The was an excellent sequel! I love how the father-daughter duo work together to find recipes to meals from long ago. Its like a cozy mystery, but for food! The stories are so heartwarming, its like a welcoming bowl of good soup on a cold, rainy day. I devoured (pun intended) this novel so fast, I instantly wanted more the moment I finished it, I highly recommend this novel!

Another beautifully written book in this series. Loved all the dishes and the setting itself. Some great stories from the customers. My favorite has to be the nori ben. These books make me feel good and hopeful.

*The Restaurant of Lost Recipes* by Hisashi Kashiwai, the second book in *The Kamogawa Food Detectives* series, brings readers back to the heartwarming world of a father-daughter duo who recreate cherished dishes for their guests. In each story, visitors from all over Japan describe a special dish they long to taste again, and the father and daughter carefully research and prepare it, capturing beautiful memories in each meal. While I adore this series—especially the first book—this second installment felt a bit repetitive, as each interaction follows a similar format. Although I enjoyed the warmth and nostalgia of each story, I hope for a touch more variety in Kashiwai’s future books.

The Restaurant of Lost Recipes follows the first novel in the series, The Kamogawa Food Detectives. Like the first, this isn’t a true cozy mystery novel. Instead, it’s comprised of ten formulaic episodes, each one focused on a different diner seeking the Kamogawa Diner’s father-daughter duo who track down and recreate special dishes that can’t be found anymore. Each diner has their own reason for wanting to taste a certain dish one more time, each connected to some kind of decision they have to make. Unfortunately, the reader is never privy to what happens to the diner after they leave, and I was left feeling disappointed there were no hints in later stories. Still, the fun part of these books is always the food. While I am not intimately familiar with Japanese cuisine, I had a fun time reading about the dishes, and I loved reading about how Nagare managed to track each recipe down.

In Kyoto, the Kamogawa Diner is hard to spot. There’s no sign, no indication it’s there. But diners desperate for the Kamogawas’ services manage to find them, each enjoying a different set menu prepared by Nagare Kamogawa when they first enter before being shown to the detective agency part of the diner, run by his daughter Koishi. There, they describe the dish they’re seeking and why they need to taste it so badly, sometimes for closure, sometimes to hopefully gain insight into what decision to make. Two weeks later, the diner makes their way back to the diner, where they experience all the emotions that come with tasting something they haven’t eaten in years, and learn how Nagare managed to track down the recipe.

I really enjoyed the first book despite how formulaic each story is. It was oddly comforting as it really allowed me to focus on each diner’s unique dish and unique needs and desires, making each story a little different and a little more poignant. I also liked how I got a glimpse of how some decisions turned out now and then, and really found myself homing in on a hint at romance between Koishi and a frequent casual diner. While The Restaurant of Lost Recipes managed to deliver more poignant stories, I was disappointed I never got to find out how any of the decisions played out and only two stories had even a glimpse of the romance. Instead, what seemed to draw these stories together was Drowsy the cat, who isn’t even allowed in the diner but who seemed to always greet each diner, and the fact that most of the stories involved parents and children in some way, making this one tug a little harder at my heartstrings.

I really enjoyed these stories. I wish they had been connected a little more, but it was also nice to get to see Nagare and Koishi again. The dishes they were tasked with finding hit a little closer to home for me as a parent and as a daughter. Some of the dishes were sought by a grown child who wanted to taste a dish their parent made for them when they were a child. I particularly loved these because little secrets about just how much their parent loved their child came through, the devotion and love their parent had for their child without the child even realizing or seeing until it’s too late. Another involved mourning parents wanting just a taste of something their late son loved to eat without them even knowing he’d loved it, and another centered around a man wanting to taste something from his days of youth when all dreams were still possible in order to determine how to proceed with his own son wanting to follow his own dreams. Considering so many of these stories involved parents and children, I had hoped to see something deeper reflected in the relationship between Nagare and Koishi, but, even though there wasn’t any I could see, I did feel these two had a slightly deeper understanding of each other.

Nagare and Koishi are the heart of these stories. They’re the ones helping the diners find a little bit of what they needed, and I love that they’re a father-daughter duo doing it together while also paying homage to their late wife/mother. Even though Kikuko passed a number of years together, both Nagare and Koishi are devoted to her memory, and I liked how she was something of a ghostly character. But I loved how Koishi felt comfortable with her father to express her doubts as to whether they should find a certain dish, and I loved that Nagare never dismissed her, but always had some optimism that they needed to do it. I’m disappointed I never got to find out if some of these diners truly needed their dish in order to make a decision, but I still enjoyed their stories. One of my favorite parts of each story is learning how Nagare managed to track down each recipe. He uses a great deal of logic and just has a knack for putting things together to get him a step closer. It’s almost like reading a detective’s debrief at the end of a mystery novel, but with food instead, and he always seemed so in tune with the diner to pass on the story in the most sensitive way.

