Sweet Mandarin
Helen Tse and her two sisters, Lisa and Janet
have opened the award winning restaurant
Sweet Mandarin. Helen is also the gifted
author of Sweet Mandarin, an inspirational
family
autobiography
recently
published
worldwide by Random House. The following
excerpt is from a press release written by
Helen Tse …
From 1920s rural China to the bustle of
colonial pre-Second World War Hong Kong and
present-day Manchester; from poverty and
murder to Triad associations, gambling
addictions, alcoholism, bankruptcy and the
isolation of being an immigrant family - each
successive generation of the Tse family has
been rocked by both international social and
politcal upheaval and a rollercoaster of
personal
challenges.
Battling
against
circumstances and often a traditional, maledominated society, it fell to the strong women
of each generation to overcome the odds and
rescue the family. Extraordinary and moving,
Sweet Mandarin is the story of their battle for
survival and of the one thread that was their
lifeline – food.
“I was taught a great deal of what it is to be a Chinese woman in the kitchen at my mother
and my grandmother’s side. Cooking is at the heart of the Chinese family and for a
Chinese woman it is at the very core of her identity.”
Born into brutal poverty in rural China in 1918, it
was her father’s successful soy sauce business
that
enabled
Lily
Kwok
(the
author’s
grandmother) to emigrate to a better life in
Hong Kong. However his success soon attracted
jealousy, leading to his murder by a competitor.
Determined not to let her family return to
destitution with the loss of their patriarch, Lily
trained as an amah to a wealthy English family.
Indispensable, especially for her delicious
cooking, she accompanied them on their return
to England (escaping her gambling, Triadmember husband, although heartbreakingly
having to leave her beloved children behind in
Hong Kong). Desperately seasick on the voyage
she found comfort for her upset stomach
working in the ship’s kitchen.
There she
perfected her famous chicken curry recipe and
met friends with whom she would go on to set
up the first Chinese restaurant in Manchester.
"Over half the book documents the hidden
history of the North West of England."
Overcoming the prejudice of locals, Lily founded a popular restaurant and earned enough
money to bring her daughter, Mabel, over from Hong Kong. Mabel continued in the family
business yet just as she had given birth to her twin daughters, Helen and Lisa, her
husband and mother’s gambling addiction lead to bankruptcy. Undaunted, she and her
husband turned once again to the saviour of food, opening a successful fish and chip shop
and then Chinese takeaway. In 2004, Helen and Lisa, along with their sister Janet,
completed the cycle. Despite achieving high flying professional careers, they returned to
their culinary roots to open the award winning Sweet Mandarin restaurant in Manchester,
where they still serve Lily Kwok’s Chicken Curry.
Poignant and touching, Sweet Mandarin tells the story of the remarkable journey of this
family of courageous women. The first ever memoir from a British–born Chinese woman,
it also addresses the questions of Chinese heritage, immigration and working in the
restaurant trade like no other book before it. Just like the Chinese cooking that has bound
their family together across generations, it blends the sweet and the sour to create a
moving account of triumph against all the odds. This book is being adopted worldwide by
schools as part of the English and Chinese lessons. For a copy of the study guide, please
go to www.sweetmandarin.com
Helen Tse
Helen and her identical twin Lisa were born in
1977 and grew up in Manchester UK. Helen's
passion for writing began whilst studying law at
Cambridge University. She worked as a finance
and tax lawyer for Clifford Chance in London and
Hong Kong, and with PricewaterhouseCoopers
where she won the Young Accountant of the Year
Award 2006 for her work on helping companies
invest in China.
Her passions are food, business and people. These
interests have propelled Helen and her two sisters,
Lisa and Janet Tse to open an award winning
restaurant Sweet Mandarin in Manchester’s
Northern Quarter and to follow in their mother’s
and grandmother's footsteps. Together, they have
appeared on ITV Granada, BBC radio and featured
in numerous press and magazine articles on topics
ranging from women in business, food, restaurateurs, entrepreneurs, immigration,
nationality, Chinese culture and investing in China.
Programme of Public Works
Helen is currently touring the schools (12 -18years), colleges, universities in the UK and
abroad giving her inspiring talk, "A Journey of A Thousand Miles Starts with One Step".
The talk is given to encourage students to write, learn about their roots, appreciate other
cultures and join in Helen's own journey through her book Sweet Mandarin.
Head Mistress Mrs Lee- Jones of Manchester High School (Girls) said:
"The remarkable story of the indefatigable women in Helen’s family was a fascinating
subject and a great lesson to our girls in perseverance and tolerance of others."
Praise for the Book
Read this book…the story of an amazing family – 3 generations of Chinese women and
their sweet and sour, hot and bitter lives - Xinran, author of The Good Women of
China
Helen Tse tells a gripping tale of struggle, laughter, love and food that marks Sweet
Mandarin as a must read book. It is not only an immigrant account of life but also a
universal touching story of survival that will move your soul as well – Ken Hom
Fascinating stuff – Metro
Tse captures the drama, colour and particularly the flavours of Lily's life – Scotland on
Sunday
"a heartrending and tender story of three generations of Chinese women who
transform their lives" Wall Street Journal
"The hiss of the wok and scent of stir-fried vegetables practically leap out of
Helen Tse's book. She intertwines the story of her grandmother, Lily Kwok...and
her family's restaurant business. An excellent read 4 stars." First Magazine
"This story can be as sad as it is funny - but ultimately its message is that you
can do anything you set your mind to. It's the story of Lily Kwok as told by her
granddaughter Helen. This is a real testament to the triumph of the human
spirit over adversity and to how you can control your own destiny. Inspiring."
Fresh Magazine
"The novel is.. filled with suspense and unexpected twists, but ...this is a true
story. Tse has a simple narrative style that makes for comfortable reading, and
her description of the various Chinese dishes will make your mouth water, while
her message, 'never give up', will fill you up with hope. It is.. a story about
indomitable spirit in the face of crushing adversity, rich with the exotic flavours of
the food that saved them." The Daily Star Weekend Magazine - Bangladesh
"Inspirational...a journey exploring roots and identity...a saga of immigrants….
from a foreign land to home" Shanghai Daily front cover story
Published by Ebury Press, Random House on 1st February 2006, £14.99 hbk, £10.99 pbk in
Australia, Asia, South Africa, Europe. Published by Thomas Dunne in the United States of
America (2008). Also in Audio book produced by BBC Books. Currently being scripted and
adapted for a movie.
For more information visit www.sweetmandarin.com or contact Lisa Tse
on 0161 832 8848 or email [email protected]