Adventures in Starry Kitchen: 88 Asian-Inspired Recipes from America's Most Famous Underground Restaurant

Description

The behind-the-scenes story of America's most famous underground restaurant, featuring more than eighty-eight deceptively simple and unbelievably delicious pan-Asian recipes and dozens of luscious full color photos. In 2008, as the American economy cratered, newly unemployed Nguyen Tran and his newly unemployed wife-to-be, Thi, opened an off-the-grid eatery in their small Los Angeles studio apartment. Word of their fabulous food quickly spread, turning their culinary "speakeasy," Starry Kitchen, into an underground sensation-and the #1 Asian fusion restaurant in L.A. on Yelp. Threatened by the city's health inspector, Nguyen and Thi transformed Starry Kitchen into an acclaimed and wildly popular pop-up restaurant in a downtown sushi joint. But their success was only beginning. As their clientele exploded, thanks to raves in the Los Angeles Times, Nguyen and Thi moved to a bigger space of their own in Chinatown, where they helped make the neighborhood the epicenter of L.A.'s burgeoning food scene. Adventures in Starry Kitchen chronicles Starry Kitchen's DIY evolution-"this beautiful accident gone right"-the mayhem, mishaps, misdemeanors, milestones, and amazing meals that have contributed to (and nearly derailed) its success. As they tell their story, the Trans share more than eighty-eight easy-to-follow pan-Asian recipes-mouthwatering and flavorful comfort cuisine, including Claypot Striped Bass, Buttermilk Beer Beignets, Singaporean Chili Crab, Double-Fried Chicken Wings and, of course, Starry Kitchen's trademark Crispy Tofu Balls. Whether you're cooking for two, four, or sixty, Adventures in Starry Kitchen demonstrates you don't have to be a desperately hip (or even trained) chef to master sensational modern food that will amaze and delight.

Nguyen Tran is the megaphone-toting, banana-suit-wearing front man and self-proclaimed chief instigating officer of Starry Kitchen, which he cofounded with his wife, Thi. He grew up in Dallas, Texas, and lives in Los Angeles, where he helps runs Button Mash, his most recent adventure, in Echo Park.

"Everything about Starry Kitchen is unexpected, from their crazy stories to their crazy-delicious food. This book, which serves up both in great big heapings, is sure to hit the spot." -- Brooke Williamson, Bravo's Top Chef Season 14 Winner, and co-owner and co-chef of Hudson House, The Tripel, Playa Provisions, and Da Kikokiko "This dude is crazy and I like that." -- Roy Choi, author of L.A. Son, and co-owner, co-founder, and chef of Kogi BBQ, Chego!, A-Frame, Commissary, POT, and LocoL. "A book for the fans who waited in long lines, snuck into private dining rooms, and have followed [Starry Kitchen] through thick and thin. Starry Kitchen is a story by and for dogged, food-obsessed dreamers. (Plus, it has a recipe for [a] killer chili crab.)" -- Eater