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Tastes Like Seeing God: A Novel
Not yet published
Expected 2 Feb 27The Bear meets Real Americans in this coming-of-age story that’ll make you hungry—for food, for life, for forging your own path
In the days following her brother’s death, Jessie Wong is adrift and at Tommy, her rebellious older brother and a world-traveling chef, for dying; at her parents for their silence and rigidity; and at the confines of her conservative Christian Chinese upbringing. Then Jessie finds a list in Tommy’s the five meals that he claimed “taste like seeing God.” Was his phrasing blasphemy, or a nod to some hidden belief? Is it pure chance that the list came to her, or is this fate offering her the chance to know her brother in a new way?
Breaking from her parents for the first time, Jessie decides to take up her brother’s unexpected challenge. With a one-way ticket, she embarks on a whirlwind pilgrimage to taste the five foods on the list. From the gritty bars of New York City to a three-Michelin-starred restaurant on a tiny German island in the North Sea, from the art world of Paris to the markets of Dakar, Jessie meets the people who loved and inspired her brother, getting to know the sibling she lost and the life he’d built. As Jessie begins to realize how much more of the world is out there, perhaps a future she’d never dared to envision for herself is now within her grasp.
Flavored with illegal French delicacies and famed Senegalese dishes, Tastes Like Seeing God explores the transcendent power of food, the transformative nature of grief, and how we can learn to choose a life on our own terms. With emotional truth and surprising humor, Tastes Like Seeing God is a poignant exploration of life’s sorrows and its sublime joys.
In the days following her brother’s death, Jessie Wong is adrift and at Tommy, her rebellious older brother and a world-traveling chef, for dying; at her parents for their silence and rigidity; and at the confines of her conservative Christian Chinese upbringing. Then Jessie finds a list in Tommy’s the five meals that he claimed “taste like seeing God.” Was his phrasing blasphemy, or a nod to some hidden belief? Is it pure chance that the list came to her, or is this fate offering her the chance to know her brother in a new way?
Breaking from her parents for the first time, Jessie decides to take up her brother’s unexpected challenge. With a one-way ticket, she embarks on a whirlwind pilgrimage to taste the five foods on the list. From the gritty bars of New York City to a three-Michelin-starred restaurant on a tiny German island in the North Sea, from the art world of Paris to the markets of Dakar, Jessie meets the people who loved and inspired her brother, getting to know the sibling she lost and the life he’d built. As Jessie begins to realize how much more of the world is out there, perhaps a future she’d never dared to envision for herself is now within her grasp.
Flavored with illegal French delicacies and famed Senegalese dishes, Tastes Like Seeing God explores the transcendent power of food, the transformative nature of grief, and how we can learn to choose a life on our own terms. With emotional truth and surprising humor, Tastes Like Seeing God is a poignant exploration of life’s sorrows and its sublime joys.
304 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication February 2, 2027
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 27, 2026
This novel truly feels like watching your favorite coming of age film.
Its descriptions are so rich, whether it’s about the incredible food on Tommy’s “tastes like seeing god” list or the picturesque scenery of Sylt, Paris or NYC seen through the eyes of a sheltered 18 year old in the shadow of her grief, looking for what remains of the brother she felt she barely knew.
I love what Tam has taken from great food writers like Bourdain and real-life chefs (as mentioned in her culinary bibliography), and intentionally creating the kind of environment we would like to see in the fine dining sphere through her portrayal of Severin. Throughout, I appreciated the subtle nods to Jessie’s sexuality (at least, that’s how it came off to me), and her complex emotions towards her brother & the people he loved.
As we traveled to Senegal with Jessie, I was worried at what ending could possibly fit into such a fantastical story of culinary adventure, and I am so glad it didn’t let me down as has happened with a lot of contemporary books in recent memory…
This is one I could see myself reading again, and recommending to anyone in need of a hopeful read, or anyone who loves to cook and eat :)
Thank you to NetGalley for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review!
Its descriptions are so rich, whether it’s about the incredible food on Tommy’s “tastes like seeing god” list or the picturesque scenery of Sylt, Paris or NYC seen through the eyes of a sheltered 18 year old in the shadow of her grief, looking for what remains of the brother she felt she barely knew.
I love what Tam has taken from great food writers like Bourdain and real-life chefs (as mentioned in her culinary bibliography), and intentionally creating the kind of environment we would like to see in the fine dining sphere through her portrayal of Severin. Throughout, I appreciated the subtle nods to Jessie’s sexuality (at least, that’s how it came off to me), and her complex emotions towards her brother & the people he loved.
As we traveled to Senegal with Jessie, I was worried at what ending could possibly fit into such a fantastical story of culinary adventure, and I am so glad it didn’t let me down as has happened with a lot of contemporary books in recent memory…
This is one I could see myself reading again, and recommending to anyone in need of a hopeful read, or anyone who loves to cook and eat :)
Thank you to NetGalley for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
You know when you’re reading a book and you want to devour it and savor it at the same time because it’s just that good? That book is Tastes Like Seeing God. Jessie is on a mission to try all the foods her recently deceased brother said “tasted like seeing God.” This book is so beautifully written, it submerges the reader into this journey right alongside Jessie.
This book truly shows how food can not only be an amazing experience, but it can bring people (and memories of people) together in a way other things cannot. I have already pre-ordered my copy!
I am so thankful I was given an advance copy by NetGalley and the publisher for my honest opinion.
This book truly shows how food can not only be an amazing experience, but it can bring people (and memories of people) together in a way other things cannot. I have already pre-ordered my copy!
I am so thankful I was given an advance copy by NetGalley and the publisher for my honest opinion.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews