Ming-Na Wen Recipes: 18 Family Dishes From the Restaurant Kitchen She Grew Up Above

Ming-Na Wen recipes are suddenly everywhere, and for a sweet reason. The voice of Mulan and Star Wars star just released her first cookbook, Have You Eaten Yet? Family Recipes from a Restaurant Daughter (Simon Element, October 6, 2026), with more than 70 recipes shaped by her childhood at Chinatown Inn, her family’s restaurant in Pittsburgh. In many Chinese families, “Have you eaten yet?” is how people say I love you. Here are cozy dishes in that spirit: a few restaurant classics named in the book and the home cooking that fed the family. These are our own easy versions, each with a shopping list and simple steps. Pull up a chair and grab a bowl..

Ming-Na Wen Recipes Start With a Bowl of Wonton Soup

Long before she was a Disney princess and a Star Wars hero, Ming-Na Wen did her homework above her parents’ Chinese restaurant in Pittsburgh. Chinatown Inn was the last restaurant of the city’s old Chinatown, and wonton soup was on the menu. It is in her book too. Read more about the book and the restaurant in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Here is our easy home version..

You will need: 1/2 lb ground pork, 1/4 lb shrimp chopped, 2 green onions minced, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 30 wonton wrappers, 8 cups chicken broth, 2 heads baby bok choy, white pepper

How to make it: 1. Mix pork, shrimp, green onions, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil. 2. Put 1 tsp filling in each wrapper, wet the edges, fold into a triangle and pinch two corners together. 3. Bring the broth to a simmer with a pinch of white pepper. 4. Boil the wontons in water 4 minutes, until they float. 5. Add them to bowls with bok choy and hot broth.

Crispy Egg Rolls Like the Ones at Chinatown Inn

Egg rolls are one of the restaurant classics in Ming-Na Wen’s new cookbook, and they are a big part of how a restaurant family eats: rolled by the dozen at the kitchen table, fried until they crackle. Our home version uses pork, cabbage and carrots, and you can freeze a batch before frying. Serve them hot with sweet and sour sauce and hot mustard, the way so many Ming-Na Wen recipes start: with a crowd at the table. Do you dip in sweet and sour or mustard?

You will need: 1/2 lb ground pork, 3 cups shredded cabbage, 1 carrot shredded, 3 green onions sliced, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp grated ginger, 12 egg roll wrappers, 1 egg beaten, oil for frying

How to make it: 1. Brown the pork, then add cabbage, carrot, ginger and soy sauce and cook 3 minutes. 2. Stir in green onions and sesame oil and cool. 3. Put 3 tbsp filling on each wrapper, fold in the sides and roll up tight. 4. Seal the edge with beaten egg. 5. Fry at 350 F for 3 to 4 minutes until golden, then drain.

Ming-Na Wen Recipes: Shrimp Fried Rice, the Dish Uncle Roger Tasted

Shrimp fried rice is in the book, and it is also the dish behind the most watched video on her YouTube channel, Wen in the Kitchen: “Uncle Roger FINALLY tries my Shrimp Fried Rice” passed 935,000 views in about two weeks. The rule every restaurant cook knows is to use cold, day old rice so the grains fry instead of steam. Did your family have a fried rice rule?

You will need: 3 cups cold cooked rice, 1/2 lb shrimp peeled, 2 eggs beaten, 1/2 cup peas and carrots, 3 green onions sliced, 2 cloves garlic minced, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp oil, white pepper

How to make it: 1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok and cook the shrimp 2 minutes, then set aside. 2. Scramble the eggs softly and set aside. 3. Add the rest of the oil, garlic, peas and carrots. 4. Add the rice and fry over high heat, tossing, 3 minutes. 5. Stir in soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper, shrimp, eggs and green onions.

Ming-Na Wen Recipes Like Her TODAY Show Spare Ribs

Ming-Na made her spare ribs on TODAY while talking about the book, and ribs like these are pure family table food. Our version simmers them low and slow in soy sauce, a little brown sugar, ginger and star anise until the meat almost falls off the bone and the sauce turns sticky. Serve with plenty of steamed rice to catch every drop, like most Ming-Na Wen recipes. Are you a rib person or a wing person?

