Tastes Like Seeing God

by Nina Michiko Tam

The 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 angry 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 handwriting listing 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.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

304 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication February 2, 2027

About the author

Nina Michiko Tam is a Japanese- and Chinese-American writer who was born and raised on the island of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i. Tastes Like Seeing God, her debut novel, is forthcoming from Viking/Pamela Dorman Books in 2027. Nina graduated from Yale Law School in 2022 and now works as a civil rights lawyer in Houston, Texas.

Reviews

[Nina Michiko Tam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got the idea for this novel over dinner: I was cooking in my tiny studio in the middle of the pandemic. It was snowy and dark, and I was going through a tough time: I’d just lost my grandmother, and I’d left the church I’d been raised in. Making dinner was the best part of my day. I was stir-frying Chinese tomato-egg––my favorite––and the title popped into my head. Immediately, I knew that this was a story about food, belief, love, and loss.

In this book, you’ll meet Jessie Wong, who sets off around the world to learn more about her late brother, an accomplished chef. On the way, she develops a new understanding of faith. I took a similar journey, and it’s been moving for me to explore deep questions like where we find God in times of grief.

But I also wanted to take readers on a fun adventure through the culinary world. I worked with Michelin chefs on the dishes and details and tried to pay tribute to the line cooks, bartenders, servers, and dishwashers who form the heart of the industry. Above all, I wanted to write about how wide the world can be, and how food has the power to transport us. I hope this book makes you laugh, makes you cry, and makes you call your family.

Thank you so much for reading. It’s a gift to share it with you.

[bunnyrat3000 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Leanne Hale · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"She finds that she is weeping. She tilts her face up the stars that peer through the restaurant's windows, and she closes her eyes and takes another sip. I see, she says, and the words ring in her head like a bell. I see. I see."

As someone who loves books about grief AND is a foodie, this book seemed tailor made for me, and I was not disappointed. This book opens following the funeral of Jessie's brother Tommy, who was 10 years older than her and something of a mystery. The "black sheep" of his family, who felt as though he was never supported or accepted, he left home young, living all over the world working as a chef in restaurants of renown. At the reception in her home following the service, Jessie is given a list from one of Tommy's close friends that contains the names of dishes he referred to as "tastes like seeing God". In the hopes that finding and eating these dishes will help her get to know the brother she has lost, Jessie empties her savings and boards a plane, taking her to kitchens from NYC to Senegal.

While at times this book could read a bit YA, I thought it was just lovely. Jessie is not only grieving her brother, but the missed time with him and the relationship they did not have due to distance and age difference. Jessie is also angry at and resentful of her parents, particularly her mother, whose rigid beliefs and demands regarding her Christian faith she believes were a huge part of driving Tommy away. What Tam does so beautifully here is to fully examine all of the emotions that arise when people are grieving: deep sadness, anger, guilt, disappointment, regret and confusion. She also acknowledges the tendency to make saints of those we have lost, which sadly keeps us from truly knowing them and also from dealing with grief and memories in a healthy way. It's also a nuanced look at what faith means to people, and grants so much grace to all of the characters. Tam really gives Jessie the chance to get to know all of the people in Tommy's life, including her parents, beyond surface level and initial impressions.

This is Tam's debut, and I will be very eager to see what she does next.

[Denton Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Come February 2027, this book will be my whole personality.

[Anabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Jessie’s world has been completely shattered by her older brother’s death. And while the two weren’t close– he was pushed away by (or maybe he pushed away) their parents after he dared to follow a path not deemed appropriate by them. Living as a chef, Tommy discovered a world outside their small hometown in Oregon and no longer fit neatly into their parent’s expectations.

So when she’s given a list at his funeral by a former coworker and friend, Jessie is suddenly seized with the desire to find out exactly what tasted like God to her brother– and what it meant to him to experience something so holy.

Given incredible opportunities and filled with the righteousness of a teenager in the right, Jessie embarks on a worldwide tour of the various cities her brother once lived, the places he called home outside the constraints of their family. What she finds is a trail of people who loved Tommy and knew him maybe even better than her– dreams that were never realized, relationships fractured, and only memories tying her to her beloved older brother.

I’m not sure what I was hoping to get from TASTES LIKE GOD, but the actual book both wasn’t what I expected and exceeded all expectations. This story is about an eighteen year old’s struggle with grief and self-actualization, but it’s also a character analysis of Tommy and the supporting cast in his life. It was such a fascinating experience to have the main character (the ACTUAL main character) not be a part of the plot at all, but have their story told through the actions, stories, and memories of other people.

[Kait · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

Thank you to Viking Penguin for an advanced copy of Tastes Like Seeing God

Where do I even start? This story was truly captivating and incredible, especially so because I don’t typically read general fiction as my go-to genre, so the fact that this book had me so enthralled was especially fantastic.

