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Takeaway: Stories from a Childhood Behind the Counter
An eye-opening memoir revealing the stories behind living in and running a Chinese takeaway.
Growing up in a Chinese takeaway in rural Wales, Angela Hui was made aware at a very young age of just how different she and her family were seen by her local community. From attacks on the shopfront (in other words, their home), to verbal abuse from customers, and confrontations that ended with her dad wielding the meat cleaver; life growing up in a takeaway was far from peaceful.
But alongside the strife, there was also beauty and joy in the rhythm of life in the takeaway and in being surrounded by the food of her home culture. Family dinners before service, research trips to Hong Kong, preparing for the weekend rush with her brothers – the takeaway is a hive of activity before a customer even places their order of ‘egg-friend rice and chop suey’.
Bringing readers along on the journey from Angela’s earliest memories in the takeaway to her family closing the shop after 30 years in business, this is a brilliantly warm and immersive memoir from someone on the other side of the counter.
Growing up in a Chinese takeaway in rural Wales, Angela Hui was made aware at a very young age of just how different she and her family were seen by her local community. From attacks on the shopfront (in other words, their home), to verbal abuse from customers, and confrontations that ended with her dad wielding the meat cleaver; life growing up in a takeaway was far from peaceful.
But alongside the strife, there was also beauty and joy in the rhythm of life in the takeaway and in being surrounded by the food of her home culture. Family dinners before service, research trips to Hong Kong, preparing for the weekend rush with her brothers – the takeaway is a hive of activity before a customer even places their order of ‘egg-friend rice and chop suey’.
Bringing readers along on the journey from Angela’s earliest memories in the takeaway to her family closing the shop after 30 years in business, this is a brilliantly warm and immersive memoir from someone on the other side of the counter.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published July 21, 2022
160 people are currently reading
5203 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 353 reviews
August 16, 2022
I’m sad to give this a low review. I wanted to love it but it was repetitive and not brilliantly written. The insights on hidden (and not so hidden) xenophobia are important and I’m glad to have read this, however it’s just not a great book.
February 4, 2023
Good morning to Angela Hui, and Angela Hui ONLY. This is from someone who also grew up in the family cafe/restaurant: thank you for validating every single thought that's ever gone through my head while on shift, and also portraying the hospitality life (especially the being-colleagues-with-your-family variety!) honestly and vividly.
May 29, 2024
As a Chinese takeaway kid myself who spent over a decade at my parent’s takeaway… yeah… this book hit me hard and I feel like it healed something in me. The trauma from it all and complex relationship that is formed between parent and child as a result of the takeaway is something that should be spoken about more. Thank you for writing this, Angela!
January 18, 2024
I don’t think this was the point she was trying to make, but I’m glad Angela acknowledged the above average emo demographic of Cardiff
August 17, 2022
11 reviews what the heck!!! This was so interesting and emotional and just such a nice peek into a world I don't know much about. Angry dad chef vibes and showing love through food was v relatable for me. Overall heartwarming such a good fast read for me really loved it thank u
March 2, 2023
This has been my read at work when the day is slow book. it became sharing stories for me, to talk to my boss who was raised in the same environment [different UK town] and aided me in understanding much more his idea of being the other in whatever place/country he set foot in.
I also bawled at the ending, there was just such a nice ramp up to how life had worked out. getting older, reconnecting and realising what our mothers did for us. Crying on the megabus as you pull away from whatever you've known till then hit me very hard.
Noted some recipes down, such a nice detail as the inbetween.
I also bawled at the ending, there was just such a nice ramp up to how life had worked out. getting older, reconnecting and realising what our mothers did for us. Crying on the megabus as you pull away from whatever you've known till then hit me very hard.
Noted some recipes down, such a nice detail as the inbetween.
March 1, 2023
Angela Hui’s childhood was not a normal one. In the 1990s, while other kids were playing out or chilling in front of the tv on an evening, Angela, her two brothers and her parents were running their own Chinese takeaway, in a rural part of Wales. This was a very hard working family where all members were expected to pull their weight. Angela’s parents grew up with a very strong Chinese work ethic and expected their children to feel the same. But when your family also become your work colleagues and there is no escape, well let’s just say the kitchen gets very hot and tempers start to fray…
What an interesting and fascinating memoir this was. It was so unique to hear the tales of the Chinese takeaway from the other side, it’s made me realise just how hardworking these businesses are, and all of the obstacles in their way - inflation, competition and racism to name just a few. I loved hearing about Angela’s parents, their experiences of leaving Hong Kong in search of a better life. I also loved hearing about their trips back to Hong Kong and the difficulties Angela faced, feeling that she never quite fully fit in everywhere with her Chinese nationality and western upbringing.
And then there was the food. This is a family where food is the answer to everything. The way Angela’s parents fastidiously prepared family meals each evening, before slaving in the kitchen catering to the masses, was heartwarming and often poignant. With a father who found it difficult to show emotion it was clear that he tried to show his love and support towards his family through the careful preparation of family meals.
Recipes scattered throughout this book result in it being a simply wonderful memoir about Chinese culture, family dynamics and lots and lots of food. I guarantee you’ll be ringing for a takeaway before you’ve finished. Please be polite to the staff if you do, they’re working their backsides off.
What an interesting and fascinating memoir this was. It was so unique to hear the tales of the Chinese takeaway from the other side, it’s made me realise just how hardworking these businesses are, and all of the obstacles in their way - inflation, competition and racism to name just a few. I loved hearing about Angela’s parents, their experiences of leaving Hong Kong in search of a better life. I also loved hearing about their trips back to Hong Kong and the difficulties Angela faced, feeling that she never quite fully fit in everywhere with her Chinese nationality and western upbringing.
And then there was the food. This is a family where food is the answer to everything. The way Angela’s parents fastidiously prepared family meals each evening, before slaving in the kitchen catering to the masses, was heartwarming and often poignant. With a father who found it difficult to show emotion it was clear that he tried to show his love and support towards his family through the careful preparation of family meals.
Recipes scattered throughout this book result in it being a simply wonderful memoir about Chinese culture, family dynamics and lots and lots of food. I guarantee you’ll be ringing for a takeaway before you’ve finished. Please be polite to the staff if you do, they’re working their backsides off.
April 8, 2024
i’ve found that every food-based memoir runs the risk of being thematically repetitive: cooking and memory, culture, family, nostalgia and so on. unfortunately this book didn’t manage to abstain from these tropes. i found the story endearing and interesting, but often the writing seemed somewhat infantile, turning to slightly cringe-inducing metaphors every other paragraph which created a deepness and sentimentality that felt unneeded and cluttered on each page. phrasing seemed haphazard and didn’t really feel like a memoir at times, the more rigid narrative voice didn’t seem particularly mature- more like a teenager’s voice, as other reviews have stated.
though, the heart of the memoir was a nice, quick read, and the acknowledgments at the end were very sweet, as well as the contextual and historical information the book offered. the final portion i warmed up to, and really enjoyed her descriptions of her boyfriend meeting her family.
i really wanted to enjoy this and had high hopes, but it seemed repetitive and overall not particularly well-written. still glad to have read it, and definitely has given more meaning to getting a takeaway🍜
though, the heart of the memoir was a nice, quick read, and the acknowledgments at the end were very sweet, as well as the contextual and historical information the book offered. the final portion i warmed up to, and really enjoyed her descriptions of her boyfriend meeting her family.
i really wanted to enjoy this and had high hopes, but it seemed repetitive and overall not particularly well-written. still glad to have read it, and definitely has given more meaning to getting a takeaway🍜
December 30, 2023
I’m kind of sad to give this 3 stars. I really wanted to like it. The idea of the book is great, interesting insights into someones life so different from mine and the amazing descriptions of food (I really crave Chinese takeaway now)…But I really didn’t vibe with the writing style :(
May 7, 2023
It’s funny how one can take something for granted. Ever since I lived in Malta Chinese takeaways have been an occasional treat (in Canada we’d go to the Chinese restaurants) but it’s just seen as a place where you get food and enjoy it and then it’s another takeaway.
When Angela Hui’s parents moved to Wales, they set up a Takeaway house and it was the focal point of their lives. Angela was brought up in a takeaway and started helping out seriously when she ate. However the takeaway didn’t just serve as a means of income. The takeaway symbolised Angela’s heritage , identity and culture, something she tried to escape from and then accept.
Throughout the book there are descriptions on the importance of food in Chinese culture and although the takeaway variety is one aspect, there’s still a form of communion, with the family working together or shopping for ingredients, as Angela discovers the takeaway was meant for her and her siblings to advance in life and live more comfortably than her parents, thus the takeaway is also a means to fund a future in a new land.
With the positive comes the negative. There are sections about Angela’s gambling, abusive father and his temper tantrums cause her shame. There’s also the racism which is abundant in the Welsh community the takeaway is situated. This ranges from prank phonecalls, destroying the shop to people surprised that Angela has a Welsh accent instead of a Chinese one. Again this adds to her cultural embarrassment.
Takeaway is quite an interesting book. It’s easy just to see a takeaway as just another restaurant but it has more complex meanings and Angela Hui brings them out well. Sometimes her anecdotes are funny, other times quite shocking. It’s well balanced and there’s the bonus of a recipe at the end of each chapter and their importance in Angela’s life.
If anyone is wondering, or cares – I did have Chinese takeaway after reading the book and it did give the meal more significance.
When Angela Hui’s parents moved to Wales, they set up a Takeaway house and it was the focal point of their lives. Angela was brought up in a takeaway and started helping out seriously when she ate. However the takeaway didn’t just serve as a means of income. The takeaway symbolised Angela’s heritage , identity and culture, something she tried to escape from and then accept.
Throughout the book there are descriptions on the importance of food in Chinese culture and although the takeaway variety is one aspect, there’s still a form of communion, with the family working together or shopping for ingredients, as Angela discovers the takeaway was meant for her and her siblings to advance in life and live more comfortably than her parents, thus the takeaway is also a means to fund a future in a new land.
