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101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die: Discover a New World of Flavors in Authentic Recipes

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Celebrity chef, Asian cooking expert and TV personality Jet Tila has compiled his 100 most time-honored and prized recipes for the home cook in this amazing collection of Asian recipes. The dishes are authentic drawn from Jet s varied cooking experience, unique heritage and travels. The dishes are also approachable with simplified techniques, weeknight-friendly total cook times and ingredients commonly found in most urban grocery stores today.

Chef Jet was raised in a diverse family half Chinese and half Thai and in a diverse part of Los Angeles, where he was exposed to both restaurant and home-cooked foods from all the major food cultures of Asia, giving him a uniquely broad experience in Asian food culture. He battled legendary Chef Masaharu Morimoto on Iron Chef America, and is currently a judge on Cutthroat Kitchen on the Food Network. Jet Tila s first book presents his best versions of the best dishes from Asian cuisine.

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340 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 27, 2017

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Jet Tila

13 books25 followers

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5 stars
443 (58%)
4 stars
224 (29%)
3 stars
74 (9%)
2 stars
13 (1%)
1 star
4 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
Profile Image for Mallory.
1,650 reviews242 followers
June 9, 2023
I really enjoy this cookbook. I haven’t done a ton of exploring yet, there are a lot of base ingredients I don’t have that I need to gather, but I love Jet’s voice and his explanations of the dishes and the culture around them is amazing. I’m especially excited about making the Bulgogi as I love that dish but don’t’ have it as much as I would like. I’ve seen Jet on Food Network making some of these dishes and I know they will be amazing.
Profile Image for Katherine.
202 reviews
January 9, 2018
Five star for readability, four star for the recipes so far. Some of this is probably knowing how your own tastes work. I knew after cooking the first recipe that I want more sauce in my dishes. So the second one, I increased the sauce by 50% and voila, the dish was about as close to perfect as anything I've ever made.

Some recipes also call for vegetable oil in the recipe and canola oil for stir-frying. Me, I'm going to use all peanut oil and not keep several kinds of oil around - plus I like the high smoke point of peanut oil for stir-frying.

Tila has an marvelous writing style and his recipes are both accessible and delicious. I have other Asian cookbooks, but this is the one that I want to play with.
Profile Image for AquaMoon.
1,591 reviews57 followers
August 9, 2017
Hubby and I love Asian cooking...and we're actually kind of snobs about it. We visit our favorite restaurants, order our favorite dishes, try to determine the balance of flavors used by the chefs, and then try to replicate those same results at home.

We have already perfected Chicken Fried Rice and are a just small bit away from doing the same with Mongolian Beef (which our local restaurant makes differently from any other Chinese place). Maybe a little less hoisin sause next time, a pinch more oyster... We'll see. Also, our cabbage kimchi rocks to the point it is actually BETTER than the magical stuff you can order at the restaurant.

7-29-2017
But a couple dishes have continued to elude us. The main one being Pad Se-Ew. Seemed no matter what we did, no matter how many recipes we tried, we couldn't get it. Since this is one of our favorite Thai dishes, you can imagine how frusrating it was for us that we couldn't seem to find a good way to make it at home. But thanks to this book's Pad Se-Ew recipe, which we used as a guideline, we nailed it perfectly (We tweaked it a little, cutting the fish sause by half and frying red pepper flake in the oil to amp up the heat, because we like it spicy). We were thrilled!!! Also, the recipe is super simple. We'll absolutely make it again!
Pad Se-Ew Yum Rating: 10 out of 10

7-30-2017
The next night we tried Kung-Pow Shrimp. We used chicken instead of shrimp because that's what we wanted. We already have a decent kung pow recipe, but wanted to try this one because it was so different. Also, the pad se-ew was so fantastic we figured this recipe might be better than the one we already have. The result was....not so good. The dish had a strange flavor that tasted nothing like any kung pow dish we ever eaten, and not in a good way. It wasn't awful, but the flavor blend was off somehow...and it seemed to be missing something important. Plus, it was much more complicated to make than our existing (old reliable) recipe. We won't make this one again.
Kung Pow Chicken/Shrimp Yum Rating: 3 out of 10

8-1-2017
Fried Rice Our "Old Reliable" recipe is far superior to the one in the book.

8-2-2017
We made the Pad Se-Ew again, this time adding even MORE red pepper flake and leaving out the garlic, which was a good choice and changed the flavor a bit. For the better, we thought. This is what I like about recipes: Once you try and like, you can modify for your personal taste
Pad Se-Ew Yum Rating WITH MODIFICATIONS: 12 out of 10

Thinking our next adventure will be the Drunken Noodles ...


