Return to the Nameless Restaurant in Chaotic Apéritifs, out now on Amazon, Audible and other book retailers!

If you enjoy the book, don't forget to download the bonus epilogue: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/i6sctto44wasian-fantasy cozy-fantasy4 s Shu Wei Chin599 29

A wonderful sequel to the cozy, slice of life urban fantasy featuring immortal beings pouring their hearts out at a quaint restaurant where Mo Meng, an archmage (retired), is just trying to live a peaceful life cooking good food. This sequel scored much better in intrigue than the first novella however, as an event in the first novella is shown to have direct knock-on effects in this book. What will happen next? I am happy to keep on with this series and find out.

I listened to this on audio and I just have to gush about Emily Woo Zeller. She has such a good voice, with the perfect balance of a soothing but dynamic cadence for a cozy story. If she stays on to narrate the rest of this series, you bet I will collect them all.

Thank you Dreamscape Media, the author and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I leave this review voluntarily.arc3 s thosemedalingkids530 55

Audio review

This series!! Such a hidden gem. If the writing of Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree didn't work for you, but you still want to read about cozy vibes of a business running and the patrons inside (also set in a fantasy world) - highly recommend this novella series.

Emily Woo Zeller does a great job narrating. The writing dips into the weeds on cooking in a restaurant and serving the patrons, but in an all vibes no plot comforting way. There's magic, there's regulars, there's pineapple upside down cake. This was the cozy I needed.arc-2024 audiobook-2024 cozy ...more3 s Marlene3,102 223

Welcome to another day in the life of Mo MengÂ’s nameless restaurant, following the first delicious book in the Hidden Dishes series, titled, of course, The Nameless Restaurant!

The dishes served here truly are magically delicious, because the chef, Mo Meng, is a mage. Not that he actually uses magic in his cooking, because that would be cheating. Instead, heÂ’s been using magical wards and sigils to make his hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Toronto look unappealing to the average restaurant goer, tourist and especially mundane government bureaucrat.

Because he absolutely IS using magic to keep pests at bay – no matter how many legs they have.

The problem that Mo Meng faces in this story is a direct result of the events in the first book featuring his nameless restaurant. Because in that story, Mo MengÂ’s out-of-the-way establishment hosted a newly awakened utter nuisance of a jinn, and sheÂ’s been waking up all kinds of magic and all sorts of other magic users as she navigates the 21st century.

That influx of her chaotic magic is wearing down Mo MengÂ’s wards. The sheer, overwhelming ubiquity of the internet isnÂ’t helping either. ItÂ’s everywhere, no spell of forgetting or obfuscation affects it, and too many people are discovering, remembering, and talking about his restaurant on it.

He and his front-of-house manager Kelly are so swamped with customers that something is going to have to change – because it already has. The question is whether Mo Meng will embrace that change – or leave it and the community he’s built behind while he retreats. Again.

As he observes one very singular customer get confronted with all the changes that have occurred over the centuries while he slept and does his damndest to bluff his way into the future without setting the restaurant on fire with his magic, Mo Meng figures out his own answers.

Escape Rating A-: IÂ’m doing this review a week early so that you have a chance to read the tasty first book in the Hidden Dishes series, The Nameless Restaurant, before you gobble this second book up in one delicious bite.

Because they are both absolutely magically delicious, to the point where I need to put a kind of a trigger warning on both books. Do NOT read while hungry. It’s very dangerous. Trust me on this. Mo Meng’s entire cooking process and every single dish is described in mouth-watering detail as he cooks and it’s impossible to resist – even if the dish itself isn’t one you actually think you’ll .

The tone of this second book is not quite as lighthearted as the first book, in spite of it being underpinned by the advent of two agents from the Department of Supernatural Entities. Mika and Ophelia are there to investigate the weakening of Mo Meng’s wards and just generally behave government bureaucrats – up to and including the tension between the two of them, as senior agent Mika knows just where the lines are drawn, while his junior wants to leap over all the rules, regulations, and common sense to right what she defines as wrong in spite of all of the above.

The atmosphere in the restaurant is tense all the way around. Kelly begins her day being berated by her mother over the phone, Mo Meng is behind because there is way more business than one chef – even a magical one – can handle, and the patrons and would-be patrons start out agitated because a) Mo Meng IS running behind schedule and b) the restaurant is tiny, the wait is long, and the line out the door and around the block is enough to outrage anyone.