With the positive comes the negative. There are sections about Angela’s gambling, abusive father and his temper tantrums cause her shame. There’s also the racism which is abundant in the Welsh community the takeaway is situated. This ranges from prank phonecalls, destroying the shop to people surprised that Angela has a Welsh accent instead of a Chinese one. Again this adds to her cultural embarrassment.
Takeaway is quite an interesting book. It’s easy just to see a takeaway as just another restaurant but it has more complex meanings and Angela Hui brings them out well. Sometimes her anecdotes are funny, other times quite shocking. It’s well balanced and there’s the bonus of a recipe at the end of each chapter and their importance in Angela’s life.
If anyone is wondering, or cares – I did have Chinese takeaway after reading the book and it did give the meal more significance.
November 9, 2024
Food, family and friction.
A solid memoir here from Angela Hui, who focuses on her time growing up as the daughter of two Chinese takeaway owners in South Wales in the nineties and noughties, and all the trials and tribulations that come with being a minority in an ethnically homogenous area.
I enjoyed getting a window into Hui's culture here, and there were some lightly comic moments, as well as those that were more serious, such as the fact that her father has a very clear behavioural condition of some sort. There's a fair bit of angst here too, which is understandable as a lot of it focuses on her teenage years.
Where it didn't quite work for me at times was that - and I hate to say this - it gets a bit repetitive. Yes we know you stuck out in the village, but this seems to be the climax of several chapters. I'd perhaps loved to have heard more about the childhood of her parents, which is alluded to several times but never explored in great detail - they grew up in a time of great famine in China.
Also her father's aforementioned behaviours - he's very clearly an abusive character, but this kind of gets glossed over and never explicitly confronted? He fully could have gone to jail for some of his actions. The mother is a somewhat tragic figure by the end, never leaving due to expectations of the greater Chinese community.
There's a great focus on food as a uniting force in this memoir too - giving echoes of Michelle Zauner - and of hiding your identity. I'd love to have seen a bit more of adult Angela mentioned, but I guess that would have taken away from the focus of the takeaway.
Overall I'd say a solid 3.5*, rounded up to 4* as, at times, Hui's way with words and her analogies and metaphors are wonderful. Plus, it shines a light on a community that often gets forgotten about when discussing race and experiences of it within the UK.
A solid memoir here from Angela Hui, who focuses on her time growing up as the daughter of two Chinese takeaway owners in South Wales in the nineties and noughties, and all the trials and tribulations that come with being a minority in an ethnically homogenous area.
I enjoyed getting a window into Hui's culture here, and there were some lightly comic moments, as well as those that were more serious, such as the fact that her father has a very clear behavioural condition of some sort. There's a fair bit of angst here too, which is understandable as a lot of it focuses on her teenage years.
Where it didn't quite work for me at times was that - and I hate to say this - it gets a bit repetitive. Yes we know you stuck out in the village, but this seems to be the climax of several chapters. I'd perhaps loved to have heard more about the childhood of her parents, which is alluded to several times but never explored in great detail - they grew up in a time of great famine in China.
Also her father's aforementioned behaviours - he's very clearly an abusive character, but this kind of gets glossed over and never explicitly confronted? He fully could have gone to jail for some of his actions. The mother is a somewhat tragic figure by the end, never leaving due to expectations of the greater Chinese community.
There's a great focus on food as a uniting force in this memoir too - giving echoes of Michelle Zauner - and of hiding your identity. I'd love to have seen a bit more of adult Angela mentioned, but I guess that would have taken away from the focus of the takeaway.
Overall I'd say a solid 3.5*, rounded up to 4* as, at times, Hui's way with words and her analogies and metaphors are wonderful. Plus, it shines a light on a community that often gets forgotten about when discussing race and experiences of it within the UK.
February 18, 2023
a touching and beautifully real memoir about growing up as a takeaway kid in the U.K. won’t lie, the last 20% really hit home
November 11, 2025
As a 2nd generation mixed British Chinese, reading this book gave me an understanding of what life might've been like for my mum and my grandparents who ran Chinese takeaways in Kent back in the 70s. It was painful to read the descriptions of racism and violence, I felt a lot for Hui and her family. The story though is one of pure resilience while weaving in the joy of food throughout. I particularly enjoyed how each chapter ended with a recipe of a dish previously mentioned, and will be giving these a go!
May 31, 2023
Full of character and vibrant writing, Takeaway is a celebration of the Chinese takeaway, a reflection on racism towards Asian people in the UK, and a portrayal of familial strength in the face of adversity. It captures deftly and with wit, too, the unrelenting grind of the kitchen, offering a harrowing look at what it takes to survive in an industry that will eat you alive while you stare it in the face, and how you either roll with the punches or you get rolled.
I imagine that most people who have worked in food service, front or back, will relate easily to the stories of thankless grind here. I was at times reminded of the Czech owner of a place I once worked at, her endless, terminator energy, her quick hands, her handwritten recipes. I was reminded of the hours she spent and continues to spend there, cleaning, prepping, serving, and also of the stories I heard of her husband's fits of rage. I was reminded of her kids running around, known by the regulars. The eldest, a young girl, would drag around a broom three times her height and pretend to sweep the hardwood floors in an imitation of her mother's efforts, a prescient display of what could well await her in the future...
