MOCA TALKS with Ming-Na Wen – Family Recipes from a Restaurant Daughter

The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) welcomes legendary actress and Asian American icon Ming-Na Wen for a conversation about her new cookbook, Have You Eaten Yet? Family Recipes from a Restaurant Daughter, moderated by acclaimed restaurateur Annie Shi. Honored with a Disney Legends Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Wen has inspired generations of audiences, from her breakout performance in The Joy Luck Club to her iconic voice role in Disney’s Mulan. Her career includes starring roles on ER and as Agent Melinda May on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as memorable performances as Dr. Fong in Karate Kid: Legends and Fennec Shand in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Now, she invites audiences into another defining part of her life: the food, family traditions, and cultural heritage that have shaped her. Wen’s first home in America was New York City, where she settled after immigrating from Hong Kong. Later, growing up around her family’s Pittsburgh restaurant, Chinatown Inn, she learned how food could express love, carry memories, and bring people together. Those early experiences come to life in this collection of recipes and personal stories, connecting the dishes of her childhood with the meals she now prepares for family and friends. From beloved restaurant classics to her father’s specialties and her own kitchen creations, the book celebrates the many ways Chinese American food traditions are preserved, adapted, and shared.