That a new predator who absolutely radiates power sits in the midst of all, offending many while trying to obfuscate his way through his lack of recent knowledge just adds to everyone’s stress – including his own as he’s trying to figure out why the jinn woke him up and sent him to this place. (I’m truly chagrined at how long it took me to figure out who he was. All the clues were there, I just wasn’t seeing them. (Consider a picture of me facepalming inserted here)

All the same, I loved every mouth-watering page of this story – at least once I sat down with my own dinner to accompany it. (There’s a regular at this restaurant who also reads through his meal, so I’d fit right in!)

Even though the situation is a bit tense, the story and the setting still fit delightfully into the new cozy fantasy vibe, on the shelf between Legends & Lattes and The Kamogawa Food Detectives. At the same time, it’s doing what urban fantasy has always done, it’s getting just a bit deeper and darker as it goes – and it’s fascinating and makes me want more.

ItÂ’s clear from the way that this entry in the series ends that even though Mo Meng and Kelly have found a way through their immediate problems, trouble is brewing on the horizon right alongside Mo MengÂ’s pineapple vinegar. So IÂ’m going to get that more I wanted in the next book in the series, titled Sorcerous Plates. My mouth and my brain are already craving the next bite!

Originally published at Reading Reality
1 Lili575

Since I had no other audiobooks in my queue, I decided to continue the Hidden Dishes series that I begun the day before. The Nameless Restaurant continued under the hands of the magical chef Mo Meng and the mundane waitress Kelly, but experienced the visit of a new magical guest arisen from a deep slumber.

For the first two hours, the author leaned into food writing that teetered between scientific and erotic. The remaining hour was more of a confrontation between the old magic and the new magic and between the old common wisdom and the new ways, which was a veiled critique of modern life.

The narrator Emily Woo Zeller continued to deliver on the cosy vibe of the novella, including the different voices for the various characters.

Overall, I enjoyed the truly cosy vibe of the three-hour audiobook created by the expansive food writing and the intelligent narration. I would highly recommend to listeners looking for something delightful to keep in the background while doing chores.
audio-from-the-library1 dobbs the dog794 16

Received from NetGalley, thanks!

This is a fun series, set in a magical restaurant in Toronto. net-galley-and-other-arcs1 Kat389 19

Chaotic Aperitifs is the second in the Hidden Dishes series. It can be read as a standalone, but I personally think it would be a good idea to read the first book, The Nameless Restaurant. After all, theyÂ’re short and easy to read, though each book does overly focus on the cooking part of this cozy cooking fantasy series. Where I found the first book a little lacking and a little too focused on following Mo Meng as he cooked each dish, I rather d this one. Chaotic Aperitifs still focuses on Mo Meng cooking, this time with a new and different menu, but it also puts more of a spotlight on Kelly, the restaurantÂ’s very mortal and completely non-magical waitress, and Mo MengÂ’s sole employee. This was a fun installment in the series, offering a bit more world building, some real world restaurant problems, and a bit more story.

Following the events of The Nameless Restaurant, the restaurant has been experiencing an increase in traffic, to the point where Kelly has to keep a wait list and even has to close down the restaurant with people waiting because theyÂ’ve sold out. But there are greater things happening out in the magical world, and they walk into Mo MengÂ’s restaurant. With a table full of two agents, and a creature who is newly wakened after a very long sleep wandering in for a meal, Mo Meng finds things are changing, and not just in his restaurant.

Chaotic Aperitifs might have a bit more story to it than the first book, but itÂ’s still relatively light. Here, it focuses on a shift occurring in the magical world. Between these discussions and the world building, this one felt it held more meat on its bones, which was nice. I loved getting more glimpses into the magical world and how it worked, and was delighted with the delicate dance they and Kelly had to do in a restaurant full of both magical creatures and mundanes. I really enjoyed getting to know how the magic worked a little more, and what it was capable of. But the fun was in getting a glimpse of the world beyond, of events happening outside of the restaurant that are affecting it.

But it also remains true to the roots the first book planted. The story opens small, on Mo Meng as he prepares pineapples. As I found myself more familiar with more of the dishes he made in this one, I found myself more invested in his cooking process. I also thought that, compared to the first book, these passages were truncated, and a bit more world building was worked into it. In particular, I enjoyed the backstory to the pineapples Mo Meng acquired. It was fantastic to see the cooking and world building working together, so I found myself more invested and interested in this story.

My main interest, though, lay in Kelly. Chaotic Aperitifs really put more of a spotlight on her. As the sole employee, sheÂ’s essentially doing the job of everyone except the chef. As a mundane, sheÂ’s aware of the magical world, has learned to deal with magical creatures, but has no magic of her own, though the possibility of her learning to use magic seemed to be hinted at. But I adored her in this one. She has so much more personality, and I d the bit of history given to her. SheÂ’s kind of a lost soul, but sheÂ’s an amazing friend and employee to Mo Meng, and I really loved the way she dealt with the mundanes and magical creatures. She really had a deft hand with them, and I admired her all the more.