8-9-2017: OK...SO...
I'm just going to mark this as "Read". Hubby and I got hung up on making variations of Pad Se-Ew and tweaking the recipe to make it our own.

Then we got distracted with Making The Perfect Hamburger (Nailed It!).

So don't think we'll be delving into this book any more in the forseeable future.

I've got to take it back to the library anyway.

But we got what we wanted out of it, which was a single, solitary recipe that will be part of our regular Dinner Rotation for some time.

At least until we get distracted by the next thing...
Profile Image for Carrie McConn.
173 reviews1 follower
May 2, 2023
Fantastic, delicious, easy tasty recipes.
A couple of recipes have errors, but otherwise a scrumptious collection.
54 reviews
March 16, 2018
Wow! An amazing chef and cookbook. Great title!

I wholeheartedly agree with the author's title of the book. GREAT recipes. There isn't anything that my husband and I haven't loved. My husband can't wait to see which recipe I'm going to try next. Easy to understand recipes, GreAt pictures. Love the table of contents hyperlinks. Thank you for sharing your grandmother's secret sauce recipe and the peanut and sriracha recipes. Looking forward to your next cookbook.
Profile Image for Jessie.
173 reviews
March 26, 2019
I haven't made any of the recipes yet, but there is a well-stocked Asian market twenty minutes away, so I don't have any excuse to wait very long. I plan to try the peanut "master" sauce first, followed by pad see ew (my go-to order at Thai restaurants). Four stars for great, unpretentious readability.
Profile Image for Kat Day.
Author 2 books30 followers
February 18, 2022
I've been a big fan of Jet Tila ever since I started watching shows like Cutthroat Kitchen and Guy's Grocery Games. I haven't seen Tournament of Champions yet, but it's on the list. Everyone always talks about how nice this guy is and how much that he can teach them in one sitting. So I absolutely wanted to get his book series. Let me tell you, I'm so eager to share this review with you.

Every page just a tantalizing mix of Asian cuisine, a melting pot of divine flavor. I am stunned by the mouthwatering flavors that just stir my taste buds and I genuinely wish I could visit LA to dine at one of his restaurants. I highly recommend this book to anyone.

My one single complaint. It's super hard to find Thai basil, which is very different from regular Italian basil. So I had to work with what I had and I know that changes the flavor, which I expected, but everything that had it was still absolutely delicious and I'd make again.

Recipes from this book I've tried -

Spicy Basil Beef (Pad Kaprow) - so easy to make, so quick to disappear. Beautiful smells, wonderful taste.

General Tso's Chicken - Super tender, super saucy, I love it, love it. It has its own flavor while also kind of touching up on that flavor you see in local Asian restaurants.

Thai BBQ Chicken With Sweet Chili Sauce - Very good, I overcooked this my first time, but I got it right the second. So delicious.

Bulgogi - MY FAVORITE dish from this book, hands down. It's got that sweet, it's got the spice, it's beautifully blended and I love steak. Seriously, this is a new staple for my household.

*Note. So sadly I am deathly allergic to pineapple and unfortunately there are several recipes in this book that I cannot express my opinion on, but I'm sure they would be epic if I could!

Drunken Noodles - I loved this so much, I used it in my book. One of my characters literally makes this at the beginning. Super tasty!

Panang Chicken Curry - Since this is one of my go-tos on Thai restaurant menus, I had to try it. I wasn't disappointed.

Thom Ka Gai soup - Crazy spicy, but something I'd eat any day. I needed a lot of milk for this but it was so worth it. Those flavors pop like crazy in your mouth.

Sweet Chili Chicken Wings - Wings, who can resist? I can't. And these are fabulous.