I’m not going to lie, I did struggle to get hooked in the beginning. The narration felt very different than what I’m used to, like there was a certain air about it that inflicted emotions and brought them bubbling up toward the surface for me. This kind of narration is one that I rarely find in a book (not 3rd person POV, but the way it makes me feel) and honestly struggle with. I find it amazing to be able to draw up my emotions so quickly, but the downside is that it is actually quite tiring to me physically. Feeling emotions like that while trying to read and comprehend a book makes it very difficult for me to keep reading!

I was able to push through the intensity of the narration because the premise was that interesting to me. Initially, the title pulled me in. I’m not necessarily as religious as I once was, but I was curious, and after reading the premise, I was very intrigued. Death is a difficult thing for so many people to experience and even try to cope with, and I loved the idea of a girl trying to follow her late brother’s experiences by tasting dishes that he so adored. Not only that, but struggling with her own familial relationships and stepping into who she wants to be in the absence of the brother she was always longing for another piece of.

Cooking and food really is a way of connecting with people and sharing a bit of yourself or tasting someone else. I personally love to dabble in the kitchen (I am by no means a chef) and so it was a warm feeling to read about Jessie discovering not just the world at her fingertips, but the flavors her brother unknowingly left in his wake for her to find and connect with him. I love cooking for my friends and family, and I can only hope they experience that connection to me the way Jessie found for her brother.

I found myself clutching at my heart one too many times, and was disappointed to find myself at the end of the book, yearning for just one more page.

This review will be available on NetGalley, Goodreads, StoryGraph, and Instagram.
Upon release, this review will be available through Barnes and Noble.
A video review of this will be available on YouTube by Kait’s Culture one month following the release.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from NetGalley of Tastes Like Seeing God by Nina Michiko Tam, and this is my honest review.

After her brother, an aspiring chef, dies tragically, Jess decides to follow the list of foods he had compiled; foods that “taste like God”. What begins as a search for the foods he loved becomes something much more meaningful, as Jess attempts to “visit his life” and understand the brother she has lost.

This book was surprisingly moving. By meeting his friends and former employers, tasting the food he loved, and spending time with the people who knew and loved him, Jess gradually feels that she is getting closer to her brother. Her grief is portrayed very honestly, and I appreciated how the book explores the complications of grief and the very different ways people experience and process loss.

I was consistently engaged throughout and thought the pacing was good. I also really enjoyed the way the story moves between different countries, following Jess on her journey both geographically and emotionally. I cared about the characters and found myself rooting for Jess as she tried to make sense of her loss.

One of the things I particularly appreciated was the emphasis on kindness. Small acts of kindness and human connection become an important part of Jess’s journey, and this added another layer to the story.

The ending was powerful and emotional, and I thought it brought the book together beautifully. This was a story that resonated with me. I also appreciated the book club questions and the culinary biography included at the end — both were great additions. A moving story about grief, love, food, memory, and the ways we try to remain connected to those we have lost.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful novel. 17 year old Jessie Wong's brother, who is ten years older than her, dies in an accident in New York city. He was a passionate chef. Jessie is crushed and angry at her parents who seem so unemotional about it all. Her parents are very Christian and Tommy, her brother, left home a long time ago and rarely came back. Jessie blames them and is angry at Tommy for seeming to forget about her. When she finds a list he wrote of "Five Meals that Taste Like Seeing God," she decides to take off and find those five meals.

This is the first time Jessie has left home by herself, much less traveling and NOT talking to her parents at all about it. Her quest to find out what she can about Tommy and these meals takes her to NYC and Paris and Germany and Senegal, while her parents are beside themselves with worry.

Jessie is learning that things are not black and white and neither are people. Tommy wasn't and her parents are not either. I loved the travel and the food and the descriptions of it and the entire concept. I have had food like that and it is worth the travel to find it. Jessie so badly wants her brother back and this is her quest to get to know him. I laughed reading this book and I cried. I enjoyed every word of this story.

I would like to thank Viking/Pamela Dorman Books and NeGalley for this ARC. It was such a treat.

[Patti Bath · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous exploration of love, grief, and the power of a good meal.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big thanks to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the ARC of this debut novel! One of my favorite book podcasts raved about this book and I was so excited when I was approved to read it early. This is a beautiful debut; a coming of age novel exploring grief, self discovery and the ability to forge your own path. Jessie's journey across continents to taste the food that her late chef brother described as "tastes like seeing God" was beautiful and I loved reading more on my own about each dish that was described. At times I found Jessie pretty insutterable, but I feel that might have been the point as she is 18 years old and experiencing tragedy and the entire upheaval of the world as she knows it. Overall I loved the descriptions of the locations during Jessie's travels and the way each character helped her understand her brother better. I also really loved the way it wrapped up and came together at the end. I will recommend it to my fellow readers!