The Restaurant of Lost Recipes is a quick read. The stories all follow the same pattern so it’s easy to anticipate what will happen next. The lovely part is getting to feel what the diners do, and understanding just how much a certain dish meant to them. It’s even more lovely to learn something about the dish along with the diner, something that makes it heartwarming and a little bittersweet at the same time, because sometimes it’s too late. My favorite part is, of course, Drowsy, and I loved how she insisted on making an appearance in each story. I wish Koishi’s love interest had done the same, but perhaps in the next book. I really enjoyed the cat in this one, but I enjoyed the depth of emotions these stories made me feel more. And, just as the title says, these really are lost recipes Nagare finds, and I loved his stories of how he managed to do it.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Love any book with cats and cultural influences. The Restaurant of Lost Recipes is a book where food is an art and history, as well as human connection. Loved that the patrons come to the restaurant not just to consume food but for guidance. This read almost like a fairytale

This is such a cute book, but it was not one of my favorites that I have read in a while. I just couldn’t fully get into the story. It is an easy read. If you are needing a quick read between books, this will be perfect for you! The writing is very well done though which is why I rated it three stars.

The Restaurant of Lost Recipes is a charmingly diverting example of the Japanese food story genre, and the second Food Detectives book by Hisashi Kashiwai. Released 8th Oct 2024 by Penguin Random House on their Putnam imprint, it's 224 pages and is 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 2014, 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.

Five stars. Charming and worthwhile. Comfort reading.

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

I was not familiar with Hisashi Kashiwai's work but the description of this book was intriguing to me.

A father daughter duo who quietly advertise a service that they can recreate a dish for you from your past. Individuals come to Chef Nagare and his daughter Koishi in hopes of having a dish that at one time evoked special memories or feelings for various reasons. The duo would do indepth research to fulfill their customers' wishes.

Listening to this book made me want to hire them to recreate my grandma's fried chicken and gravy.

This is a powerful book that clearly shows how food evokes such deep emotions and memories of all kinds

I did listen to this book which I think was helpful because I would have butchered all of the names of ingredients, dishes, cities, and names of the characters.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A continuation from the first book featuring more delicious food descriptions and explores how food brings back memories and emotions.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

The second installment of the beloved Kamogawa Food Detectives, THE RESTAURANT OF LOST RECIPES is a perfect choice for a cozy, heartwarming book. Set up as six interconnecting, but stand alone, installments-- each patron of the Kamagowa Diner is welcomed in as family. Always given a comforting, skillfully crafted meal to start, Chef Nagare and his daughter Koishi also offer their popular food detective service. Patrons often come searching for this particular skill set, not just to rediscover a lost favorite food, but also to re-experience or uncover a hidden part of themselves.

LOST RECIPES was a lovely look into the very human connection between food and memories-- how the taste of a forgotten dish can reignite someone's spark or uncover a heartwarming memory of a loved one. Perfect for fans of Toshikazu Kawaguchi, or even just someone looking for a quick, but comforting book, THE RESTAURANT OF LOST RECIPES will not disappoint.

Kashiwai’s book of six mysteries took me by a surprise in the most comforting way. When cozy mysteries are discussed, the genre frequently has culinary themes (often with puns in the titles) and set in coffee shops, tea houses, catering services, or with a cooking hobbyist character. In Kashiwai’s The Restaurant of Lost Recipes, the food is the mystery.

At The Kamogawa Diner, a humble establishment with not even a sign to mark its presence, owner Nagare Kamogawa and his daughter Koishi serve food as one would expect of a diner; but their real business is solving food mysteries. This has nothing to do with forensics nor poisons. It’s psychologically cozy and creates a reading experience that fills one with hope, closure, and joy for the secondary characters (the clients who come for help).

Each mystery is two chapters. The first is when a client arrives—often confused or hesitant—seeking a meal they remember as an experience with little details about the tastes. The Kyoto setting allows for many styles of rice, fish, and plenty of sake or tea, but even the sake and tea are specially chosen by Nagare. His passion for food and nostalgia are not supernatural, yet they do seem like a gift in the same way Sherlock Holmes notices every single thing in a room or about a person’s presentation. Nagare knows what people are seeking when they describe the mysterious meals of the past they are looking for.

It isn’t that a mystery book comes along in American English (translated) that doesn’t feature at least one dead body as the source of the case to solve. The Restaurant of Lost Recipes has none of that. There is one deceased person, Nagare’s wife and Koishi’s mother Kikuko. She is always present in spirit. At the diner, there is a private room filled with tatami mats and an altar to her. In each story, Nagare and Koishi are given a moment to pay respects to her.

With great cozy mysteries, there’s an iconic animal companion and The Restaurant of Lost Recipes by Hisashi Kashiwai is no different there. A roaming neighborhood cat called Drowsy appears in each story to greet the clients at the Kamogawa Diner and hoping for some fish. Nagare acts as if Drowsy is an inconvenient visitor, but he genuinely likes the cat as long as he stays outside away from the kitchen. Perhaps, Drowsy is present as their Luck Cat (Neko) usually seen in restaurants as a white cat statue and a waving paw here in Asian-American establishments.

