Set in Kyoto, Japan, this quick read focuses on a nondescript restaurant specializing in recreating impactful dishes that individuals describe from their memories. It’s not necessarily the meal itself, but the circumstances surrounding the meal that burn in people’s memories. The father-daughter “food detectives” create a past food memory for those who visit the restaurant, oftentimes leading their customers to clearer understandings. and to move into the future. This book, the first in a series, is pegged for those who enjoyed the series When the Coffee Gets Cold - I would describe this book as a much, much lighter version of that series. WTCGC series is more layered and delves more deeply into the relationships in each “episode” than in this book. Overall, this was a light and quick read - enjoyable but not as memorable. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

So delightful!

Talk about food for the soul! An out of the way, humble diner in Kyoto that serves up the most wonderful traditional Japanese meals. The place is not easy to locate. There’s no signs or directions. You really have to want to find it. Nagare Kamogawa and his daughter Koishi run the small eating house. Nagare is the chef, Koishi waits tables. On the detecting side of the business, Koishi takes down the information for people who are searching for how a particular dish from their memory is cooked. Nagare is the detective. All the client has to go on is a one line advertisement in the Gourmet Monthly magazine. At the end of each case Koishi and Nagare ask their client to pay into an account how much their solving of the case was worth to them. Nagare cooks the dish the client has sought.
People come to find the dish their mother might have cooked, the meal they remember as a child with their grandfather, a myriad of unusual requests.
The dishes are sublime. I’m spending an inordinate amount of time looking them up (in my own cookbooks and online) The dishes are served on designated plates and types of pottery ware from all around Japan. I’ve also been looking some of those up in my fav. Japanese tableware shop.
This is just such a wonderfully encouraging read. You can feel the texture of the dishes arrayed, almost taste them. The color and movement, the descriptions of places I’ve visited are so evocative. Swoon worthy! The people find understanding, warmth and friendship. Some return.
A startling, yet humbly sumptuous read that made me long for such a place.

A Putnam ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

What an absolute charmer! This is truly the comfort food of detective novels. Translated from the Japanese, it is the story of Nagare Kamogawa and his daughter Koishi who endeavor to re-create favorite memory-filled recipes from people’s past, all of which they do from their restaurant, advertising their detective business via cryptic ads in the local culinary rag.

It was fun reading about the lengths to which they would go in order to do so to present their client with exactly what he or she was looking for. I have to admit, being unfamiliar with Japanese food as I am, that the names of food stuffs and vessels frequently sent me googling, but I came away from this book feeling as though I had learned a great deal not only about the culture and the people of Japan, but about the cuisine as well.

The book is made up of six individual sections, each of which reads like a short story. I struggled a bit with the names because, being immersed in western culture as I am, none of them were familiar enough to me to be able to 100% keep the characters straight, but I managed well enough. I loved being immersed in Japanese foodie culture, and where else would I find a phrase like “itinerary tofu salesman.” I loved every morsel of this book. As an aside, I must say that the translation is brilliant. Clearly, it was done by an Englishman, because phrases like “chalk and cheese,” “let’s tuck in,”and “mum” appear throughout, brought me a smile every time they did.

If you enjoy learning about other cultures, or appreciate truly fine food writing, this is absolutely the book for you. You will fall in love with Nagare and Koishi. I highly recommend it.

This was perfect warm and cozy reading for a day when I was down with a cold and needed something light and soothing.

An enigmatic advertisement in Gourmet Monthly brings people to the Kamogawa Diner where they meet up with Nagere and his daughter Koishi, food detectives. The clients are in search of a specific meal from their past, but, of course it is not just food they want to rediscover, “nostalgia is just as vital an ingredient.”

Each chapter is a different case and could easily stand alone, though there are a few recurring secondary characters. However the collection as a whole builds up a charmingly comforting rhythm. The food descriptions are evocative, the clients’ responses are joyful, and the relationship between Koishi and her father is delightful.

This is a book that possibly on any other day I would have found to be too slight and simple but was perfect for a day curled up in bed craving any one of the delicious meals that Nagere conjured up.

Thanks to Putnam and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto is a very special restaurant. run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare. Although the Kamogawa Diner serves up deliciously extravagant meals, that's not the main reason customers stop by . .The father-daughter duo are 'food detectives'. Visitors come to them, describing a dish they would give anything to have just one more time. Through ingenious investigations, they are able to recreate dishes from a person’s treasured memories – dishes that may well hold the keys to their forgotten past and future happiness. The restaurant of lost recipes provides a link to vanished moments, creating a present full of possibility.

This book is reminiscent of "Before the Coffee Gets Cold". The book is told in a collection of stories, with each story being a different patron to the restaurant, looking to recreate a memory from their past. Nagare sprinkles little life lessons and bits of wisdom along with the dishes he serves up. This is book one of the series.

While I appreciate that this book is more like 6 short stories than a complete novel, I found them all to be SO identical that I was annoyed. Legitimately could have summarized each one with the exact same 5 steps.

NetGalley ARC

This is the coziest of cozy books. A father and daughter restaurateurs team up to replicate beloved dishes from their client's pasts. They are Food Detectives.

Their clients come to them to find childhood dishes, a dead wife's recipe and everything in between. The stories of the different clients are full of nostalgia and are very poignant. Often times, it's an exercise in moving on.

The descriptions of Japanese food are amazing, it feels like you're there. This is a special book that will really lift your mood.

This was a really great read. Touching and easy to digest. My only complaint would be that the translation felt a bit formal at times and some of the phrasing used seemed a bit too modern for the time the book was written. But I’m willing to overlook that because the story itself was so enjoyable to read.

A sweet novel that will make you hungry. Former police detective Nagare Kamogawa has turned his talents to helping people relive and taste again food that's been in their minds for years. He, along with his daughter Koishi, run a small, unassuming restaurant in Kyoto where they make those dreams come true. Each chapter features a different client reminiscing and the results of the Kamogawa's efforts. There are small gems here. Nothing dramatic, nothing horrid, nothing distressing - this is the sort of read that is perfect for when you need a positive. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. It was, understandably, a hit in Japan and it's nice to see it published in the US- a good read.

I adored the premise of this book. Our senses of smell and taste can evoke strong memories when our mind fails us. We follow the father and daughter Kamogawa food detectives as they “investigate” six different nostalgic dishes that their customers can’t seem to place: nabeyaki udon, beef stew, mackerel sushi, tonkatsu, napolitan spaghetti, and nikujaga. Interwoven are stories of childhood, romance, death, and at the core of it, the importance of food and who we share it with. I loved the sensory descriptions of unique Japanese dishes.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons, NetGalley, Hisashi Kashiwai, and Jesse Kirkwood for the advanced readers copy of The Kamogawa Food Detectives.

I thought this would be more about cats. I didn’t really like Before the Coffee Gets Cold either as I’m not big on short vignettes. I’d rather a full story. It was a bit more simplistic than I’d go for normally but I got sucked in by the cat.

This book was a fast and comfy read. This completely charming book is about a father-daughter duo who runs an unmarked restaurant in Kyoto. The secret behind the tiny place is that it also is a detective agency where people come to have a dish from their past recreated. I enjoyed reading this book so much and recommend it to everyone, I enjoy Japanese literature.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advance copy of this manuscript in exchange for an honest review.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives is a charmingly diverting example of the Japanese food story genre by Hisashi Kashiwai. Due out 13th Feb 2024 from Penguin Random House on their Putnam imprint, it's 208 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is such a comforting, nostalgic, and sweetly uplifting collection of related stories. Originally published in Japanese in 2013, the translation work by Jesse Kirkwood is seamless and manages to flow very well in English without losing the indelible Japanese cultural and food-related nuances.

The stories are related by a common thread: seekers find the restaurant run by a father and daughter duo who specialize in recreating meals for their clients from the clients' own memories and recollections.

Despite the lack of danger or dramatic tension, the stories are moving and told effectively. Food manga and food-centered narrative is a popular subgenre in Japan, and this is a wonderful collection.

Four and a half stars. Utterly charming.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This is like a Ghibli movie mixed with Grantchester. Chapter-long cases are filled with warm people who are not just looking for food but for connections to their past. The main characters are a lovable father and daughter and they work in tandem to uncover food recipes that people remember from an important part of their lives. There are no murders or bad guys, just a lot of interesting tidbits about Japanese culinary history. A word of warning, though, do not read this book hungry. If you do, make sure you have your local Japanese restaurant on speed dial.

I have to admit it was the cat on the cover of this book that caught my attention. I was surprised to find out it was translated from Japanese and was a bit skeptical when I started reading the book. The character's names were confusing and I had a hard time remembering who was who. But the further I got into the book, the more I found it quite enjoyable. Nagare and his daughter Koishi are the proprietors of The Kamogawa Diner. This is not an ordinary restaurant and Nagare and Koishi are not ordinary chefs. They are food detectives and help their clients by recreating dishes and recipes they remember from their past. The cat, by the way, was named Drowsy and made an appearance in every chapter. This was a strange but interesting novel. Thanks to the author, Hisashi Kashiwai, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and NetGalley for this quirky read. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I found The Kamogawa Food Detectives to be a fun read, although I did get a little bored here and there. It did very much remind me of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, which has been mentioned in several reviews. A woman (Koishi) and her father Nagare run a small and nondescript restaurant in Kyoto. They are known as "food detectives" in that they are able to create dishes based off of the memories of their customers. The descriptions of the food were very detailed (and made me so hungry) and I learned a bit about Japanese customs which I enjoyed. It was a pretty quiet and comforting read.

