Duo will wok this way for top book

Helen and Lisa Tse, from Chadderton, whose book "A Chinese Street Food Odyssey" has just scooped a Gourmand award and has foreword written by Ken Hom

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IT'S Hom sweet Hom for Chadderton's Chinese chef twins, Helen and Lisa Tse.

Not only did the godfather of Chinese cuisine, Ken Hom, offer to write the foreword in the Sweet Mandarin sisters' new book, it's also just scooped a global literary gong.

The pair behind the Manchester restaurant ­- one of a handful of Chinese restaurants in the UK to offer gluten-free dishes ­- received The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards' national title in the China category for "A Chinese Street Food Odyssey".

Described as "the food and drink Olympic Games" with 211 countries taking part, the awards honour the best food and wine books, printed or digital, as well as food television shows.

Helen and Lisa will now head to the worldwide final to compete against winners from other countries for the "Best in the World" title held in Yantai, China, in May.

Their cracker of journey to celebratory cookbook stardom began when they told Mr Hom - who has dined in their city centre restaurant and become a friend after bumping into each other on the TV cookery show circuit ­- they had penned their street food scroll and asked him to read it.

He was so impressed with the results of their years of travelling around the Chinese provinces, stashing the best street food recipes, he offered to write the foreword for the stunned sisters.

He writes: "I loved reading through 'A Chinese Street Food Odyssey'. I felt like a fly on the wall as I travelled with my intrepid guides, Lisa and Helen Tse, through China. I was transported to many undiscovered, as well as familiar, dishes of the rish and varied street food culture you can find there. Their experiences reverberate on every page as they described in wonderful detail what could easily be a food diary. From my own experience as an author of cookery books I was also impressed by the well-written and clear recipes.

"I know the authors want us to duplicate at home what they ate and enjoyed on the streets of China."

"It's a fantastic endorsement," said Lisa.

"I mean, Ken Hom is the godfather of Chinese food. We didn't feel worthy!

"The book basically shows people how to recreate really tasty, traditional street food from many of the Chinese provinces which all have their own unique and distinct dishes.

"To top it all off the book won the Gourmand award. We are absolutely thrilled to be in the finals representing the UK."

Helen and Lisa are no strangers to high end accolades and awards.

As their family's third generation of restaurateurs they opened Sweet Mandarin in 2004 and it won Gordon Ramsay's "Best Local Restaurant" on The F Word in 2009, beating 10,000 other restaurants for the accolade.

In 2012 the sisters appeared on BBC TV's Dragons Den and received two offers of investment to help them launch their gluten-free range of Sweet Mandarin sauces which are now stocked worldwide and expanded to 40 products. They also run a cookery school.

They were awarded MBEs by the Queen for services to the food and drink industry and were invited to cook for Premier Li, of China, when he visited 10 Downing Street.

Signed copies of "A Chinese Street Food Odyssey" are available from the restaurant in Copperas Street or Amazon.