Chaotic Aperitifs is a quick, fun read. I thought this one was better balanced between story, world building, and cooking. While I would have enjoyed getting to know Mo Meng more outside of his cooking process, I enjoyed being out in the dining room with Kelly and the other characters. There are a lot of conversations in this book, and I loved gleaning more information about the world and the coming storm through them. In the first book, I was not thrilled at not being able to get into what was going on outside of the restaurant, so I think this one did an admirable job of staying true to its roots while also providing more glimpses of greater stirrings.

But I also find myself loving this restaurant. The magic is subtle, and, indeed, Mo Meng refuses to use it unless he really needs to. It felt a fairly basic restaurant, but I was charmed by the people and creatures that flooded in. It even felt a little overwhelming to me with the sudden influx of customers considering the customer pool was relatively small in the first book. It certainly put the pressure on everyone, even the diners as they had to be careful about what they said and did with mundanes sitting at the next table. Though it was also fun reading about them enjoying their meal.

I really enjoyed Chaotic Aperitifs. It wasnÂ’t perfect, and I would still love more of a look outside of the restaurant. But it did do a great job of whetting and satisfying my appetite for more. Besides, I found myself really invested in Kelly. She kind of felt the heart and soul of both the restaurant and the book, keeping things moving in an organized, efficient way. She certainly deserved to have a spotlight on her, and she really rose to the challenge. So I found myself enjoying this one, and I look forward to the rest of the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own. Annie4,051 72

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Chaotic Apéritifs is the second Hidden Dishes novella length fantasy cooking story by Tao Wong. Released 1st May 2024, it's 124 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is an entirely setting driven novella which is background and world building for a continuing novella arc/series based in and around a hidden fantasy restaurant in modern day Toronto. The restaurant is the work of one cook (who is more or less immortal) and his waitress, a quirky sarcastic young woman who is currently his only employee. They cook for and serve a plethora of supernatural and mortal customers in the tiny venue.

For foodies who fantasy, this might fill the bill. There are extensive, admittedly interesting, descriptions of food and cooking. The author *clearly* has done his research and describes the cooking processes minutely and (oddly) fascinatingly.

Reading/listening to the book will probably make readers hungry. Not recommended for late night reading unless one is in a large metropolitan area with 24 hour takeaway eateries conveniently accessible.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 3 hours and 28 minutes and is capably narrated by series narrator Emily Woo Zeller. She has a nuanced, neutral accent, and a young voice. She does a good job with the disparate accents (a dwarf, a giant, humans and others) and long, very involved descriptions of cooking and the resultant dishes produced.

There are a fair number of restaurant based fantasy settings, from Spider Robinson's Callahan series to Travis Baldree's Legends and Lattes, to 2021's buzz book Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune. This one is a *lot* more food intensive and a lot less plot driven than any of those, but it might whet the appetite. It's an indie published story, and according to the author's note in this novella, the eventual arc will contain 3-5 more stories and are intended to be able to be able to be read as standalones in any order..

Four stars. Short and engaging read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.netgalley1 Lata4,149 235

More customers than ever are coming to the Nameless Restaurant. Many of the new diners are magic wielders, which indicates to Mo Meng, proprietor, that the camouflage and wards he's placed on the restaurant are fading. This is all the direct result of two things: Lily, the insistent, magical customer of book one and her awakening others in the magical community to the Nameless Restaurant's existence, and Kelly, Meng's manager/waiter, and her use of social media to spread word of each night's menu.

On the one hand, it means more customers appreciating the tasty dishes Mo Meng prepares each night. On the other, it's beginning to be more work instead of the soothing activity it was.

While still full of scrumptious food, this book has a slightly more serious feel than book one did. There are two agents from the Department of Supernatural Entities present. They're there to investigate the failing wards. They're stuffy and bureaucratic, but Mika, the more experienced, has a more nuanced approach to what he sees. Whereas Ophelia takes offence at everything.

And there is also an ancient entity at a table, awoken by Lily's activities. He's not up-to-date with the present, and is trying to bluff his way through his conversations, and is also stressing out the other diners with his anger.

Nothing terrible happens, as Meng deals with the situation, but I get the sense that more, possibly troublesome diners are on their way to Meng's place in the next entry in this series. And Mo will have to figure out how to deal with this influx, or perhaps onslaught, and also to prevent running out of food. I am eager to read what happens next!