But back to Takeaway. My favourite chapter was probably chapter 3, where Hui details one of her family's trips to Hong Kong to stay with relatives and stock up on supplies for their takeaway back in Wales. It is a break from prank calls, criminal damage, and slurs, as well as the insatiable customers and long evenings behind the counter. The whole book is strong from start to finish, and I enjoyed all of it. It has a somewhat happy, if unresolved, ending, though I suppose the story isn't really over. I get the impression that Hui is still young. I get the impression that she and her family will be unpacking a lot for a long time.
...I want to talk about the recipes sandwiched between each chapter. On one hand, Hui explains throughout this memoir that sharing food is how her family shows love, frequently in the absence of words, and so by sharing Chinese recipes with the reader, we can take from this that she is showing love to her readers, which it would be strange to be critical of. It feels sensible, too; in a memoir about growing up in a Chinese takeaway, the writer gives the reader Chinese recipes to take away. On the other hand, in a place like the UK, where basic respect is too often traded to Asian people for their food - hot, on time, and diluted for white mouths until almost unrecogniseable, please - these recipes might read, to a cynic, as a way of pre-empting disengaged white readers, being enough of a cookbook to convince them not to leave bad reviews on Goodreads. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. Maybe not. All I know is, I grew up in places where so many white people loved (Chinese) food and made fun of (Chinese) people with the same mouth, eating food on the inhalation and slurring on the exhalation. Are those recipes for these people? Are these people even aware, as they try to work out why in fact they need a rice cooker, that they are in fact, or were in fact, these people?
Gosh, I don't know. I'm conflicted. I'm probably barking up the wrong tree. It just made me feel a bit uneasy.
...
Well, I had other things to say, but I made all my notes on my phone, and my phone died ten minutes ago in my hand, so I'm at a loss. What's a boy to do?
Peace out. Tip well. Kiss more boys. Show some goddamn respect to chef. Don't forget to say I love you. (You'd better believe I'm going to make that one vegan friendly recipe Hui included. Didn't I say I was conflicted?)
I imagine that most people who have worked in food service, front or back, will relate easily to the stories of thankless grind here. I was at times reminded of the Czech owner of a place I once worked at, her endless, terminator energy, her quick hands, her handwritten recipes. I was reminded of the hours she spent and continues to spend there, cleaning, prepping, serving, and also of the stories I heard of her husband's fits of rage. I was reminded of her kids running around, known by the regulars. The eldest, a young girl, would drag around a broom three times her height and pretend to sweep the hardwood floors in an imitation of her mother's efforts, a prescient display of what could well await her in the future...
But back to Takeaway. My favourite chapter was probably chapter 3, where Hui details one of her family's trips to Hong Kong to stay with relatives and stock up on supplies for their takeaway back in Wales. It is a break from prank calls, criminal damage, and slurs, as well as the insatiable customers and long evenings behind the counter. The whole book is strong from start to finish, and I enjoyed all of it. It has a somewhat happy, if unresolved, ending, though I suppose the story isn't really over. I get the impression that Hui is still young. I get the impression that she and her family will be unpacking a lot for a long time.
...I want to talk about the recipes sandwiched between each chapter. On one hand, Hui explains throughout this memoir that sharing food is how her family shows love, frequently in the absence of words, and so by sharing Chinese recipes with the reader, we can take from this that she is showing love to her readers, which it would be strange to be critical of. It feels sensible, too; in a memoir about growing up in a Chinese takeaway, the writer gives the reader Chinese recipes to take away. On the other hand, in a place like the UK, where basic respect is too often traded to Asian people for their food - hot, on time, and diluted for white mouths until almost unrecogniseable, please - these recipes might read, to a cynic, as a way of pre-empting disengaged white readers, being enough of a cookbook to convince them not to leave bad reviews on Goodreads. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. Maybe not. All I know is, I grew up in places where so many white people loved (Chinese) food and made fun of (Chinese) people with the same mouth, eating food on the inhalation and slurring on the exhalation. Are those recipes for these people? Are these people even aware, as they try to work out why in fact they need a rice cooker, that they are in fact, or were in fact, these people?
Gosh, I don't know. I'm conflicted. I'm probably barking up the wrong tree. It just made me feel a bit uneasy.
...
Well, I had other things to say, but I made all my notes on my phone, and my phone died ten minutes ago in my hand, so I'm at a loss. What's a boy to do?
Peace out. Tip well. Kiss more boys. Show some goddamn respect to chef. Don't forget to say I love you. (You'd better believe I'm going to make that one vegan friendly recipe Hui included. Didn't I say I was conflicted?)
February 11, 2024
This book follows Angela's life story growing up in a Chinese takeaway shop in the 1990s and 2000s in a small Welsh town. Although the story is arranged chronologically, each chapter focuses on a particular incident and connects it to a theme, be it career choice, dating or over racism. Each chapter is followed by a recipe of a dish which played a pivotal role in the incident discussed in the chapter. I read this in e-book format, and the recipes make me want to buy the paper version, so I can easily use it for cooking references.
