Tastes Like Seeing God

‘A novel that made me cry – and made me hungry in every sense: for connection, for courage, for a life fully lived.’ – Shankari Chandran, Miles Franklin Award–winning author of Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens

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 the accidental death of her brother, an up-and-coming chef, Jessie Wong is adrift and angry: at Tommy, for dying; at her parents for their silence; and at the confines of her conservative Christian Chinese upbringing. Then Jessie finds a list in Tommy’s handwriting of the five meals that ‘taste like seeing God’. Was his phrasing blasphemy, or a nod to some hidden belief? Is 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 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 realises how much more of the world is out there, a future she’d never dared to envision for herself is now within her grasp.

Flavoured 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 humour, Tastes Like Seeing God is a poignant exploration of life’s sorrows and its sublime joys.

Praise for Tastes Like Seeing God

‘A canon-expanding odyssey of place, taste, and the infinite space a heart can hold. With virtuosity and warmth, Tam’s prose explores blood-ties, love lines, and grace through Jessie’s quest to understand herself and the shifting world around her. Tam’s prose is epic and irreverent; Tastes Like Seeing God is a delight.’ – Bryan Washington, National Book Award finalist and author of Palaver and Memorial

‘Tastes Like Seeing God is a decadent, heartfelt, and bittersweet exploration of grief, self-determination, and family. This novel had me craving my favourite dishes while longing to call my loved ones. Once I picked it up, I could not put it down. Nina Michiko Tam is a new talent to watch, and in her debut, she has gifted us a veritable feast for all senses.’ – Qian Julie Wang, New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Country

‘A meditation on grief, family, and the healing power of food, Tastes Like Seeing God is a masterful debut. Nina Michiko Tam’s deft, confident prose brings the food industry to life, taking you from each delectable mouthful to the pain behind the curtain. This book will make you cry and crave a delicious meal at the same time.’ – Vaishnavi Patel, New York Times bestselling author of Kaikeyi

‘A novel that breaks the heart then lovingly puts it back together again, Nina Michiko Tam’s Tastes Like Seeing God is glorious. A masterful paean to food and the worlds of memory it holds for those who make it and those who eat it. A book has not made me feel as sad, happy and hungry as this one has in a very long time.’ – Jinwoo Chong, author of I Leave It Up to You and Flux

‘Tastes Like Seeing God is a beautiful tasting menu at a Michelin-starred restaurant, in prose. Nina Michiko Tam’s writing is precise, elegant, and sensuous. She carries you through Jessie’s first tastes of freedom, and the pain of her loss, with acuity and deep care. A sumptuous debut that made me hungry for life (and for tomato egg).’ – Emma Knight, New York Times bestselling author of The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus