My favorite aspect of this book was how the author paid close attention to food, its preparation and its flavors. I also enjoyed how deliberate she was in her treatment of Filipino culture, specifically for those of Filipino descent living in United States. I appreciated her note at the beginning of the book on sensitive topics and vocabulary used throughout the book, plus her recipes included at the end of the book. I liked how she developed her characters and the upbeat tone of the writing. There were some areas where the writing was a bit awkward or clunky, but overall I enjoyed the book.