I wanted to read this manga because it a medium I have been curious about and have never read. I am happy that I chose this title as my first manga read.

"Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu Volume 1" is a delightful manga that transports readers to a whole new culinary adventure. From the very beginning, this manga captures your attention with its unique premise and engaging storytelling.

The story revolves around a quaint izakaya, or Japanese pub, called Nobu. What makes Nobu truly special is that it is mysteriously connected to another world, bringing in customers from a medieval fantasy realm. This blend of traditional Japanese cuisine and a fantastical setting creates a dynamic and captivating atmosphere.

One of the greatest strengths of this manga is its well-developed characters. The main protagonists, Shinobu and Nobuyuki, are not only talented chefs but also relatable and endearing individuals. Their interactions with the otherworldly customers bring a sense of charm and wonder to the story.

The artwork by Virginia Nitouhei is simply fantastic. The intricate details and vibrant illustrations breathe life into the manga, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the world of Nobu and its delectable dishes. The art beautifully captures the essence of both Japanese culture and the allure of a fantasy realm.

Moreover, the way the manga showcases various dishes and ingredients is a feast for the eyes. Each illustration conveys the mouth-watering appeal of the izakaya's menu, making readers crave for the very same flavors that the characters enjoy.

The pacing of the story is well-balanced, blending moments of humor, action, and heartwarming interactions seamlessly. With each turn of the page, the manga reveals more about the intricate backstories of the characters, unveiling their motivations and aspirations.

"Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu Volume 1" is a delightful mix of food, fantasy, and heartwarming camaraderie. It manages to create a unique and immersive experience that keeps readers entertained and leaves them wanting more. Whether you are a fan of culinary manga or enjoy rich world-building with lovable characters, this manga is an absolute treat.

Overall, "Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu Volume 1" is a must-read for manga enthusiasts who seek a unique and delightful blend of culinary adventures and captivating storytelling. Natsuya Semikawa and Virginia Nitouhei have crafted a manga that is a treat for both the eyes and the taste buds, leaving readers eagerly awaiting the next volume.

I laugh a lot with this book. The variety of foods all look delicious, and all the characters talk for panels about how delicious the food is and what it tastes like. In one particular instance, spaghetti is featured in a scene reminiscent of Ratatouille. It was a simple story, but so well done. It made me crave for it to exist outside of the pages. I am eager to read on.

I don't know why, but I love this type of work where food is the main focus. I have only watched anime like this, but reading it feels different, tho it's still entertaining. A good manga to pass the time, I read it in less than half an hour.
To end, I loved the detail at the end of adding a vocabulary list.
(Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this work.)

Located in medieval Europe this restaurant isn't like anything seen before. Gate guards have dinner after their working hours and leave the restaurant having had the best meal in their entire lives. And not only gate guards frequent this establishment, many other characters are introduced to us little by little.

I definitely do NOT recommend reading this manga with an empty stomach! Even when I picked it up after having a good meal I felt myself salivating and wanting to taste the food shown in the manga. The art and also the descriptions were enough to make me crave eating again.

A delightfully wholesome manga about a restaurant in a medieval German town that gives the townsfolk delicious new food. People walk in unhappy and walk out content and even joyful. Very enjoyable and I’m looking forward to reading more in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ho trovato questa storia davvero confortante e commovente.
In questo mondo diverso dal nostro è comparsa da un giorno all'altro, una taverna in stile giapponese che serve vari piatti tipici ai cittadini che entrano all'interno per provare qualcosa di nuovo e diverso.
E tutti ne escono sorpresi, sazi e soddisfatti. Ma soprattutto felici.
Ed è proprio questo l'obiettivo dei padroni del locale.
Il loro locale è collegato al nostro mondo dalla porta nel retro, ma ancora non ci è stato spiegato come sia potuto accadere. In effetti vorrei avere delle delucidazioni in merito, ma per ora mi sono davvero divertita ad osservare le varie persone alla scoperta degli strani piatti che gli vengono presentati.
Ed è vero un pasto caldo, può davvero portare tanta felicità!

Grazie per avermi permesso di leggere questo manga Netgalley!

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I found this story really comforting and touching.
In this world different from ours, a Japanese-style tavern appeared overnight, serving various typical dishes to citizens who come inside to try something new and different.
And everyone comes away surprised, full and satisfied. But above all happy.
And this is precisely the goal of the owners of the restaurant.
Their place is connected to our world through the back door, but we still haven't been told how this could happen. In fact, I would like to have some clarification on the matter, but for now I've really enjoyed observing the various people discovering the strange dishes that are presented to them.
And it's true, a hot meal can really bring happiness!

Netgalley, thanks for letting me read this manga!

Books like this are my new favorite genre. It is a Japanese style pub in a fictional middle ages style world. It was a very simple story, but so well done. Reading it made me hungry and wish that we had this in the real world. I look forward to continuing the series.

4 stars

This graphic novel was a true delight, anyone who enjoyed Ratatouille or Way of the Househusband will surely enjoy the episodic bouts of life-transforming gastronomy in Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu! Atmospheric and perfect for a cool fall day, the cooking of Chief Nobu and the characters' lives he impacts was just the kind of cozy entertainment I had been looking for! I will absolutely be reading the other volumes as they are released. Highly recommended, 5/5 stars!

This manga volume shows the beginning of how some inhabitants of a medieval city became loyal customers of an otherworldly eatery. Showcasing Japanese cuisine to customers who are not familiar with them, the food helps keep their troubles away as they passed time inside the establishment. And thus begins this fantasy series with a supernatural twist!