You will need: 2 lb pork spare ribs cut into pieces, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry, 4 slices ginger, 3 cloves garlic, 2 star anise, 2 cups water, green onions

How to make it: 1. Blanch the ribs in boiling water 3 minutes and drain. 2. Brown them in a pot with a little oil. 3. Add ginger, garlic, star anise, wine, both soy sauces, sugar and water. 4. Cover and simmer 50 to 60 minutes until tender. 5. Uncover and boil until the sauce turns sticky, then top with green onions.

Tomato and Egg Stir Fry, the Everyday Family Dish

Ask almost any Chinese American family about the dish they ate most growing up, and tomato and egg comes up again and again. It takes 10 minutes and a few cheap ingredients: soft scrambled eggs and juicy tomatoes cooked into a sweet and savory sauce. Spoon it over rice on a busy weeknight. It fits right in with Ming-Na Wen recipes for home. It is the kind of meal a busy restaurant family makes for itself. Sweet or savory version?

You will need: 4 eggs, 3 ripe tomatoes cut in wedges, 2 green onions, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp ketchup (optional), 2 tbsp oil, steamed rice

How to make it: 1. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt. 2. Scramble them softly in hot oil and set aside. 3. Cook the tomatoes 3 minutes until juicy. 4. Add sugar, salt and ketchup and stir. 5. Fold the eggs back in, top with green onions and serve over rice.

Steamed Fish With Ginger and Scallion

A whole steamed fish is the centerpiece of many Chinese family dinners, especially for celebrations. It sounds fancy, but it is one of the easiest dishes here: steam the fish for about 10 minutes, then pour sizzling oil over ginger and scallions and finish with a soy sauce dressing. The fish stays silky and the kitchen smells amazing, and it is one of the most special Ming-Na Wen recipes to try. Have you ever cooked a whole fish at home?

You will need: 1 whole white fish (about 1 1/2 lb, sea bass or tilapia) cleaned, 3 inch piece ginger cut in thin strips, 4 green onions cut in strips, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp water, 1 tsp sugar, 3 tbsp oil, cilantro

How to make it: 1. Score the fish and put half the ginger inside and under it. 2. Steam over boiling water 9 to 12 minutes. 3. Pour off the liquid and top with the rest of the ginger and green onions. 4. Heat the oil until very hot and pour it over the top. 5. Warm soy sauce, water and sugar and spoon around the fish.

Ming-Na Wen Recipes for Sunday: Red Braised Pork Belly

Red braised pork belly is the slow Sunday dish of Chinese home cooking. Cubes of pork belly simmer in soy sauce, rock sugar and Shaoxing wine until they turn glossy and deep red and melt in your mouth. It takes time, but almost all of it is hands off. A little goes a long way with rice and a green vegetable. Would you make this for a family Sunday dinner?

You will need: 2 lb pork belly cut in 1 1/2 inch cubes, 3 tbsp rock sugar or brown sugar, 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 4 slices ginger, 2 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cups hot water

How to make it: 1. Blanch the pork 3 minutes and drain. 2. Melt the sugar in a pot until amber. 3. Add the pork and stir to coat. 4. Add wine, soy sauces, ginger, spices and water and simmer covered 1 1/2 hours. 5. Uncover and reduce until the sauce is thick and glossy.

Soy Sauce Chicken

Soy sauce chicken is a Cantonese family favorite, and Ming-Na’s family came to Pittsburgh by way of Macau and Hong Kong. A whole chicken gently poaches in a mix of soy sauce, sugar, ginger and spices until the skin turns shiny and mahogany. Let it cool a little, chop it, and serve it with rice and a spoonful of the cooking liquid. White meat or dark meat?

You will need: 1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 lb), 1 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup dark soy sauce, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup Shaoxing wine, 4 cups water, 6 slices ginger, 4 green onions, 2 star anise, 1 tsp sesame oil

How to make it: 1. Bring everything but the chicken and sesame oil to a boil in a deep pot. 2. Lower in the chicken breast side down. 3. Simmer 15 minutes, flip and simmer 15 more. 4. Turn off the heat, cover and let it sit 30 minutes. 5. Brush with sesame oil, chop and serve with some of the sauce.

