Hey, what’s up?

I recently read another fiction book by a Japanese author. Well… actually, it was two books by the same author since the second one is a sequel. The books are The Kamogawa Food Detectives and The Restaurant of Lost Recipes by Hisashi Kashiwai.

I’d rate both books a 6/10, but that’s mainly because they’re just not my type of books. It’s definitely not because the author isn’t good or anything like that.

This was actually my first time reading a novel centred around food, and I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as I expected. I bought both books at the same time because they were on sale, so I figured, why not?

Personally, I think food needs a visual element. Reading descriptions alone made it quite difficult for me to fully imagine the dishes. Maybe that’s just a “me” problem. If these books were adapted into a TV series, though, I think I’d enjoy them a lot more. Seeing all the food on screen would probably make me hungry every episode.

That being said, there are a few things that make these books unique.

The author follows the exact same structure throughout both books. Each book contains six chapters, and every chapter is divided into two parts.

In the first part, a customer visits the restaurant, enjoys the fixed lunch set of the day, and is interviewed by the chef’s daughter about a special dish from their past that they hope to taste again.

The second part is where the magic happens. The chef successfully recreates the lost recipe, and the customer is reunited with a meal that carries memories of family, love, friendship or important moments in their life.

Although the structure is repetitive, each customer has a different story, which gives every chapter its own warmth and charm. It’s less about the food itself and more about the memories attached to it.

Of course, there’s much more to the story, but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone.

I’d recommend these books to readers who enjoy food, cosy stories and slice-of-life novels. As for me, I think I’d rather experience the food than read about it!

The books are also quite easy to read, so I’d recommend them if you’re just getting into reading or looking for something light and relaxing.

Alright then, that’s all for now. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in my next book review!