This book completely charmed me by its earnestness. It might not be the best written memoir of all times, but it tells Angela's story with such sincerity that it is difficult to remain indifferent to her woes. She speaks of what I would consider parental abuse, but she also has unwavering love, warmth and affection for her parents, especially her mother, who did the best they could in the situation they were in. Angela's relationship with her father is fraught, but she approaches it with nuance and love and acknowledges its complexity.
I was very intrigued by the Welsh context of Angela's life. She mentions at some point that she can speak Welsh, but does not elaborate on it. I would have loved to learn more about her relationship with Wales and Welshness, whether she considers herself Welsh and the ways in which the Welsh context intersects with her Asian-British identity.
All in all, a quiet book which will draw you in and which is definitely worth a read.
This book completely charmed me by its earnestness. It might not be the best written memoir of all times, but it tells Angela's story with such sincerity that it is difficult to remain indifferent to her woes. She speaks of what I would consider parental abuse, but she also has unwavering love, warmth and affection for her parents, especially her mother, who did the best they could in the situation they were in. Angela's relationship with her father is fraught, but she approaches it with nuance and love and acknowledges its complexity.
I was very intrigued by the Welsh context of Angela's life. She mentions at some point that she can speak Welsh, but does not elaborate on it. I would have loved to learn more about her relationship with Wales and Welshness, whether she considers herself Welsh and the ways in which the Welsh context intersects with her Asian-British identity.
All in all, a quiet book which will draw you in and which is definitely worth a read.
April 17, 2024
Angela Hui - Take away (stories behind Chinese takesway counter)
.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Angela is a takeaway kid. You see her when you pick up your takeaway, she’s probably 12, doing her homework when you open the door but she would quickly dash to the counter to pick up your order.
.
Both her parents are from Hong Kong but Angela was born and grew up in a small town Wales and been helping her parents managed the Chinese takeaway shop.
.
You never really think about takeaway children like her, or maybe about small immigrant family, facing hardships, struggling to establish themselves in a town in a foreign country, constantly bombarded by discriminations, even the smallest harmless question like “But, where are you REALLY from?”
.
I’m not a takeaway kid but coming from an immigrant family myself, I can see myself in Angela’s struggles, confused with her identity, too eastern for Wales, too western for Hong Kong, what is she really?
.
I love this book thru and thru, probably because I love immigrant essay, and I can relate
.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
.
Angela is a takeaway kid. You see her when you pick up your takeaway, she’s probably 12, doing her homework when you open the door but she would quickly dash to the counter to pick up your order.
.
Both her parents are from Hong Kong but Angela was born and grew up in a small town Wales and been helping her parents managed the Chinese takeaway shop.
.
You never really think about takeaway children like her, or maybe about small immigrant family, facing hardships, struggling to establish themselves in a town in a foreign country, constantly bombarded by discriminations, even the smallest harmless question like “But, where are you REALLY from?”
.
I’m not a takeaway kid but coming from an immigrant family myself, I can see myself in Angela’s struggles, confused with her identity, too eastern for Wales, too western for Hong Kong, what is she really?
.
I love this book thru and thru, probably because I love immigrant essay, and I can relate
July 12, 2024
4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a magnificent memoir, I feel privileged to have been privy to Hui’s lived experience and deeply moved.
Each chapter is structured around a specific recipe, as readers we are invited to the table with Hui to relish and observe, this book feels sacred. Hui powerfully highlights the realities of operating a Chinese takeaway in rural wales- speaking frankly of the xenophobia experienced day to day.
Hui’s voice honours and amplifies the lived experience of migrant children. She writes in harrowing detail the role these children play, living between two worlds and the subsequent role reversals between parent and child- acting as both the protector connector and a translator to a foreign and often unwelcoming environment.
This was a magnificent memoir, I feel privileged to have been privy to Hui’s lived experience and deeply moved.
Each chapter is structured around a specific recipe, as readers we are invited to the table with Hui to relish and observe, this book feels sacred. Hui powerfully highlights the realities of operating a Chinese takeaway in rural wales- speaking frankly of the xenophobia experienced day to day.
Hui’s voice honours and amplifies the lived experience of migrant children. She writes in harrowing detail the role these children play, living between two worlds and the subsequent role reversals between parent and child- acting as both the protector connector and a translator to a foreign and often unwelcoming environment.
