Book Review – Goodbye Chinatown by Kit Fan @WorldEdBooks

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About the Book

As her native Hong Kong seethes, torn between two world powers, Amber Fan tries to build a career as a chef in London’s Chinatown. 

Amber Fan, a young Oxford-educated chef, opens the first Chinese fusion joint in London’s Chinatown following the failure of her father’s traditional restaurant.

When her parents decide to return to Hong Kong, taking with them their young son Bobby as well as the haunting secret surrounding his birth, Amber is left alone in London. That is, until a woman called Celeste hires out the restaurant, coughing up three grand for a dinner for one. Who is this extravagant stranger, and how did she get so wealthy?

Set in the aftermath of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule, Goodbye Chinatown shows a family torn between two countries. Amber throws herself into her career to escape the painful cycle of family separations and reunions.

Format: Paperback (268 pages) Publisher: World Editions
Publication date: 2nd June 2026 Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Find Goodbye Chinatown on Goodreads

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My Review

The description gives the impression the book’s focus is mainly on Amber’s culinary career. Although I enjoyed this element and was interested in how her menu gradually expanded beyond the ‘traditional’ Chinese dishes served in the family’s restaurant, this wasn’t the most interesting part of the book for me.

It was when the focus moved to political events in Hong Kong, the impact of its return to Chinese rule and the pro-democracy demonstrations, that the book really came alive for me. There’s a particularly brilliant chapter which provides an insight into the harshness of government attempts to repress the protests, told from the point of view of Bobby, Amber’s son, who has become involved in making video films of the demonstrations.

My favourite character was Amber’s mother, Mrs Fan. The events in Tiananmen Square in June 1989 are seered in her memory and as a teacher she experiences first-hand the changes imposed as a result of the handover of Hong Kong to China.

Celeste couldn’t be more different from Mrs Fan, especially in her political views. Although Celeste’s investment in Amber’s restaurant comes at a crucial time, she comes across as a ‘collector’ of people, in the way someone might collect art or antiques, taking pleasure in their possession rather than having a genuine interest. She obviously revels in her behind the scenes influence and ability to fix things with a word in the right ear.

There were scenes in the book I found absolutely fascinating. For example, a Taoist funeral where professional mourners cry throughout the funeral, expressing the sorrow that family members are not permitted to show, and paper effigies of luxurious objects are displayed – a Rolls Royce, Rolex watches, a jacuzzi – for the deceased to enjoy in the underworld.

Goodbye Chinatown weaves together a lot of different elements: the progress of Amber’s culinary career, her difficult relationship with her son Bobby, the impact of ‘bird flu’ and the 2008 financial crisis on the Chinese hospitality industry, as well as political events in Hong Kong. In many ways I think its exploration of cultural identity reflects the author’s own experience of being born in Hong Kong but living in England. I’m sure it’s not a coincidence that the family’s name is Fan. However, at the end of the book I was left with the feeling I would have liked more generous helpings of some elements and less of others.

I received an advance review copy courtesy of World Editions via NetGalley.

In three words: Thoughtful, multi-faceted, heartfelt

About the Author

Kit Fan is a novelist, poet and critic. Born and educated in Hong Kong and now living in the UK, he has written for the Guardian, Times Literary Supplement and Telegraph. Goodbye Chinatown is his second novel. His first novel, Diamond Hill, was published by World Editions in 2021. (Photo: Goodreads)

Connect with Kit
Website | Instagram

#SixOnSaturday – Six things happening in my garden this week

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Six on Saturday is a weekly meme originally hosted by The Propagator but now in the tender care of Jim at Garden Ruminations.

With apologies to Irving Berlin – ‘We’re having a heat wave, A tropical heat wave, The temperature’s rising, It isn’t surprising… Some plants are not thriving.’

One – Reprising last week’s pink theme, a rose of unknown variety.

Two – Tanacetum coccineum ‘Robinson’s Red’ growing alongside viola. In the background are two, now very tall, teasels I sowed last year that I hope will attract goldfinch once their prickly flower heads have appeared.

Three – The wildlife pond I constructed last year has developed a lot of algae. I probably didn’t choose the best location for it although in fairness there weren’t that many other options. A lot of leaves fell in the pond last autumn and have sunk to the bottom. I think another factor is the pond is in full sun at certain points in the day. I’ve started to plant along the front edge in an effort to create more shade. I hope this sesleria autumnalis, also known as autumn moor-grass, will do the trick.

Four – I have a fondness for heuchera and I couldn’t resist this heuchera pulchella with its delicate pinky-white flowers when I spotted it on a recent garden centre trip.

Five – Chive flowers and fennel foliage in the herb garden.

Six – A rather tatty looking flower of Leucanthemum × superbum but it’s welcome anyway.

Do check out the posts of other participants by following the links in the comments section of Jim’s post. If you fancy taking part yourself but don’t know where to start, here’s the participant’s guide.