Secret Menu: Chinese Food in America, and How I Made It

A culinary and philosophical memoir about the secret menus in every aspect of immigrant life, and what it really means to be “Chinese.”

What is the secret menu? Hidden from view but commonly known, it’s the menu that insiders pick from to be assured of a delicious, authentic meal—often in immigrant-run restaurants. But there are secret menus in every aspect of life, cheat codes that promise to help us navigate a new home, or a new life in the best possible way: a promise that, if you just fo...