Rice Porridge for Cold Mornings

Congee is the bowl of comfort Chinese families make for cold mornings, sick days and lazy weekends. A little rice simmers in lots of broth until it turns silky and creamy. Then everyone adds their own toppings: shredded chicken, a soft egg, green onions, fried shallots, a drizzle of soy sauce. It costs almost nothing to make, and it may be the coziest of these Ming-Na Wen recipes. What would you put on yours?

You will need: 3/4 cup jasmine rice, 8 cups chicken broth or water, 3 slices ginger, 1/2 tsp salt. Toppings: shredded cooked chicken, soft boiled eggs, green onions, fried shallots, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper

How to make it: 1. Rinse the rice and put it in a big pot with the broth and ginger. 2. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. 3. Simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring now and then, until silky. 4. Season with salt and remove the ginger. 5. Ladle into bowls and add your toppings.

Garlic Shrimp in 15 Minutes

Garlic shrimp is the quick dinner that feels like a treat. Big shrimp sizzle in butter and oil with a lot of garlic, a splash of soy sauce and a squeeze of lemon. Serve it with rice to soak up the sauce, or with crusty bread. It is ready faster than any delivery order, and among Ming-Na Wen recipes it is the quickest. How many cloves of garlic is too many?

You will need: 1 lb large shrimp peeled, 8 cloves garlic minced, 2 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, juice of 1/2 lemon, chopped parsley or green onions

How to make it: 1. Pat the shrimp dry. 2. Heat butter and oil and cook the garlic 30 seconds. 3. Add the shrimp in one layer and cook 2 minutes per side. 4. Stir in soy sauce, sugar, pepper flakes and lemon juice. 5. Top with herbs and serve right away.

Garlic Bok Choy

Every Chinese family dinner has a plate of greens in the middle of the table, and garlic bok choy is the easiest one. Baby bok choy cooks in two minutes in a hot pan with garlic, then gets a splash of oyster sauce or soy sauce. It is fresh, crisp and the perfect partner for the rich braised dishes in this gallery. Do your kids eat their greens?

You will need: 1 lb baby bok choy halved, 4 cloves garlic sliced, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp oyster sauce or soy sauce, 2 tbsp water, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp sesame oil

How to make it: 1. Wash the bok choy well and shake dry. 2. Heat the oil and cook the garlic 20 seconds. 3. Add the bok choy and toss 1 minute. 4. Add water, cover and steam 1 minute. 5. Stir in oyster sauce, sugar and sesame oil and serve.

Ming-Na Wen Recipes to Fold Together: Pork and Chive Potstickers

Folding dumplings together is a family tradition in a lot of Chinese homes, especially around Lunar New Year. Everybody gets a stack of wrappers and a spoon, and nobody’s pleats look the same. Pan fry them so the bottoms get crisp and the tops steam soft. Make extra and freeze them on a tray for busy nights. Who is the best dumpling folder in your family?

You will need: 1 lb ground pork, 1 cup chopped garlic chives or green onions, 1 tbsp grated ginger, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp sugar, 40 round dumpling wrappers, oil, water. Dip: soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili oil

How to make it: 1. Mix pork, chives, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. 2. Put 1 tsp filling in each wrapper, wet the edge and pleat it shut. 3. Fry in a little oil until the bottoms are golden. 4. Add 1/3 cup water, cover and steam 6 minutes. 5. Uncover, crisp 1 minute and serve with the dip.

Silky Steamed Egg Custard

Steamed egg is the dish many Chinese American kids remember from their mom’s kitchen: smooth, wobbly egg custard with a drizzle of soy sauce and sesame oil. It costs pennies and takes 15 minutes. The trick is mixing the eggs with warm broth and steaming them gently so the top stays smooth as silk. Spoon it over rice, like so many Ming-Na Wen recipes. Did someone make this for you as a kid?

You will need: 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cups warm chicken broth or water, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1 green onion sliced

How to make it: 1. Beat the eggs with the salt. 2. Stir in the warm broth and strain the mixture into a shallow bowl. 3. Cover the bowl with a plate. 4. Steam over gentle simmering water 12 to 15 minutes, until just set. 5. Top with soy sauce, sesame oil and green onions.

