Introduction to Amber Fan’s Journey
Amber Fan, the 22-year-old protagonist of Kit Fan’s poignant and elegiac second novel, is poised to bid farewell. She is saying goodbye to her parents, who are scheduled to take the midnight flight from London to Hong Kong, where they plan to enjoy their retirement after selling the family restaurant located in London’s Chinatown. Amber also says goodbye to the old Chinatown that her parents and their generation of industrious Hong Kong émigrés embody—a Chinatown known for its pecking duck, red lanterns, brusque waiters, and sticky tables. While Amber holds affection for both her parents and the traditional Chinatown, she has her own vision for the future.
Setting the Scene: 2001 and the Opening of Luna
The narrative begins in late 2001, shortly after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Amber is preparing to open her own restaurant, Luna, an east-meets-west “fine fusion restaurant.” She acknowledges the challenges ahead, noting it is
“the worst possible time to open a restaurant.”At this time, global markets are in turmoil, and the traditional Cantonese-style restaurants in Chinatown—many established by immigrants like Amber’s parents who fled Hong Kong following the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre—are closing or selling their businesses, often to wealthy mainland Chinese investors. There is a consensus that this marks the end of an era.
Amber’s Culinary Innovation and Rising Fame
Despite the challenges, Amber, a gifted chef, quickly establishes herself as one of London’s rising culinary stars. Her innovative addition of ginger to chicken broth—a practice traditionally forbidden in Chinese cooking but resulting in
“total satisfaction of the taste buds”—attracts long queues of eager diners. Her success draws the attention of Celeste Gao, a wealthy and enigmatic Shanghainese woman. Celeste is bold and assertive, potentially connected to the Chinese Communist Party, and determined to shape the future of Chinatown. She declares,
“My family is going to own Chinatown. That is a fact.”The two women bond over their shared estrangement from their parents and mutual memories of the Tiananmen incident. Amber eventually accepts Celeste’s offer of financial support and the promise of becoming the
“Asian Alain Ducasse.”
Food as a Language of Love and Family
For Amber, a second-generation immigrant, food serves as an expression of love and shared history that is otherwise difficult to articulate. Her connection with her father is not demonstrated through physical affection but through culinary elements:
“Her bond with her father was not built on hugs and kisses but on the nose and mouth, the garlicy fingertips, the wok, the fire, the cleaver and the chopping board.”In an effort to connect with her younger brother Bobby, with whom she shares a complex relationship that forms the emotional core of the novel, Amber prepares a special burger—complete with the recipe included in the book. Bobby, however, remains skeptical, remarking,
“I think she has confused food with love from a very young age.”
Historical Backdrop and Shifting Locations
The story unfolds across several time periods: 2001, 2007-08, 2019, and 2020. Each phase is influenced by significant historical events—the destruction of the Twin Towers, the global financial crisis, and the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. The narrative shifts geographically between London, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, offering perspectives from various family members. As Amber’s culinary career flourishes, the political situation in Hong Kong deteriorates. In 2020, the introduction of the national security law triggers a new wave of emigration. The scenes depicting the Fans’ mourning of a transforming Hong Kong—also vividly portrayed in Kit Fan’s previous novel—and Bobby’s risky involvement in the protest movement are among the most poignant in the book. The story is not only a farewell to Chinatown but also to Hong Kong itself.
Exploration of Identity and Ambivalence
The novel maintains a tone of ambivalence throughout. Amber’s experience as an outsider striving to succeed in a competitive industry is contrasted with her privileged background; she attended Marlborough College and Oxford University, gaining admission through somewhat questionable means. The novel thoughtfully explores the complexities faced by successful, ambitious immigrants, including the sense of loyalty—or lack thereof—to a homeland and culture that have been left behind.
Strengths and Critiques
While the novel occasionally suffers from clunky prose, the passion and vividness with which Kit Fan portrays this ambitious, exuberant, and often courageous tribute to a district, a city, and a world fading into history make it a highly rewarding read.