Homemade Sriracha
Hoisin Peanut Sauce
Both sauces equally delicious!
Profile Image for Jessica Hicks.
382 reviews7 followers
January 12, 2024
I’m a big fan of Food Network personalities so I jumped at the chance to get a copy of this book from Page Street. I like Jet Tila’s teaching style. I enjoyed reading about him through my man Alton Brown’s eyes and I salivated over the pictures! The food was easy to make and most of it was quite good.
🍤
Here’s what I made:
🥦 Beef and Broccoli- I am not a vegetable person and I was shocked to find the broccoli was the best part of this dish! The florets held onto the delicious sauce and gave me a flavor explosion with each bite 🤤. Also pre-cut stir fry beef made this recipe even easier and the texture was great!
🦀 California Roll- the sushi rice recipe in this book is stellar. I ended up eating quite a bit with my bare hands before I got ahold of myself and started assembling the rolls. And that’s where I went wrong- Tila says to use real crab and I didn’t know which kind to buy and I bought canned because the can said crab salad and I thought that was what was in California rolls… don’t do this!!!! I feel super dumb.
🌿 Vietnamese Crystal Shrimp Spring Rolls- Loved the hoisin peanut dipping sauce. Loved the healthy tasty rolls. Much better than what you get at a restaurant.
🥬 Minced Chicken Lettuce Cups with Hoisin Sauce- the stir fry sauce on this is soooo good. I did a simpler version with basic cremini mushrooms and pre-ground chicken and it was still amazing. Happy I doubled this so I can eat it again!
Profile Image for Dustin Hightower.
25 reviews9 followers
January 9, 2023
While many of the recipes in this book sound enjoyable, I am not sure how I will ever be able to make but a handful of them. The main reasoning being that almost every recipes calls for ingredients that I have never heard of or those that I would have a near impossible time finding. Hardly any recipe in this book could be made without searching for ingredients at specialty stores and very likely even doing more searching than just that. I don't think there is one dish in this book that I would be able to make with ordinary pantry items, and even those which are not ordinary but I may still have.
One other complaint, though minor, is that Chef Tila often uses terms that most home cooks may not understand in regards to cooking, cutting, and preparing. Another is that many recipes are those that say, for example, "1 Cup of Thai Chicken Stock (See page 167)" or things like that. Often times one would be turning from page to page just in prepping a single recipe.
Profile Image for Liquidlasagna.
2,583 reviews82 followers
October 8, 2020
Finally! A cookbook that takes authentic Asian flavors and turns it on its head. Jet Tila has the LA kitchen cred to help you turn out unexpected, explosive flavors from his palate to your table. Jet is my Asian food guide. Now he can be yours.
Bobby Flay

I had never cooked. In one week, Jet got me to a level where I could compete (and come in second) on a cooking show with Rachel Ray. Cooking, teaching and writing... three unrelated skills and Jet has all of them in spades.
Penn Jillette

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looks like one of the most approachable books on Asian Cookery
people seem to appreciate the helpful hints

care was taken in explaining all the steps, so people don't screw up

i've noticed that others like the photographs in his other book, and actually i thought they were nicely illustrative
Profile Image for Jessica Donegan.
Author 1 book8 followers
December 24, 2022
The cookbook is above average in its overall formatting and approachability. I had some trouble reaching the table of contents on an ereader, so that's bait frustrating if you plan to do more than flip through the book.

As a celebrity chef book there is some intro about Chef Tila I didn't need, but I understand many people pick up the book for him no matter how off-putting all these personal chef stories are within a cookbook.

The spice introduction is simple. The recipes are what's expected in a book of this nature. It's a 4 star instead of 5 because none of these recipes are new to me or giving me a tip to improve what I know how to make.
Profile Image for Tawnee.
146 reviews23 followers
January 12, 2023
4.5 stars. Torn between 5 stars because it’s one of my favorite cookbooks or 4 stars since there have been a handful of recipes that I either didn’t like or that I tweaked quite a bit (like increasing the sauce as another reviewer mentioned).

My favorite recipe from this book is the Thai basil beef. I have made it numerous times!

I was so excited for the Khoa soi, but it fell short of my expectations.