February 6, 2025
Finally out of a mediocre run of books yay
If there’s something about me it’s that I love to read about a lonely, disconnected character
This was so vulnerable and honest, yet also at points felt like a nice warm hug
I also loved the chapters that gave recipes for some of the most popular foods of the takeaway
Fav quote:
“We cannot choose the situation or backgrounds that we are born into, but we can choose what to do with the privilege we are given and make positive change for the next generation”
If there’s something about me it’s that I love to read about a lonely, disconnected character
This was so vulnerable and honest, yet also at points felt like a nice warm hug
I also loved the chapters that gave recipes for some of the most popular foods of the takeaway
Fav quote:
“We cannot choose the situation or backgrounds that we are born into, but we can choose what to do with the privilege we are given and make positive change for the next generation”
February 23, 2025
i really really enjoyed reading this and it reminded me a lot of crying in h mart with relation to the asian culture of love being shown through food
i particularly enjoyed the discussion around being both welcomed as a staple of British culture, with chinese takeaway being so ingrained in what we eat, but also rejected as foreign and infiltrating that culture negatively somehow - it seems no middle ground exists
i particularly enjoyed the discussion around being both welcomed as a staple of British culture, with chinese takeaway being so ingrained in what we eat, but also rejected as foreign and infiltrating that culture negatively somehow - it seems no middle ground exists
March 5, 2024
Although I found the initial article that developed into this book engrossing when I read it a few years ago, Hui's detatched, news-journalistic style hampered much of the book for me, and there were many times where the writing seemed noticeably uncomfortable with the memoir format. Takeaway really hit its stride in the final third - I found the chapter about her boyfriend meeting her family charming, and the vandalism and abuse they faced enraging. There's a real understated melancholy to the book, and I'm still unsure whether it is more effective this way or not.
May 10, 2023
Bought this on recommendation after the recent debate over Chinese takeaways. I thought that the mixed feelings over being a “takeaway kid” and the highlighting of racism was both interesting and important to share, which gets it an extra star because otherwise this is not a well written book.
With the recipes at the end it strongly reminds one of those cooking blogs with the backstory attached to the beginning of the recipe to invoke copyright. I wasn’t surprised upon googling that the author is a 32 year old magazine journalist - no disrespect to that medium at all, but the book has that exact vibe and I think it undermines the topic in this medium. It feels more a collection of articles that a coherent book. A book gives the room to expand where an article constrains, and the author missed the opportunity. So many throwaway lines that ended in a platitude or buzzword phrase cried out for more exploration and depth!
Earlier chapters gave some basic information on Chinese immigration and why takeaways were chosen and those were the most engaging. As the book went on later chapters felt like filler, at times indulgent and even fake. There was a lot of repetition and direct contradiction of the authors points (the contractions made it feel like the author was pandering to the audience). The author seemed to have learned a lot of therapy words but not done the actual therapy. Maybe she wrote this too young, not giving herself time to mature into her writing or her story.
I also would have liked a bit more about living in Wales itself but that didn’t seem to be important to the author overall. At the end she says London is home and I definitely felt like she’d escaped - understandable given the racism she faced in the Valleys and how much she disliked the takeaway. I was surprised when she ended on a positive note of loving Wales and the takeaway - it seemed so different to what she’d said up til then.
Audible - by author. I found it well read, no problems.
I would love to know whether Hui’s parents and other family endorse this book, particularly after a description of how deeply held her father’s secret recipes are and how he was scared even to share his special bbq recipe with her. What would I, his daughter, do with it? Does he think I’d betray his secret? - the author asks. Then at the end of the chapter she does just that, giving us her dad’s recipe to close the book (as well as a number more, one for each chapter).
With the recipes at the end it strongly reminds one of those cooking blogs with the backstory attached to the beginning of the recipe to invoke copyright. I wasn’t surprised upon googling that the author is a 32 year old magazine journalist - no disrespect to that medium at all, but the book has that exact vibe and I think it undermines the topic in this medium. It feels more a collection of articles that a coherent book. A book gives the room to expand where an article constrains, and the author missed the opportunity. So many throwaway lines that ended in a platitude or buzzword phrase cried out for more exploration and depth!
Earlier chapters gave some basic information on Chinese immigration and why takeaways were chosen and those were the most engaging. As the book went on later chapters felt like filler, at times indulgent and even fake. There was a lot of repetition and direct contradiction of the authors points (the contractions made it feel like the author was pandering to the audience). The author seemed to have learned a lot of therapy words but not done the actual therapy. Maybe she wrote this too young, not giving herself time to mature into her writing or her story.
I also would have liked a bit more about living in Wales itself but that didn’t seem to be important to the author overall. At the end she says London is home and I definitely felt like she’d escaped - understandable given the racism she faced in the Valleys and how much she disliked the takeaway. I was surprised when she ended on a positive note of loving Wales and the takeaway - it seemed so different to what she’d said up til then.
Audible - by author. I found it well read, no problems.
I would love to know whether Hui’s parents and other family endorse this book, particularly after a description of how deeply held her father’s secret recipes are and how he was scared even to share his special bbq recipe with her. What would I, his daughter, do with it? Does he think I’d betray his secret? - the author asks. Then at the end of the chapter she does just that, giving us her dad’s recipe to close the book (as well as a number more, one for each chapter).
October 14, 2022
This was a great biography of Angela's time growing up running a Chinese takeaway with her family in Wales.
Angela started the book as it should be, from a young age and her families decision to come to England before she was born, and she was born in Wales, in the Valley. Along with her 2 brothers, her mother and father, they opened Lucky Star, their takeaway. She describes what it was like growing up in England, as a young Chinese girl, trying to fit in with friends, thinking perhaps they only like her because they own a chippy... all the ups and downs of life living and working where you work. Busy times helping out their parents, all of them staying up late to work in the shop, and having to get up for school the next day.