This is just a nice manga series to pass the time away. It focused on Japanese food and makes readers want to taste them in real life! The volume also offers translations notes to help readers become familiar with the foreign words within the story. This volume introduced critical characters that will be prevalent in the rest of the series. Overall, this manga series offers a nice vibe to the story, and I look forward to reading more volumes in the future.


** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own. **

Thank you NetGalley and Udon Entertainment!

"A Japanese style pub called “Nobu” exists in a back alley of the fictional medieval European city of Eiteriach. Its customers? A pair of slacker soldiers, a spoiled heiress, an uptight tax collector, and more... When the citizens of this strange world sit down to enjoy some unfamiliar Japanese cuisine, their troubles simply melt away..."

I feel like this can be one of Anton Ego's (from Ratatouille) favourite books -- the comfort that food bring us and how it can sometimes solve our problems :). I do wish it was in colour though to make the food more appetizing, but the artwork is great overall! Anyway, if you're looking for a cozy food manga and/or just love Japanese food, read this!

I really enjoyed my reading ! This manga was very fun and original. It's divided into 6 short stories in the pub and it was a very brillant idea to discover some asian dishes. Everything looked so yummy and the different characters were nice.

I will recommend this manga for people who aren't used to read them because it's easy and very entertaining!!

SO HEARTWARMING!!! I also love the cooking and foods a lot, so this manga really really enjoyable for me. It’s a light reading experience that still delivers emotion and warming my heart with all the interactions between the characters and how food can boost people’s mood too.

Actual rating: 3.5

Okay, so this was cozy as all heck. I’m a sucker for food based manga and this was a very good time. The mechanics of the time traveling (when, where, how) are a little fuzzy, but the coziness of the restaurant, the delicious art and descriptions and reactions to all the food make up for it and then some.

My only issue is that I would have liked to have seen more plot in this first volume, or a hint of plot even, but it is very much focused on telling individual stories.

There is also one creepy moment where a man is looking at his very child-like niece and saying that she’s going to be a beautiful woman soon - that gave me an ick. Go away creepy uncle.

This manga has much promise and with many volumes already out, I’m very curious to see what this story develops into - because while we did get gorgeous art and interesting short stories - as a whole, I’m still having a tough time grasping the true set up of this manga.

*I received an eARC from Udon Entertainment & NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*

This is your cozy foodie read for the season!

Actually, this manga has been out since 2018 but is on NetGalley right now for review (thank you to Udon Entertainment and NetGalley!) and it got me to get the next volume on reserve from the library. This is an izakaya set in a fictional German town that is supposed to be in an isekai ("otheworldly") setting even though there's nothing to indicate that here. Doesn't matter, it's a cute, soft read about finding basically a reason for life in good food when your job sucks and all the other food is bland and low quality.

Free copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley, review is my own.

3.5 stars, rounded up. Definitely do not read this manga without any food in your house. It is also best enjoyed by those interested in languages (German and Japanese terms are footnoted and provided in a back glossary) and food, as the characters are not really developed. The focus is more on concepts of nourishment than plot.

Overall, it's a nice meditation on the value of trying the unexpected and the healing power of good food.

tl;dr
The comfort food version of manga. An incredibly pleasant read with lovely illustrations and low drama.

Thoughts
Much like the comfort food featured in this series, Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu is warm and familiar with no real surprises, and that's the best thing about it. Each vignette takes on the same formula of a person in some kind of need finding solace in delicious food at a slightly magical izakaya, by trying out a new (for them) Japanese dish. I was delighted to see how well it captured the experience of eating: the one of a guy eating sushi for the first time was hilariously on point; and the hot tofu dish was such a pitch-perfect rendition of trying and failing to wait for a dish to cool before eating it, because it's just too good to wait. Reactions are large and joyous without going as far as the famous "foodgasms" of other food manga, and the food illustrations are extremely tasty. Anyone looking for a cozy, comforting, drama-free read will leave Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu satisfied, if not a little bit hungry for some Japanese food.

Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu is about a Japanese restaurant located in a fictional European city. The customers of the restaurant are enchanted by Japanese cuisine which makes each chapter a fun read. I think if you are a fan of the anime Restaurant to Another World this title would be for you. I'm intrigued to see if the lore of the restaurant's origin will be revealed in the series as it goes on. Overall this was a good read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for the e-copy of this manga.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this manga in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute manga, it explored the small things in life that go a long way to create happiness. I didn’t know what to expect going into it, but I enjoyed the characters and the art style. It made me hungry and sad that I can’t visit this restaurant.

The cover is the only reason, I attempted to download,. Couldn't read it, due to content not supported and a total waste of time.

In Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu, volume 1, written by Natsuya Semikawa and illustrated by Virginia Nitouhei, it's all about food, atmosphere, and companionship. Filled with cultural anecdotes, we follow a variety of characters who take time out of their lives to sit and enjoy traditional Japanese cuisine and breathe easy away from their troubles.

At its core, Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu is a food and culture manga built on traditional Japanese culture and integrates that with other cultural notes and language, that then delivers itself overall in a cozy, homey package that the reader themselves can immerse themselves within. Great care is taken to showcase the thrill and elation that each character themselves is feeling when eating delicious food, so much so that those same feelings of warmth carry over to the reader.

There are several moments of laugh out loud comedy sprinkled in with wild, weird, and unique characters. If anything, it only feels repetitive, as each chapter follows a similar format: a dubious, sometimes quite vocally rude, first-time customer at the izakaya, who is uncertain about the food, who then becomes enamored with the quality of the dish served to them.

Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu is perfect for anybody who enjoys a good, hearty meal.