Summary

Nagare Kamogawa and his daughter, Koishi, run the Kamogawa Diner and Food Detective Agency in Kyoto. The restaurant isn’t on any apps or maps and there’s no sign outside. People find them by word of mouth or through a cryptic ad in a gourmet magazine. Nagare was once a police detective, but now he dedicates his life to food. Some people come to him for a good meal, and some people come to him because they want him to find the recipe for a favorite meal from their past.

Each chapter represents a new food investigation for a new client. There’s Hideshi who wants to taste the nabeyaki-udon his wife made, but she’s been dead for 15 years, and he never paid attention to how she prepared it. Tomomi wants to once again taste the mackerel sushi a neighbor made for him as a child. Each customer comes and tells Koishi all the details that they can remember about the food, then Nagare spends two weeks putting his detective skills to the test and when the customer returns he prepares them the meal they sought.

My Thoughts

This was one of the first NetGalley books I requested last August when I first learned about NetGalley. I saw the cover and title and knew I needed to read it. Because I skipped the book summary, I admit I was expecting a traditional murder mystery set in a Japanese restaurant. Instead, I found a detective who tracks down recipes. Apparently, you can judge a book by its cover, because this book is delightful!

We never really learn much about the characters. We know that Nagare is a retired detective who turned to food after his wife died five years earlier, and that he is still devoted to his wife. Koishi is proud of her father and resents people who don’t recognize his skills.

The details in this story focus on the food - the ingredients, the flavors, the smells, even the plating. We learn where the ingredients are sourced and how the same food is prepared differently in different regions of the country. We learn about how subtle changes in preparation affect the food. We hear about the different teas served to enhance the meals. The descriptions were very evocative.

Each time a plate of food arrived, the author named the style of the dish. Not being familiar with them, I kept a phone nearby, so I could google them. With the actual pictures of the styles, it helped me create a mental picture of the scene.

The atmosphere also comes from the depictions of Kyoto, and from the wardrobes of the restaurant’s guests. I have a sketchy image of what the Kamogawa restaurant looks like, but I can very much visualize the individual guests.

I loved the portrayal of Japanese food culture in this book. It gives a sense of the customs and rituals.

There is a sense of the magical in this book. Kamogawa called it fate that the people who needed his services were able to track him down. He always seemed to know just what the customer needed to eat on their first visit.

You might enjoy this book if you -

are a foodie

are interested in Japanese culture

are open to non-traditional mysteries

You might want to skip this book if you -

want traditional murder mysteries

want to bond emotionally with the characters

get bored by detailed descriptions of food

I received a free eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I devoured this charming book. The premise is irresistible: a father-daughter duo — who are also chef-detectives — recreate meaningful dishes from their customers' pasts. The food descriptions are luscious; I was delightfully hungry the whole time I was reading. I also enjoyed the structure with each chapter introducing us to a different customer and their story. Sometimes you just want to be immersed in a cozy to spend time with likable people. This book satisfies that craving.

I'll be featuring The Kamogawa Food Detectives on my podcast The Library of Lost Time on 16 February 2024 — http://strongsenseofplace.com/lolts/lolt-2024-02-16/

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advance copy of this manuscript in exchange for an honest review.

This was a delightful book! Do you like food and mysteries? This is the book for you. The Kamogawa Diner is a special place run by a father-daughter duo. the mysteries are old recipes, people, etc. A heartwarming book about many customers and their stories. Please read!

Whoever said "time heals all wounds" had never had a good home-cooked meal.

The only thing that actively competes with my love of books is my love for tasty food. A book centered around foodie mysteries is my idea of a good time. This was so cute and cozy. The detailed descriptions of Japanese cuisine sent me to another realm. The author cared for and spent time describing these complex and tasty dishes.

The "mystery" aspect didn't quite work out for me. I expected more of the father and daughter working together to solve the mystery dishes. Instead, the client described the dish they were thinking of/wanted and immediately cut to the client tasting the food. This was disappointing, but more a case of I had wrong expectations.

I grew up in a family where food is an expression of love. To see that in a novel was heartwarming and gave me genuine joy. The clients coming to terms with old memories or unlocking new ones was touching.

Minus a star because I wanted more cat content.

Thank you, NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, for the advance copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.