Ming-Na Wen Releases New Cookbook Have You Eaten Yet

The actress shares family recipes and memoirs from her time growing up in a Pittsburgh restaurant.

Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Chinese Food

Screen-print poster illustration of a wooden tray with a ceramic bowl and chopsticks, evoking culinary family tradition. — Actress Ming-Na Wen released 'Have You Eaten Yet?,' a new cookbook reflecting on her family's long history operating Pittsburgh's Chinatown Inn. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Actress Ming-Na Wen has released her new cookbook, titled Have You Eaten Yet? Family Recipes from a Restaurant Daughter. The project reflects her upbringing in the Chinatown Inn, her family's long-standing Pittsburgh eatery.

Why it matters

The cookbook serves as a personal narrative of the Chinese-American experience while acting as a vessel for passing down family traditions and memories. Wen chose to include both Chinese and Western dishes to accurately represent her multicultural background.

The cookbook project took seven years to develop from inception to completion. It features a curated collection of family recipes, cooking tips, and personal memoirs alongside archival photographs.

The players

Ming-Na Wen

She is an actress and author who grew up working in her family's restaurant before launching her career in entertainment.

Chinatown Inn

Located in Pittsburgh, this establishment is the final remaining restaurant from the city's original Chinatown neighborhood.

The details

The book centers on the Chinatown Inn in Pittsburgh, which remains the only surviving restaurant from the city's original Chinatown district. Wen, who worked shifts at the restaurant during her youth, integrated her personal history with culinary instructions to bridge the gap between cultures.

Ming-Na Wen was born in Coloane, Macau, in 1963.
Her stepfather, who owned the family restaurant, passed away in 1995.
The cookbook was officially released in October 2026.

Culture Shift

This publication fits into the broader shift of using food as a primary medium for documenting the immigrant experience in America. By blending personal memoir with traditional recipes, Wen joins a growing movement of authors who treat the kitchen as a historical archive.

Home cooks can now incorporate recipes from the Chinatown Inn into their own daily routines. The book provides a practical opportunity to recreate traditional Chinese dishes alongside Western staples that defined the author's multicultural upbringing.

The takeaway

Readers interested in family history can use cooking as a way to preserve their own heritage and memories. By documenting traditional recipes alongside personal stories, families can ensure that their unique cultural traditions are passed down to future generations.