It was a really well written story and I really enjoyed it. I felt sorry for her in many places, having a father who couldn't stop gambling even when money was tight, the arguments her parent's had and the children had to witness it, and the eventual sale of the takeaway because after the children all graduated and moved on, it got too much for them. The sadness of leaving that behind after so many years. Also, a lovely touch was that she included recipes from her family within the book which were really nice, and related to each section as somewhere in the section before the recipe, that food was mentioned, really good idea.
Great read.
Angela started the book as it should be, from a young age and her families decision to come to England before she was born, and she was born in Wales, in the Valley. Along with her 2 brothers, her mother and father, they opened Lucky Star, their takeaway. She describes what it was like growing up in England, as a young Chinese girl, trying to fit in with friends, thinking perhaps they only like her because they own a chippy... all the ups and downs of life living and working where you work. Busy times helping out their parents, all of them staying up late to work in the shop, and having to get up for school the next day.
It was a really well written story and I really enjoyed it. I felt sorry for her in many places, having a father who couldn't stop gambling even when money was tight, the arguments her parent's had and the children had to witness it, and the eventual sale of the takeaway because after the children all graduated and moved on, it got too much for them. The sadness of leaving that behind after so many years. Also, a lovely touch was that she included recipes from her family within the book which were really nice, and related to each section as somewhere in the section before the recipe, that food was mentioned, really good idea.
Great read.
February 22, 2025
I think the overriding feeling in this book is Angela feels ashamed of her culture, and it doesn’t feel like she ever gets over this. The chapter on her latest boyfriend was the worst - she was so grateful that her future in-laws were trying Chinese food? The bar is truly on the floor and I hated how grateful she was to Brits for literal crumbs of sympathy. I also felt that she was only accepting of her culture when she felt like those around her were and that displayed a weak character to me. At no point did she try to express a pride in her own culture to others and that made me truly upset. The worst part is she acknowledges this and it doesn’t seem like she even does anything about it, just does the emotional equivalent of shrugging and moving on.
Granted I grew up in HK and didn’t experience having a rock thrown through my window, but I came away thinking Angela generally views her culture through a Welsh rather than Chinese lens, which was quite sad to read.
Granted I grew up in HK and didn’t experience having a rock thrown through my window, but I came away thinking Angela generally views her culture through a Welsh rather than Chinese lens, which was quite sad to read.
January 26, 2023
The stories about running a takeaway were really fascinating and such an insight into ordinary society. I had never realised how chaotic life must be living, growing up and working in one. The recipes at the end of each chapter were a nice touch of sentimentality. The author introduces each one with great fondness despite any traumatic context against which they appear, because above all Chinese people use food, for better or worse, as our primary medium to communicate. Alas, our stomachs may be full, but it leaves us with a sense of emptiness. All in all, this is a wonderful book, I've never related to one more, and every story told by the ESEA community is a victory for us all.
October 9, 2022
I loved spending time with Angela and am glad to have this insight into her life. I appreciated her vulnerability and honesty when talking about cultural identity, family dynamics, and takeaway life in general. Although, as Angela says, this is just one takeaway story out of thousands, this has definitely enriched my understanding of takeaways and will stay with me.
March 8, 2023
3.5
A lovely memoir about growing up in the South Wales valleys in a family run Chinese takeaway. Loved the references to Happy Gathering in Cardiff (a large Chinese restaurant round the corner from where I live) and all the food and recipes. Bittersweet ending and also throughout there are references to the racism and microagressions they were subjected to.
A lovely memoir about growing up in the South Wales valleys in a family run Chinese takeaway. Loved the references to Happy Gathering in Cardiff (a large Chinese restaurant round the corner from where I live) and all the food and recipes. Bittersweet ending and also throughout there are references to the racism and microagressions they were subjected to.
February 17, 2024
Nie będzie chyba dla nikogo zaskoczeniem, że mój ulubiony gatunek non-fictionto memoir o trudnych sprawach, tożsamości i żarciu. W tym przypadku mamy opowieść córki imigrantów z Hong Kongu o wychowywaniu się w małej miejscowości w Walii. Przestrzenią do opowieści o przemocowym ojcu, wymagającej matce, tożsamościowych rozterkach (kiedy nie można się poczuć w pełni Walijką ani w pełni Hongkonką), chińskiej społeczności imigranckiej i rasistowskich zachowaniach Walijczyków jest restauracja z chińskim jedzeniem, którą prowadzili rodzice autorki. A w zasadzie to cała rodzina ją prowadziła, bo dzieciaki zapieprzają tam od małego.
Bardzo dobra książka, ale nie mogłam się powstrzymać od porównać do "Crying in H Mart", które czytałam kilka lat wcześniej. Tamta książka bardziej poruszyła mnie emocjonalnie, ale też miałam wrażenie, że wyraźniej widać tam rosnącą świadomość autorki i dochodzenie do konkluzji. Tu wszystko opisane jest tak, jakby Angela Hui od małego zdawała sobie sprawę jak toksyczne są niektóre zachowania jej rodziców i jakie piętno praca w knajpie wywarła na jej psychikę i relacje społeczne. Nic i nikt się tu nie zmienia. Pewnie jest to prawdziwe dla tej i wielu innych rodzin, i miał to być tylko zapis tego w jakich warunkach i z jaką presją wychowało się wiele osób. Ale jako książka było to jednak nieco mniej satysfakcjonujące.