Flaky Scallion Pancakes

Scallion pancakes are the snack kids beg for: crisp, flaky, chewy and full of green onions. The dough is just flour and hot water, rolled up with oil and scallions to make the layers. Cut them into wedges and serve with a simple soy dipping sauce. They also freeze well between sheets of parchment, so these Ming-Na Wen recipes for snacks are always ready. Would you eat these for breakfast, lunch or a snack?

You will need: 2 cups flour, 3/4 cup hot water, 1/4 cup cold water, 3 tbsp oil plus more for frying, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup sliced green onions. Dip: soy sauce, rice vinegar, a pinch of sugar

How to make it: 1. Mix flour with hot water, then cold water, and knead into a soft dough. 2. Rest 30 minutes and cut into 4 pieces. 3. Roll each thin, brush with oil, sprinkle salt and green onions, roll up and coil. 4. Flatten into a 7 inch pancake. 5. Pan fry 3 minutes per side until golden and flaky.

Mapo Tofu for Spice Lovers

Mapo tofu is the soft, spicy, saucy Sichuan dish that turns a block of tofu into something you crave. Ground pork, chili bean paste and a little Sichuan peppercorn make a deep red sauce that clings to every cube. It is ready in 20 minutes and loves a big bowl of rice. Make it milder for the kids with less chili paste. How spicy can you go?

You will need: 1 block (14 oz) soft tofu cubed, 1/4 lb ground pork, 2 tbsp chili bean paste (doubanjiang), 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ginger, 1 cup broth, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp cornstarch in 2 tbsp water, 1/2 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorn, green onions

How to make it: 1. Simmer the tofu cubes in salted water 2 minutes and drain. 2. Brown the pork, then add chili bean paste, garlic and ginger. 3. Add broth, soy sauce and sugar and slide in the tofu. 4. Simmer 4 minutes and stir in the cornstarch slurry. 5. Top with Sichuan pepper and green onions.

Ming-Na Wen Recipes for American Nights: Chicken Parmesan

Not every recipe in the book is Chinese. Chicken parmesan is one of the American family favorites she included, and it shows how real families eat: a little of everything. Crispy breaded cutlets, marinara and melted mozzarella, baked in one dish. And if you love restaurant flavors at home, try our Chinese takeout copycats too. Chicken parm with pasta or in a sandwich?

You will need: 2 large chicken breasts halved into thin cutlets, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup flour, 2 cups marinara sauce, 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, basil, salt and pepper, oil

How to make it: 1. Season the cutlets and dip in flour, egg, then breadcrumbs mixed with Parmesan. 2. Pan fry in oil 3 minutes per side until golden. 3. Spread sauce in a baking dish and lay the chicken on top. 4. Spoon over more sauce and cover with mozzarella. 5. Bake at 400 F for 15 to 20 minutes and top with basil.

Pesto Salmon, a Weeknight Favorite From the Book

Pesto salmon is another of the everyday dishes named in her cookbook, and it is a smart one for busy cooks. Spread a jar of basil pesto on salmon fillets, top with a few breadcrumbs or crushed nuts, and roast for 12 minutes. It looks like restaurant food and takes almost no work. Add a green vegetable and dinner is done. Store bought or homemade pesto?

You will need: 4 salmon fillets, 1/2 cup basil pesto, 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs or chopped pine nuts, 1 lemon, salt and pepper, olive oil

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 400 F and line a pan with parchment. 2. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. 3. Spread pesto thickly on top. 4. Sprinkle with panko and drizzle with oil. 5. Roast 12 to 15 minutes and serve with lemon wedges.

Ming-Na Wen Recipes for Dessert: Chinese Almond Cookies

Almond cookies are the classic sweet at the end of a Chinese restaurant meal, often handed out with the check. They are crisp at the edges, sandy and tender inside and full of almond flavor, with one almond pressed on top. Bake a tin for the holidays or for guests. And when they arrive, ask the question that says everything: have you eaten yet? Who would you bake these for?

You will need: 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 cup almond flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 cup butter softened, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg plus 1 yolk for brushing, 2 tsp almond extract, 24 whole almonds

How to make it: 1. Beat butter and sugar, then add the egg and almond extract. 2. Mix in flour, almond flour, baking soda and salt. 3. Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and flatten slightly. 4. Press an almond on each and brush with egg yolk. 5. Bake at 325 F for 15 to 18 minutes until golden.