Monica Liu’s Shillong to Chinatown: A Culinary Journey is more than a memoir of a woman who not only broke the glass ceiling but also rose to become a foodpreneur at a time when the word was non-existent. The memoir is a comprehensive account of Liu’s life marked with challenges, uncertainty, survival, displacement, courage, and entrepreneurship.
The book starts when Liu was aged nine and, in the prologue, talks about November 1962, when the war between India and China started, and she and her family were in the Deoli Detention Camp in Rajasthan, built during World War II by the British. After Deoli, they moved to a prison in Nagaon, Assam, and the book tells us that these two experiences left a deep scar on her life.
It sets the tone of the book, informing the readers of her strong character, her survival spirit and what made her the “Don of Tangra”.
The 300-plus pages of the book, in very simple language, takes the reader through the different phases of Liu’s life — from a teen in Shillong to arriving in Calcutta, her marriage, starting her beauty parlour, her restaurants, and owning a house. It not just speaks of a success story built on hard work and honesty, it is a textbook for anyone who wants to take lessons from Liu’s life.
The book was launched at CC&FC in the presence of Usha Uthup, actor Dhritiman Chatterjee, and Suborno Bose, founder-chairman of IIHM. With fish ’n’ chips and piping hot momo in company, the audience savoured her story. Moderated by Oindrilla Dutt, a discussion followed, which made Liu open up about herself.
“I opened the restaurants to survive, to earn a living, to support my family. I didn’t want to depend on other people,” shared Liu, who owns restaurants like Kim Ling, Mandarin, Beijing, Kim Pao, and Tung Fong.
Dutt made her open up further about an incident when she chose to stand up against bullying.
“I am very strong from the very start. I am not scared of anyone. Whenever anyone tried to scare me, I have fought them with courage because I was not doing anything wrong,” shared Liu, remembering an instance when she stood up against a group of people who would come to her restaurant and refuse to pay.
Dutt, who has known Liu for a long time and who has watched her work, clarified the term “Don of Tangra” that is often used for Liu.
“It’s the respect that she had garnered from the people of her community and Calcutta that got her the title. And it is in a good sense,” said Dutt, making Uthup share her fond memories of Liu’s food. The discussion further centered on how her menu grew, how she was always ready to reinvent in her kitchen and how Calcutta responded to her skills.
Shillong to Chinatown takes us beyond Liu’s kitchen and gives an insight into how Tangra transformed, how the Chinese cuisine became a mainstay, customs of the Chinese community, and her entrepreneurial zeal that took her to deserted streets to buy raw leather.