Aha, słuchałam audiobooka, co ma swoje plusy, bo czyta (bardzo dobrze) autorka i można mieć pewność, że kantońskie słowa i nazwy potraw wypowiedziane są poprawnie.
Edit: znalazłam w appce PDF z przepisami, więc już nie mam zarzutów do audiobooka xD
Bardzo dobra książka, ale nie mogłam się powstrzymać od porównać do "Crying in H Mart", które czytałam kilka lat wcześniej. Tamta książka bardziej poruszyła mnie emocjonalnie, ale też miałam wrażenie, że wyraźniej widać tam rosnącą świadomość autorki i dochodzenie do konkluzji. Tu wszystko opisane jest tak, jakby Angela Hui od małego zdawała sobie sprawę jak toksyczne są niektóre zachowania jej rodziców i jakie piętno praca w knajpie wywarła na jej psychikę i relacje społeczne. Nic i nikt się tu nie zmienia. Pewnie jest to prawdziwe dla tej i wielu innych rodzin, i miał to być tylko zapis tego w jakich warunkach i z jaką presją wychowało się wiele osób. Ale jako książka było to jednak nieco mniej satysfakcjonujące.
Aha, słuchałam audiobooka, co ma swoje plusy, bo czyta (bardzo dobrze) autorka i można mieć pewność, że kantońskie słowa i nazwy potraw wypowiedziane są poprawnie.
Edit: znalazłam w appce PDF z przepisami, więc już nie mam zarzutów do audiobooka xD
November 9, 2024
Unlike some of the other reviewers on here, I did not find Takeaway repetitive, nor did I have an issue with the writing style. If anything, I found Angela's story so interesting, albeit sad at times for a number of reasons. Working in any customer service-facing position can be a thankless job, often ruled with people who forget that it is a human being behind the counter. Being a Chinese family in a very white town in the 90s subjects families like Angela's to worse treatment, mostly racist insults and acts. Moreover, working in a restaurant is grueling, back-breaking work that can easily create tension amongst the staff, especially when the whole family is involved in the business.
I greatly identified with Angela's struggle between the duty of helping her parents at the restaurant in every way imaginable and balancing her own sense of self outside of the restaurant. It was easy to relate to how she both disliked and appreciated her Asian identity throughout her life. It was articulated in such an honest, compelling way that I found so much truth in.
One could argue that Angela's story is not unique, as there are many immigrants who come to other countries and struggle with cultural identity, racism, and assimilation. However, I argue that we need more books like these that capture the reality of what goes on behind closed doors to understand not just the struggle but the real people behind the counter.
Another reason to like this memoir is that there are recipes at the end of each chapter that are authentically Chinese and very delicious! I also took the time to go through each of Angela's further reading recommendations to add to my list.
I greatly identified with Angela's struggle between the duty of helping her parents at the restaurant in every way imaginable and balancing her own sense of self outside of the restaurant. It was easy to relate to how she both disliked and appreciated her Asian identity throughout her life. It was articulated in such an honest, compelling way that I found so much truth in.
One could argue that Angela's story is not unique, as there are many immigrants who come to other countries and struggle with cultural identity, racism, and assimilation. However, I argue that we need more books like these that capture the reality of what goes on behind closed doors to understand not just the struggle but the real people behind the counter.
Another reason to like this memoir is that there are recipes at the end of each chapter that are authentically Chinese and very delicious! I also took the time to go through each of Angela's further reading recommendations to add to my list.
August 21, 2023
Trigger warnings: racism, xenophobia, racial slurs, violence, domestic violence, gambling addiction.
I picked this up on the recommendation of my sister-in-law, who grew up in a very similar situation in Bristol, working behind the counter of a Chinese takeaway shop from a very young age and living upstairs.
Hui's voice is lovely, and I had a wonderful time reading this. Despite all the hardship that she and her family went through, the close knit nature of her family - particularly the relationship between her and her brothers - shines on the page. The inclusion of recipes at the end of each chapter was a nice touch, and though I don't know that I'll ever make any of the recipes (because a) I am lazy and b) deep frying TERRIFIES me), I loved how each chapter of the book was centred around a particular dish. Definitely recommended!
I picked this up on the recommendation of my sister-in-law, who grew up in a very similar situation in Bristol, working behind the counter of a Chinese takeaway shop from a very young age and living upstairs.
Hui's voice is lovely, and I had a wonderful time reading this. Despite all the hardship that she and her family went through, the close knit nature of her family - particularly the relationship between her and her brothers - shines on the page. The inclusion of recipes at the end of each chapter was a nice touch, and though I don't know that I'll ever make any of the recipes (because a) I am lazy and b) deep frying TERRIFIES me), I loved how each chapter of the book was centred around a particular dish. Definitely recommended!
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