From viral videos to page turners: 8 food influencers whipping up bestselling cookbooks

Tatler Asia

5 hours ago

2. Sarah Ahn (@ahnestkitchen): 'Umma: A Korean Mom's Kitchen Wisdom and 100 Family Recipes'
Sarah Ahn didn't set out to write a cookbook. She just filmed what her mum (or umma in Korean) was cooking. What does her mum pack for her dad, an exterior painter who works up to 12 hours a day outdoors? Why is her umma's multigrain rice not just a more protein-packed alternative, but a testament to her family's resilience? And what homemade food does she pack for their dog when they go out of town?
The warmth and intimacy of their kitchen struck a chord with followers, and that connection turned into Umma , her New York Times bestselling cookbook. It's part story, part instruction manual, with banchan, kimchi and stews passed down over generations. Think Crying in H Mart , but blended with the everyday practicality of home cooking.
Read more: What makes Korean food a social media sensation 3. Zaynab Issa (@zaynab_issa): 'Third Culture Cooking: Classic Recipes for a New Generation'
Zaynab Issa's Third Culture Cooking is exactly what it sounds like: a recipe book shaped by the in-between. Raised with East African and South Asian roots in suburban America, Issa creates recipes that make space for all of it—tandoori tacos, samosas two ways and chocolate cake with chai buttercream.
She started with a college recipe zine, moved through food media brands BuzzFeed and Bon Appétit and built a following with TikTok recipes like her cheddar and white bean dip (55 million views on TikTok alone). Her cookbook reflects that journey: part nostalgia, part experimentation and entirely personal. Book sections include tips on cooking by mood, setting yourself up for success in the kitchen and entertaining without crashing out.
Read more: 5 tips from food influencers on how to film better Foodstagram reels 4. George Lee (@chez.jorge): 'A-Gong's Table: Vegan Recipes from a Taiwanese Home'
George Lee's cooking journey began not in culinary school, but in the quiet rituals of grief. When his grandfather (or a-gong in Taiwanese) passed away, Lee and his family followed Buddhist funeral customs and abstained from meat for 100 days. During that time, he received a masterclass in cooking from monastery nuns.
What started as a spiritual observance grew into a popular blog, a social media following and a cookbook. A-Gong's Table is filled with plant-based Taiwanese recipes that taste like home: sweet potato breakfast congee, meatless braised 'pork' rice and umami-rich sauces from scratch.
Photographed across Taiwan, the recipe book reads like a love letter to heritage and a more compassionate way to cook.
Read more: 5 vegan-friendly resorts in Southeast Asia that deliver on luxury 5. Tue Nguyen (@twaydabae): 'Di An: The Salty, Sour, Sweet and Spicy Flavors of Vietnamese Cooking'
From culinary school to mukbang videos to sold-out pop-ups, Tue Nguyen has had an unconventional rise—one that now includes her restaurant DiDi and a cookbook named one of the best of 2024 by The New York Times.
Nguyen first captured audiences with joyful, flavour-packed dishes like fish sauce eggs, seared scallops and weeknight pho that prove you don't need hours to cook with soul. That same energy animates her cookbook Di An, a celebration of her heritage at full volume, grounded in accessible techniques.
If you want a recipe book that balances tradition with practicality, this one earns its shelf space. Expect recipes like shaking beef, braised catfish and bo kho 'birria' tacos that feel both nostalgic and entirely new.
Read more: What is it about Vietnamese cuisine that drives the whole world crazy? 6. Carolina Gelen (@carolinagelen): 'Pass the Plate: 100 Delicious, Highly Shareable, Everyday Recipes'
Carolina Gelen's cooking is as inventive as her thrift-store hauls during her early days online. Born in Transylvania and now based in the US, she rose to viral fame with cosy recipes like butter beans alla vodka and orange cardamom olive oil cake—dishes that feel special without requiring anything fancy. That approach powers Pass the Plate , her debut cookbook and a 2025 James Beard Award nominee.
What sets Gelen apart is her ability to make humble ingredients feel exciting. Think chicken schnitzel with caramelised lemon gremolata, upside-down pineapple coconut cake and pantry-friendly riffs on her Romanian and Hungarian culinary roots. For home cooks looking to maximise flavour and cook with joy, Pass the Plate will have you asking for seconds. 7. Nisha Vora (@rainbowplantlife): 'Big Vegan Flavor: Techniques and 150 Recipes to Master Vegan Cooking'
A former lawyer turned food content creator, Nisha Vora is a go-to source for plant-based meals that don't feel like a sacrifice. Her detailed how-to videos and bold flavour profiles—rooted in her Indian heritage and global inspirations—bring vibrancy to vegan cooking.
A New York Times bestseller and James Beard Award nominee, her cookbook Big Vegan Flavor lives up to the name. It's a masterclass in seasoning and technique, featuring internationally inspired recipes, flavour bombs to make everyday meals pop and smart swaps that cater to your cravings and pantry.
Designed for both new and seasoned plant-based eaters, Vora's cookbook doesn't just replace meat with tofu—it reimagines vegan food as something deeply craveable.
Read more: 12 Instagram accounts to follow for the best vegan recipes 8. Owen Han (@owen.han): 'Stacked: The Art of the Perfect Sandwich'
Dubbed as TikTok's Sandwich King, Owen Han built his following one ASMR cooking video at a time. Drawing from childhood summers spent cooking with his Italian grandmother and Chinese father, Han brings a cross-cultural lens to handheld meals. His viral 2021 shrimp toast with gochujang mayo—a mashup of Cantonese and Korean flavours—cemented his reputation for bold, unexpected pairings.
His cookbook Stacked makes good on that reputation. It's not just about bread—anything you can hold in your hands can be a canvas for flavour. Think Peking duck wrap, hoisin pork burnt ends bao and butter chicken burrito. Easy to follow, full of flavour and anything but basic.
Read more: Beyond McDonald's McGriddle: 9 breakfast sandwiches in Hong Kong for which you don't have to queue up from 4am