[Jessica Hali · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley for the e-arc. i thought the author wrote the best descriptions of food and drink that i’ve read in quite awhile. i also love that it took jessie throughout europe and then senegal so she could experience the vast differences of food, people and their cultures.

i never liked how jessie acted like a spoiled brat to her parents that were probably just terrified and wanted some answers. she didn’t have to be so cruel. i also didn’t understand how she thinks she’ll just go back to normal and go back to school as if she didn’t miss weeks of senior year.

above all, i wish there was maybe a epilogue of what she had wrote while away and maybe that could have been her college essay or something like that.

[KDRBCK]

I read the blurb and was intrigued. Debut author Nina Michiko Tam and her book Tastes Like Seeing God is one of my very few re-read books this year.
I fell in love with the beautiful writing, the heartwrenchingly story and the coming-of-age characters.
A fantastic story, a fantastic debut, all the stars.

[B K178 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Food has always extended beyond mere sustenance, serving as a symbol of memory, grief, love, identity, and connection. *Tastes Like Seeing God* reflects this depth through a heartfelt coming-of-age story about a woman's journey through loss, family bonds, and the meals that help her reconnect with her brother and herself.

Similar to *Crying in H Mart*, *Slow Noodles*, and *Family Meal*, this novel takes readers on a culinary and familial voyage. The food is vividly described—surely making me hungry—and becomes the medium through which Jessie processes her grief, reconnects with her Chinese heritage, and envisions a future beyond her past constraints.

I especially valued how the book skillfully balances emotional depth with moments of warmth, humor, and wonder. The international settings and memorable meals expand the story's scope, but its core remains about family—both the one we're born into and the one we choose through those who nourish and love us.

If you favor literary fiction where food plays a central role and themes of travel, identity, and healing are woven in, this book is a valuable addition to your list. It's a heartfelt, fulfilling read that resonates long after the last page. Thanks to Viking Penguin and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Stephanie Peterman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Tastes Like Seeing God is a heartwarming story about a sister's global quest to posthumously get to know her older brother and his passion for cooking the perfect meal. i've read some truly fantastic books written by/for/about foodies, so for me, this story felt like well-worn territory. Jessie's coming-of-age journey to process her grief by traveling to places her brother Tommy had lived and worked to try all the dishes on his list of favorites was an entertaining premise, albeit elementary. i think it would've been really interesting to see her travels come full-circle at the end, culminating with her family opening Tommy's restaurant in his honor with Maurice as the head chef and a menu that features every dish on his list.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Ryan Brandenburg · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

The book’s premise felt compelling. Jessie, a high school student, is mourning the abrupt death of her brother, Tommy. He was a chef who traveled the world working in renowned restaurants.

After his death, a friend visits Jessie and shares a list of dishes Tommy labeled “Tastes Like Seeing God.” This prompts Jessie to visit each place, meet the friends Tommy encountered and sample the food.

Nina Michiko Tan’s writing style is strong, yet I never felt fully engaged with the characters—especially Jessie. The family dynamics offer interest, but some elements felt far fetched and dull.

Overall, I liked this book okay, but I doubt I’ll remember much about it a few weeks from now.

Thank you to Pamela Dorman Books for the advanced copy. The novel releases on February 2, 2027.

[Sarah Maldonado · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Kate · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

Review of an advanced copy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the E-ARC of Tastes Like Seeing God. I love a foodie book, a family book, and a grief book so I was really hoping to sink into this one!!

Unfortunately, it just didn’t click for me. The writing fell flat, and the plot felt very formulaic in that “ Jessie went here and did this and learned this. Then Jessie went there and did that and learned that.”

I felt very detached from it all. I caught glimpses of the truest voice when diving deeper into the grief of Tommy, and felt he was the most vibrant character of them all, despite not being a present character.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Charlie said she looked like her brother. In this dark bathroom, she sees only herself.”

What beautiful narrative! On its surface this novel is a coming of age story with more than hint of grief. It really takes you back to that age when the world seems so large and rich and full. When you’re in the exciting and terrifying process of figuring out who you’re going to be and just what that means. But in addition to all of this, with an exciting episodic journey through the world (and food!), it also touches on much deeper questions of meaning. Chiefly, the meaning we can choose to find in life and what we choose to worship. At times the novel feels like a prayer where we catch a glimpse of a possible answer. Grief and love are intimately intertwined and the journey we take is the journey of growing up.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marvelous, adventure discovering family, food and God in a heartbreaking yet heartwarming journey. The story is sharply written with wonderful prose that makes you want to hug your loved ones and never let them go.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

A profound journey of grief, yearning, and self-discovery, with locations and culinary culture so vibrant you will swear the author must have experienced each and every one of them herself. A stunning debut!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Food, travel, spirituality, found family, and grief. While the teenage angst was a bit heavy handed for me at times, I really enjoyed this book. Chef’s kiss ending & excellent book!