translated, Japan, foodie, food-columnist, cultural-heritage, cultural-exploration, culinary, nostalgia, estranged, contemporary, investigations, father-and-daughter, family, family-dynamics, friends, friendship*****

This is a collection of vignettes into the lives of troubled persons who have internalized their varied estrangements into a search for a food remembered but have been unable to reproduce. The father/daughter detectives track down the particulars and replicate it in each case. Doing so has fostered understanding and possible reunion with the estranged one. The recipes are incomprehensible to me, but the angst and humanity cross all boundaries.
Thanks to Jesse Kirkwood for the smooth translation.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons via NetGalley. Thank you!
#KamogawaFoodDetectivesBk2

Thank you, NetGalley and Putnam, for providing an ebook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

The Restaurant of Lost Recipes follows the same structure as The Kamogawa Diner, offering another cozy collection of linked short stories. Each chapter continues the familiar pattern of customers arriving at the diner, longing for a dish from their past, and Nagare working to recreate it. Reading this book was particularly special for me as I was visiting Kyoto at the time, and started it on a hotel rooftop just a mile away from the fictional diner’s setting. This gave me the chance to visualize the location in a way I couldn’t with the first book.

My favorite story from this collection was the first one, Nori-Ben, which set the tone nicely and pulled me back into the diner right away.

Despite the warm, nostalgic atmosphere that the book creates, the repetitive format still leaves me wishing for more. Perhaps my unfamiliarity with this genre is leading me to expect something that isn't central to its appeal, but it's hard not to want a bit more character development. As with The Kamogawa Diner, I found myself wanting more depth and insight into the recurring characters, particularly Koishi and Tae. Koishi, especially, feels underutilized—almost like she’s not contributing much to the diner or the business at all. I hope future installments give her more involvement and allow us to see growth in the recurring characters.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed The Kamogawa Diner. While the installments don’t have to be read in order, I think starting with the first book makes for a more satisfying experience.

3.5 stars

Food is about so much more than just taste but also the memories it invokes. This series plays on that in the most charming way.

Food detectives Nagare and his daughter Koishi help customers recreate recipes from the past which helps them move into their present.

Foodie fans will appreciate this one.

I love this series, I love this book, and I will continue to read every other iteration of this book. There is a similar template that the author follows - you are reading this book not to be shocked but to be lulled. The descriptions of the food are enthralling and sweet, the mysteries of the recipes tender and thoughtful. I love it.

I love this series of books. They are so gentle and kind and tender and caring, you can’t help but want to read eight of them in a row. I sincerely hope there are more books in the series forthcoming. These books always make me hungry and inspire me to get into my own kitchen (and I’m an avid cook). This series is a triumph. 5/5. Will absolutely be singing its praises from all the rooftops. Bravo and more please!

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wished to live it but I just didn’t, the book has a cozy atmosphere and it immediately draws you in. Unfortunately, while the vibe was on point, the stories themselves were quite slow-paced and lacking action, ultimately boring me. I had to force myself to pick up the book rather than counting hours till I can get back to it. It is really unfortunate but alas. Still I’m giving it four stars purely for the cover and overall vibes.

****Publishing October 8, 2024****

Chef Nagare owns Kamogawa Diner in Kyoto. His daughter, Koishi, works at the restaurant. They have a special talent for recreating recipes that have meaning and hold a special place in their customer’s heart. They are known as the Kamogawa Food Detectives. It takes two weeks from the time of the request to when the customer can come back for it. Can they meet everyone’s request to perfection?

I loved how each chapter was a different request! I also loved how Koishi was so kind and caring. Even when the customer had doubts, she would reassure them and ask more questions in order to be on the right track to getting the recipe right! A perfect father/daughter duo that will keep you entertained and turning the pages to find out if they can fulfill every request! A perfect book to read with a cup of tea!

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam (G.P. Putnam's Sons), I was provided an ARC of The Restaurant of Lost Recipes by Hisashi Kashiwai via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Each short story in this warm and comforting book, which centers on new clients, has a recurring pattern. A person visits a particular restaurant in search of the chef to replicate a memorable meal from their past. This is how all six of the stories are put up.

This book explores the emotions and memories that food arouses in each of us. Some foods have the power to transport you back to your early years or show the love and care that went into creating them. I have to say that the book's mention of food genuinely made me want to eat it.

This book was quite enjoyable to me. Although the stories are slow-paced and lack action, they are designed to be experienced rather than consumed, much like a fine meal. The setup and sequence of stories were delightful, but I didn't feel like I could relate to the writing since it felt a little stiff.

I'd suggest the book to anyone who enjoys cozy books and books focusing on food.

God, I love these books. They are so delightful. It is just so pure, kind, and beautiful. It feels like a warm comforter when you are not feeling your best. These books warm you from the inside.

The second book in The Kamogawa Food Detectives series. This book follows a father daughter run restaurant in Kyoto. They aren’t easy to find, but they serve up something different and new to patrons that always seems to hit the spot. They also have a food detective service where patrons can request a specific dish from their past. Even with limited clues and taste descriptions, the Kamogawas always hit their mark.

This book is about how food evokes feelings and memories in all of us. A certain dish can take you back to childhood or show you the love and care that someone put into making it. Food is something we all eat and need, but it can also bring us closer to our loved ones in ways we can sometimes take for granted.

This book is a Japanese translation and the second in a series focusing on The Kamogawa Diner, a fictional restaurant in Kyoto. The chef & owner, Nagare Kamogawa, also acts as food detective with his daughter Koishi - funding foods their customers describe and are unable to reproduce themselves. Usually the foods have nostalgia and memories attached that the customers just can't shake.

