The Nameless Restaurant

A Cozy Cooking Fantasy

By: Tao Wong

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

There is a restaurant in Toronto. Its entrance is announced only by a simple unadorned wooden door, varnished to a beautiful shine but without paint, hidden beside dumpsters and a fire escape. There is no sign, no indication of what lies behind the door.

If you do manage to find the restaurant, the décor is dated and worn—homey, if one were to be generous. The service is atrocious; the proprietor, a grouch. The regulars are worse: silent, brooding, and unfriendly to newcomers. There is no set menu, alternating with the whim and whimsy of the owner. The selection of wine and beer is sparse or nonexistent at times, and the prices are outrageous.

There is a restaurant in Toronto that is magically hidden, whose service is horrible and whose food is divine. This is the story of the Nameless Restaurant.

©2023 Tao Wong (P)2023 Dreamscape Media

Critic reviews

"Listeners will be hungry for more of this charming series, which caters to fantasy fans and food lovers alike. Great for those who enjoyed Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes or Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” series [...] Emily Woo Zeller’s narration is a treat."—Library Journal

What an intriguing view into a Magical Restaurant.

Loved every moment of this book. It shows that just because you have magic doesn't mean the world is a safe place but when you have good food around you the world isn't such a bad place.

A cozy restaurant

The Nameless Restaurant

Behind a plain, unmarked door in Toronto, there is an amazing restaurant. The cook decides what is on the menus based on his mood. The clientele can be hard to get along with. The food is beyond amazing.

This was an interesting cozy fantasy novella. While it focuses heavily on the cooking aspect, it really shines in the dining room! Like any cozy story, it’s all about the relationships and those interactions. The clients are amazing and I am looking forward to learning more about the staff in future novellas. Emily Woo Zeller did a fantastic job with the narration!

Content warning: language

What is the point?

Tao Wong can write an interesting story but sometimes with shorts like this, I feel like he is just stroking one out to make a few bucks on a story that is not going anywhere, it's a cash grab from his fans who just want more of his other stories. It was a waste of a credit, while I was waiting for more of a Thousand Li.