Thank you to Netgalley and to Starlit Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my review.2024-read arc bipoc-actor ...more Luzie63

As more people start coming to The Nameless Restaurant, Mo Meng has to deal with new problems customers who are too curious, technology that gets in the way, and friends who may not changes.

This is a very cozy listen. The busy restaurant scenes and magical interactions in the story are strangely calming. But be warned — the descriptions of the food and cooking are bound to make you hungry.

I have not listened to the previous installment, so I sometimes had trouble understanding the point of the story. As it is a super quick read or listen, the story stopped before I could figure it out entirely. I picked this audiobook out for its cozy vibes, and that is exactly what I got. If you are looking for more storytelling than atmosphere building, this might not be the book for you, though. I would also recommend listening to the first part before coming to this one because I believe it would have greatly elevated by experience. If you are not a fan of abrupt endings, I would maybe also wait for other parts of the series to come out, so they can be listened to in one go.

Emily Woo Zeller did an excellent job with her narration (5/5 for the audiobook production), it was very fitting to the story. If the blurb appeals to you, I would recommend listening to the audiobook, because it really adds to the cozy experience. I think this audiobook would work well as a good night story or other instances in which you want to listen to a magical, calming tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for gifting me this ALC of the audiobook to review.
Pujashree533 45

Emily Woo Zeller is one of my all-time favorite audiobook narrators, and she did a brilliant job with this series. Breezed through this and its prequel in less than 24 hours, and already cannot wait to return to the next dinner service at the Nameless Restaurant. Much the first book, the story is set in one space and evening, albeit the clientele has grown significantly since the last time. Once again, important conversations between consequential supernatural beings are taking place while Mo Meng and Kelly try to get the menu of the day out to a wide range of regulars and mundane. I must say, the dishes served in this one weren't as interesting as the first book. While a very notable mage makes an appearance and a stir, and much internal reflection is had by the chef and those in his domain, it didn't quite grip me narratively as consistently as the first book. For once, I wished I could follow some of the diners outside the eatery and see what they're up to, and how meals by Mo Meng impact their existence in the mundane world.

**I received a free audiobook ARC from the publisher through Netgalley Jessalyn Langevin44 3

As The Nameless Restaurant becomes more popular, Mo Meng faces new challenges including fading wards, new customers with prying eyes and intrusive technology, and old friends who may not be ready for a modern world. WhatÂ’s on the menu tonight?

Listening to this book, my friends whoÂ’ve worked in the restaurant industry will ly reminisce over their serving days. Although IÂ’m sure none of them have ever served the fantastical customers that grace The Nameless Restaurant. The details of a busy dinner service and interactions of the magical customers are strangely soothing. Meanwhile, the descriptions of the food and the cooking are delectably mouthwatering.

Rating: 3/5 ??s - Nice short read with great food descriptions. If youÂ’re a fantasy lover needing food inspiration, look no further. Or if youÂ’re looking for your next meal with a side of fantasy, this book will give you some ideas. Solidly enjoyable and easy to read as a standalone. Chaotic Apertifs is the second of Tao WongÂ’s Hidden Dishes series.

Thank you Tao Wong and Dreamscape Media for this enjoyable and mouthwatering read!arc-books asian-authors fantasy ...more Jessica303 16

There is something about these books that are so soothing. Slipping into the Nameless Restaurant is calming and a warm hug but with a playfulness that makes me want to keep coming back and see what they all get up to. The descriptions - of the food and the characters - is all encompassing and I feel I should be checking alleys in Toronto to see if I can find the Restaurant and Mo Meng's food myself.

While part of a series (and I think a spin-off of another series) it is easy enough for this book to standalone, and makes me pluck at what could be other easter eggs or forthcoming stories, eager for more of this world. A quick read, but nothing is lacking because of that - the food descriptions alone linger, but the added depth of the narrative and wide cast of different characters is perfect for the novella. A restorative book that I hope is just the beginning of many many more to come.arc-netgalley-giveaway Vermillion78

Chaotic Aperitifs is the second novella in the Hidden Dishes series. I have not read the first one yet but these books can be read as a standalone but I definitely read the first one too. The novella was quite enjoyable, and one thing is for sure it made me hungry. As for the story, The story is easy to follow, and the narrative is whimsical. The author also includes a bit of world-building outside of the restaurant, which I found interesting and I hope we get to learn more. If you enjoy whimsical stories, I'd definitely recommend giving this series a try. I can't wait to read more of this no name restaurant with a magical chef. Also, I got the audiobook arc too. Emily Woo Zeller did an excellent job narrating the story. She definitely gives these characters an amazing voice. I'd highly recommend checking out the audiobook version too. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy.
piper | monarchsandmyths475 64

thank you to Dreamscape Media for providing me with an ALC!