There’s never a doubt for the reader that Nagare will find the dish the client wants. In fact, there isn’t a lot shown in his journeys from small fishing town to big city. It’s done as a wrap up while the mystery dish is served to the clients in the stories’ second parts. What readers can get a feeling for in regards to the Kyoto environment is how drastically the weather changes throughout this year of six food mysteries. From scorching heat to the most bitter of icy winter, Kashiwai uses succinct ways to express what the clients are physically feeling and emotionally feeling.

Summary:
Highest recommendations! A most unusual reading experience for American cozy mystery fans.

Even better than book one, this book was just what I needed and I just felt better [even after the sad ones, and there ARE sad ones] after reading this book.

A very unique premise with some really great writing, this is a great "quiet" book to read as a break from heavy reading, or if life is just getting to be too much - you will not be sorry.

Well done.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hisashi Kashiwai, Jesse Kirkwood - Translator, and Penguin Group - Putnam/G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was like being wrapped up in a blanket with a warm drink on a cool day. Cozy and heartfelt.

This book follows a father and daughter who run a food detective business. They research the food that a client comes in and wants, then creates it and serves it to them.
Each chapter follows a different character and food. You learn about each person and their connection to the food. These stories are heartfelt and make you want to learn more.

I really enjoyed these quick little stories tied together by the food detectives.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Son’s and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

What an absolute gem of a book! The concept is fascinating - a restaurant and chef that recreate recipes from your past. We all have some dish that evokes special and strong memories - maybe a memorable meal you had with a loved one, or, like the first dish in this story, a simple (or not-so-simple) lunch made for you by your parent every day for years.

The power of food and taste is explored in delicate and colorful prose, offering up poignant and heart-warming vignettes for the people who are lucky enough to find the Kamagawa Diner. This would make a wonderful TV series. I hope Netflix picks it up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the e-book copy!

The Restaurant of Lost Recipes is the second installment of the Kamogawa Food Detectives series. I read the first book and enjoyed it so of course I was down to read the second book. If you have read the first book and enjoyed the self-contained chapters, this book continues delivering on that. Outside of that, the cases in this were just as good as the first book and I have no major complaints. There may be an issue down the line if this continues of repetition but I think the characters are unique enough to keep the story alive. I implore you to check out the sequel if you read the first book and if not I suggest reading the first book to get a feel for the story.

I adore this series! These books are like a warm and cozy hug. The books consist of vignettes about the customers visiting the Kamogawa Diner and Detective Agency. The father and daughter running the diner specialize in recreating dishes that customers remember from their past. Each story is well-developed and touching, and the food descriptions are amazing. Even though I'm unfamiliar with a lot of the Japanese food items, the descriptions are mouth-watering and delightful. I hope for many more books in this series!

In this tender and quietly profound novel, Kashiwai serves up a story that proves food can be more than sustenance—it can be a bridge to our most precious memories and a catalyst for healing. Set in a tucked-away Kyoto diner, this book simmers with the kind of wisdom that, like a perfect broth, can only come from careful attention and time.
Chef Nagare and his daughter Koishi are more than restaurateurs; they're culinary detectives who understand that recreating a dish is about capturing something ineffable—the taste of childhood, the flavor of lost love, the seasoning of better days. Through their meticulous work to reconstruct forgotten recipes, Kashiwai explores how taste and memory intertwine in ways that can transform lives.
The novel shines brightest in its vignettes of customers seeking lost dishes: an Olympic swimmer yearning for his father's bento box, a former pop star chasing the taste of her fleeting success through tempura. Each story is carefully crafted to reveal how food carries emotional DNA, with Kashiwai masterfully using Japanese cuisine as a lens through which to examine human connection and loss.
The father-daughter relationship at the heart of the novel provides a steady emotional anchor, while their detective work offers a unique framework for exploring how we process grief, regret, and nostalgia. The Kyoto setting, with its blend of tradition and modernity, perfectly mirrors the book's themes of preservation and change.
"The Restaurant of Lost Recipes" reminds us that sometimes the most important ingredients in a dish aren't listed in any recipe—they're the memories and emotions we bring to the table. It's a beautiful meditation on how food can help us recover not just lost flavors, but lost pieces of ourselves.

Lovely, comforting read as always. I enjoyed this just as much as the first book and was excited to receive this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
While I enjoyed this book, I had a hard time fully getting in to the story. Perhaps because it was a book that was translated? I am not entirely sure. I Thought this book was only so-so in my opinion. I didn't love it nor hate it.
Many thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

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Kashiwai has done it again--just like the first book, "The Restaurant of Lost Recipes" is a sweet short novel about a father and daughter researching special recipes for their clients. It's a bit of an odd premise, but it comes together to create a heartwarming quick read.

I did feel this second was a little too formulaic (the dog shows up at the same moment for every single client), but it didn't take away too much--it just wasn't *quite* up to the first one...but still absolutely lovely.

Comforting like a warm bowl of soup.

Book: The Restaurant of Lost Recipes
Author: Hisashi Kashiwai
Format: Digital
Genre: Fiction, Short Stories, Food, Mystery
Places Featured: Kyoto, Japan
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️