🇨🇳 China · Chinese cuisine · b. 1948
The Hong Kong–born chef whose 'Yan Can Cook' brought Chinese home cooking to two generations of American TV viewers.
Martin Yan is a Hong Kong-born Chinese-American chef whose PBS series 'Yan Can Cook' ran from 1982 until the 2010s and remains one of the longest-running cookery programmes in American television history. With his catchphrase 'If Yan can cook, so can you!' he taught millions of American viewers Cantonese stir-fries, dim sum, dumplings and regional Chinese dishes with patience, humour and astonishing knife skills.
Trained in Hong Kong under master chefs and credentialed by the Hospitality Industry Training Authority, Yan brought academic rigour to TV cooking — many episodes included historical context and culinary technique most Western chefs of the era didn't know.
He has written 30+ cookbooks and remains an active educator and ambassador for Chinese cuisine, with later series like 'Martin Yan's China' and 'Spice Kingdom' covering regional Chinese cooking from Sichuan to the Silk Road.
Demystify Chinese cooking. Yan argues that Chinese home cooking is fundamentally accessible — most family dishes use a handful of pantry staples (soy sauce, ginger, garlic, scallions) and basic techniques (stir-fry, steam, braise) that any home cook can learn in an afternoon.
Yan's San Francisco fine-dining Chinese restaurant in the Westfield Centre.
Original recipes we created as homages to Martin's cooking style and signature dishes. Not direct reproductions of any copyrighted material — these are our interpretations of the traditionsMartin has worked with throughout their career.
These recipes from our database reflect the chinese cooking tradition that Martin works in. They are not direct reproductions of Martin's copyrighted recipes, but traditional dishes inspired by the same culinary heritage.
“If Yan can cook, so can you!”
— Catchphrase from 'Yan Can Cook,' PBS (1982 onwards)
Begins apprenticeship in a Hong Kong restaurant at age 13.
Moves to North America; studies food science at the University of California, Davis.
Hosts his first Cantonese cookery show on Canadian television in Calgary.
'Yan Can Cook' debuts on KQED San Francisco; goes nationwide via PBS soon after.
Wins his first Daytime Emmy Award for 'Yan Can Cook.'
Launches the major travelogue series 'Martin Yan's China.'
Opens M.Y. China at the San Francisco Westfield Centre (since closed).
'Yan Can Cook' ran from 1982 to roughly 2014 across multiple incarnations, making it one of the longest-running cookery programmes in American TV history. It aired in over 70 countries at its peak and won two Daytime Emmys.
Yes — Yan continues to host travel-cooking series for PBS and Asian broadcasters, including later seasons focused on regional Chinese cuisines and Asian street food. He also travels widely teaching and giving live demonstrations.
'If Yan can cook, so can you!' is the phrase he closes every episode with. It captures his teaching philosophy: that Chinese cooking is technically accessible to any home cook with basic equipment and patience, and that the chef's job on television is to demystify rather than to impress.
Yes — alongside his early restaurant apprenticeship in Hong Kong, Yan earned a Master's in food science from the University of California, Davis. The combination of practical kitchen training and academic food-science background is unusual among television chefs and helps explain the technical depth in his explanations.
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