Okay, first of all this is just a great cozy cooking fantasy series, and honestly this second novella might be my favourite! Tao Wong uses a lot of classic fantasy elements and/or tropes (magic, mythology, etc) and lets them coincide in the fictional, nameless restaurant of Mo Meng, where the descriptions of all the different dishes made me a little sad that I couldnÂ’t eat them. With this second installation in the series, I think it was nice to already have the general world established, while still getting new character interactions and more insight into characters Kelly! The narration is also done by Emily Woo Zeller, who is already one of my favourite narrators, and she does an absolutely fantastic job of immersing the listener into the world! This isnÂ’t the most in depth fantasy world or all that high stakes, but itÂ’s a great way to spend an hour or two and let yourself enjoy the atmosphere of a magical restaurant where the food comes first.arcs Lucy1,542 33

This is the second book in this series, about a little restaurant run by a possibly immortal, definitely long-lived chef, which caters to magical and non-magical people a. The whole set-up reminds of Midnight Diner series, though on a larger scale.

This series is turning out to be very slice of life, focusing partly on the customers and partly on Mo Meng and Kelly. In this book, Kelly's social media advertising has filled the restaurant up with customers and she and Mo Meng also has to deal with Lily from the first book recommending them to a bunch of other high-powered magical beings. Everything we get about this world I want to hear more about it. We also get more about Kelly and what goes on in her life outside of the job.

That said, I feel we got this taste of character arcs and world-building and plot and then it ended before we got some proper resolution. Another chapter would have been great!

4 stars!2024 audiobooks book-games ...more Sofia703 27

This was a lovely reading, my experience with the first volume was only in writing and while I did enjoy it, having listened to this one in audiobook made it far more enjoyable.

I read lots of stories that I really donÂ’t wish for them to be real, or to meet similar situationsÂ… far too many post apocalyptical and dystopian settings for it, but in the case of this bookÂ… oh I wish I could find the door to the nameless restaurant, that would be a fun and delicious situation, I did try to follow directions to make that special grilled cheese sandwich, I couldnÂ’t wait to perfection, nor did I have all the different ingredients, but it was still very good.

Fans of Koduko no gurume drama/manga will enjoy this book, it has enough of cooking, of the story of the guests to make this story even more enjoyable. The audiobook made the experience even more fun.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media | Dreamscape Lore, for the free AAC, and this is my honest opinion. audiobook netgalley review Ink640 16

Chaotic Apéritifs by Tao Wong and narrated by Emily Woo Zeller is a delightfully whimsical, unique and mellow fantasy that is very different from any I have ever listened to. One of the sweetest notions within is that of cooking by hand and not by magic in a world of the paranormal being the norm

The narration by Emily Woo Zeller suits the storyline perfectly and the gentle cadence is a wonderful accompaniment to what is a lovely story

The narrative is thoughtful, reflective and illustrative. A cozy of comfort and reflection. Beautifully written and almost a meditation which left me utterly blissed. A wonderful audiobook to relax with

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media | Dreamscape Lore, the author Tao Wong and narrator Emily Woo Zeller for this delightful ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
audiobooks netgalley1 Steph Bauer148 1 follower

To be honest, I hadn't even read the first book. I picked this one up not realizing there was a first book and absolutely loved it. It was a short book but full of imagery and food descriptions that honestly made me hungry, it reminded me a bit of an anime I watched not too long ago called "Restaurant In Another World" which I also loved.

The characters were compelling and full of depth and the narrator (I read it on audio) is one of my favorites, Emily Woo Zellar. She always does an amazing job of capturing each character and giving them a voice. A perfect combination of well written and well spoken.

This book is great on it's own, but I assume even better as a series. I d it so much now I will have to read the first one and let you know!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for a review copy in exchange for my honest review. Jill Elizabeth1,669 56

I absolutely adore this series! The Nameless Restaurant is such a brilliant concept and I really love the way it is executed. Each story is a wholly original and imaginative slice of wonder that blends mythology and wit with absolutely delicious - pun fully intended - descriptions and characterizations.

The narration is spot on perfect, capturing the whimsy and cleverness of the text to a T. The books in this series literally cannot come out fast enough for my personal taste, and I was delighted that the next full book in the series was referenced at the end of this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy. Mojo14

This was every bit as delightful and charming as I expected. It made me very hungry, and also gave me some mildly stressful flashbacks of being a server on a busy night.
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