This is a cozy and relaxing series with similar rhythms for each of the short stories which focuses on new customers. In this second novel, I enjoyed the simple recipes that were featured, since they can often be the ones closest to our hearts. There are themes of food bringing connection, unlocking hidden memories, and how food can help us to remember the past as we look to the future. (An added bonus is there's a sweet cat who befriends all the customers which you know I loved). he customer's stories are usually not completely finished by the time they leave the diner, offering just a snapshot into their life. I'd recommend this for an easy & low stakes read!

A delight to the senses. A easy cozy read that truly ignited my senses. It's more personal to me because I grew up in Japan and reading this made me think of all the dishes I've been missing. I love the characters dearly.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Puntam for giving me this advance review copy in exchange for a honest review!

The Kamogawa Diner is not any ordinary restaurant; the owners Nagare and Koishi are food detectives, who help people rediscover precious and lost recipes. Each chapter of this book revolves around a new character longing to taste a forgotten dish from their past.

I thought this book was cozy and sweet but very simple. Every chapter follows the same repetitive pattern; someone seeks out the diner, Nagare serves them a delightful meal, Koishi learns about the dish the customer is looking for, and then Nagare serves them said dish. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it is quite similar every time and not very interesting. The customers did always have a unique story that usually intrigued me though.

Nagare and Koishi however were a bit bland. I wished to learn more about their lives or how they go about the investigating (note: this is a sequel, and I haven’t read the first one so their lives may be talked about in the original). I also didn’t like Koishi very much, she seemed very judgmental towards her clients, which rubbed me the wrong way.

One thing I really liked about this book was the food descriptions. While Kashiwai doesn’t really detail much about character/location appearances, he makes up for it in the amazing descriptions on the food Nagare serves. His writing made me crave the food mentioned in the book. I’ve never been to Japan, so I haven’t tried much of the food mentioned, but reading about the mouthwatering flavors made me want to book a ticket to try all the dishes in Japan.

Cute and quick paced, but not my favorite!

This is a book about Japanese food. There are 6 stories all set up the same: a person comes to a specific restaurant looking for the cook to recreate a meaningful meal from their past. They are fed a delicious meal, which is described in detail. They are then interviewed by the cook's daughter for details of the meal and why they want it recreated. Two weeks pass and they return to a perfect recreation of the meal and the story of how the cook solved the puzzle. The stories are about the nostalgia of the meal and how they help the eater either find closure or provide direction for the future. Unlike some of the other recent popular Japanese books in translation, there is no magical element to the encounters. Just a brilliant cook who loves to help others. Sweet stories, short book, but also a little redundant.

Just like its predecessor, reading The Restaurant of Lost Recipes left me feeling hungry. In this volume I'm paying more attention to the explanation of how the food mystery was solved. More than trying to reach out to fans of "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" perhaps the publisher's marketing department should reach out to fans of Midnight Diner or other culinary-themed novels? I'm honestly surprised this hasn't been picked up for a tv adaptation before.

This is more a collection of stories than a novel. Each section has 2 chapters and some of the verbage is repetitive. The idea behind the book is a great one I just wish that it was longer and more details were given. Fast read.

I loved this book as much as the first! This series is basically a warm hug in short story form. The slices of insight into characters, their past, and their futures are just delightful. I also appreciate the descriptions of food and how it connects humanity. If you want a rousing plot, this isn’t for you. But if you want to spend a couple of pleasant hours, pick this up!

A follow up to the ‘Kamagawa Food Detectives’ about the power of food and it’s connection to memory.

This book follows the pattern of it’s predecessor - father-daughter duo of Nagare and Koishi Kamogawa run a dinner - and a food detective agency with each ‘case’ being contained within a chapter. When someone shows up looking for a dish from their past, Koishi interviews them, then Nagare gets to work recreating the dish. A few weeks later, the individual comes back to the dinner, Nagare explains how he recreated the dish as he serves his creation, then the client goes on their way. And just like the previous book, there’s more to it - the dishes almost serve as a way for the individual to heal, make decisions about their future, or reconcile with a family or friend.

For example, the first client is university student - a swimmer. His request is for a dish his estranged father had made him years ago. His father had a gambling problem, which lead to his parents separating about 10 years earlier. He decided to stay with his father to help take care of him. And every day for lunch, his father made him nori-ben, a rice and nori (seaweed) dish with other seasonings typically bonito flakes. About five years ago, he got what sounds something like a swimming scholarship, so moved into the dorm - and he hadn’t seen his father since. Nagare researches the recipe and discovers all the extra effort his father had put into the nori-ben to give it extra flavor, protein, etc. And while the story doesn’t mention it, the reader can image this simple dish leading to a reconciliation between father and son.

I really enjoyed this book. While the stories aren’t action packed, they are food packed; even I though I haven’t had many of the recipes, they still sound scrumptious. It’s slow moving, but like a good meal, it's meant to be enjoyed, not devoured.

Highly recommended - if you enjoyed the previous book, you’ll probably enjoy this one as well.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.com that I voluntarily chose to review.

Quick, easy, thoughtful read

I loved the first book in this series and was excited to read this one, too. I love the concept - there is one food that brings up a great memory/feeling and everyone wants to recreate that moment. This is a book of short stories - set in a small Kamogawa diner where a father/daughter duo makes the meals of your memories. Nagare does all the research and makes the most amazing sounding food - I don't know what most of it is and spent a lot of time looking things up but that just makes the book more enjoyable and immersive. His daughter, Koishi, helps in the diner and she takes down all the information about the memories. It's just a fun book to read, finding the recipes and learning why the meals are so important to everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

A wonderful continuation of an instantly beloved series. Cozy and nostalgic feels like just the ticket for this fall!