Chopsticks or Fork?

Chopsticks or Fork? is a collection of stories and recipes from Chinese restaurants in regional Australia, based on the six-part ABC series created by Lin Jie Kong and Jennifer Wong.

The book lovingly captures the stories of ten very different families who run Chinese restaurants, from Queensland's Hervey Bay to Western Australia's Dunsborough, and features 32 classic Australian Chinese recipes. As well as revealing the secrets behind everything from sizzling Mongolian lamb to deep fried ice cream, Chopsticks or Fork? includes trivia on the lazy Susan, encounters with the country's biggest Chinese restaurant fans, a game of Chinese restaurant bingo just waiting to be played on your next night out, and more Chinese restaurant 'takeaways' than you can poke a (chop)stick at.

This is a unique celebration of an integral part of Australian cultural and culinary history.

About the Authors

Jennifer Wong is a writer, comedian, and presenter of Chopsticks or Fork? Jen's writing on food, culture, and mental health has been published by Monocle, ABC News, ABC Everyday, SBS News and SBS Food. She has appeared on ABC TV, ABC Radio National, SBS TV and Al Jazeera, and has performed sold-out stand-up shows at comedy and arts festivals in Australia, Shanghai and Edinburgh.

Lin Jie Kong is a cinematographer, production allrounder, and director of Chopsticks or Fork?. To help her learn English as a child, Lin Jie's parents let her rent as many movies as she wanted from Blockbuster during the school holidays, which kick-started a lifelong obsession with telling stories. Lin Jie has produced and directed a vast range of shows and documentaries for the ABC, including Good Game, What is Music and Comedy Next Gen.