All in all, this cookbook is a fun mixture of different Asian recipes. Everything from Thai, to Japanese, to Chinese, to fusions. It’s easy and fun to read. I’ve always been able to find all the ingredients at my local Asian mart. Definitely worth picking up this book!
10 reviews
June 10, 2019
We made two of his recipes and they lack some necessary details. For example, the recipe on page 120 suggests 4-5 chilies which would make the dish extremely spicy. Some proportions are off and if you dont adjust , the outcome is not so tasty. The same recipe on page 120 makes no mention of the noodles although the picture shows a plate with noodles. Not sure of what noodles to use or how to prepare them. Although we love the book overall and the recipes look very interesting they have poor descriptions.
1,709 reviews6 followers
May 31, 2023
It pained me to give this book only 3 stars especially since I loved Jet Tila's 101 Thai Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die. The author's writing is very accessible and his explanation about Asian flavors helps you understand. I'm lucky enough to have a couple Asian markets nearby but I even struggled to get the correct ingredients. I wish there were photos for every dish and even for some of the ingredients like kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and yellow bean sauce! I just didn't flag many dishes in the book, just wasn't as interested in this as his other book.
Profile Image for Adrienne.
378 reviews18 followers
July 5, 2017
I want to make almost every easy-to-make-at-home recipe in this book. I appreciated the simplified explanations of the differences (and substitutions) of the spices used in the cuisines of the many Asian countries included herein. INMHO, the only thing missing was more photos. I would like to be able to compare the more unfamiliar dishes I prepare with what the dish should 'really' look like.
Profile Image for Jessica.
Author 2 books5 followers
December 30, 2022
I own a lot of Asian cookbooks. I like this one the best because Tila writes in an accessible style, covers a wide range of different cuisines in one book, and the format of the book makes it easy to use in the kitchen (spiral bound). He also covers how to make sauces/condiments, whereas many other books do not. It's not the most in depth, as it is a short pan-Asian cookbook, but if you only have one Asian cookbook and you're cooking occasional weeknight meals casually, this is a good one.
1,352 reviews7 followers
November 16, 2017
Learned about Jet Tila while watching Cutthroat Kitchen, and loved his sense of humor, knowledge of food, and interactions with Alton Brown. Reading this gave me new appreciation for his depth of knowledge within ethnic cuisine. I haven't tried any of these recipes yet but many look very tempting, and well explained.
1,738 reviews
August 12, 2022
Great book with great recipes. i feel the author knows quite a bit more than is presented however. Many of the recipes are standard fare in mainstream American Chinese/Asian/Korean restaurants. But these cultures have a very deep culinary history and techniques, few of which show up here. Still, if you want to replicate a general Tsao's or Bulgoki beef you can find it here.
Profile Image for Kiki.
926 reviews1 follower
February 19, 2018
Lots of great recipes but what I really like is all the insights he provides - it will make me a better cook! In fact, I enjoyed his recipes and tips so much I'm going to buy my own copy of this book.
Profile Image for Marianne Brown.
27 reviews
July 29, 2020
Great cookbook

I have made a lot of Asian food in my life and this one is great basic guide to getting it right. My favorite cuisines are covered as are sauces and curries. Just start at the first one and cook through to the end.
Profile Image for Hal.
19 reviews
August 6, 2020
Excellent Asian cookbook

Love this book. I've had it a week and have already made 3dishes. They were straightforward and very easy to follow, Wendy turned out delicious. Can't wait to try some more.
Profile Image for Shaida Hossein.
194 reviews
November 19, 2020
Have made six recipes from this book and have loved them all! We are a gluten free household and usually cannot eat a lot of Asian dishes in restaurants because soy sauce has wheat in it. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Hugo P.
120 reviews49 followers
December 1, 2020
Great recipes. I enjoy cooking and the recipes were not that difficult. However, I would not recommend it if you new to cooking. I’m still going through all the recipes of the book, but so far they have been top notch !
4 reviews
March 1, 2021
It’s the best cookbook I own. Everything we’ve made from it is amazing! My favourite so far is the satay pork skewers with peanut sauce. Even better than you get in restaurants! Most of the dishes are easy to make too. I couldn’t recommend this cookbook highly enough.
Profile Image for Rachael.
188 reviews4 followers
February 24, 2022
Makes me want to buy his Thai cookbook as most of these recipes I've learned how to make already. I was THRILLED to find a recipe for morning glory in here - not that I have been able to find/eat it outside of Thailand.
7 reviews
July 23, 2022
Love the ease of the recipes in this collection. I especially love the pantry staples shopping list included.
Am working my way through so many dishes! Some need planning as the marinades are overnight, but worth it 8f you are a planner.
Profile Image for Erica Baxter.
859 reviews5 followers
May 1, 2023
This is a good cookbook to get you started on Asian cooking. Most of the recipes are well-known Asian favorites. And most are fairly simple and easy to follow.

This book really demystifies Asian cooking and makes it easily accessible to all home cooks.
4 reviews
May 14, 2023
Good & Easy Recipes Nicely Styled

If you like Asian cooking and simplified approaches to flavor you should read Jet Tila's book. Most of the recipes can be easily modified to your taste.
July 19, 2023
some good info

There were some good recipes in the book that are convenient for the every day cook. A lot of the recipes a very time consuming. Overall a decent book with some good recipes.
Profile Image for Pamela Reed.
1 review
October 2, 2017
Fantastic

Love this book. Made the best beef and broccoli I"ve ever eaten. Can't wait to take on tbe other recipes
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