The Kamogawa Food Detectives (2013) by Hisashi Kashiwai #JapaneseLitChallenge18

🍜 Tucked away in a quiet backstreet of Kyoto is an unusual Diner. No sign appears on the outside of the unassuming buiding, but once you open its sliding door, you'd find a cozy restaurant. Run by Nagare Kamogawa and his daughter Koishi, it's a special restaurant combined with a detective agency in the back office. How can a restaurant be mixed up with a detective agency? Well, the agency doesn't take the usual criminal cases, it deals with food - recreating food, in particular.

🍜 A potential customer would first be served with a set menu curated by the Chef, Nagare. After enjoying the meal (every customer do!), he or she would be directed to the office, where Koishi would interview the client of what dish he or she wants them to recreate. It could be a childhood dish, or a memorable dish important for the client. She would ask some further questions concerning the background, location, etc. And based on these information will Nagare then track and investigate the dish concerned, and try to replicate it for the client in a fortnight.

🍜 This book is a compilation of these cases, or shall we say, these dishes. Each dish isn't only centered on the food only - they all met, or perhaps, even, exceeded the clients' expectations - but more than that, Nagare's investigation usually reveals deeper aspect of emotion behind a plate of delicious food - memory, loved ones, forgiveness, understanding, and new hope. All in all, it's a collection of heartwarming stories with mouthwatering foods, with a sprinkle of mystery.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read for:

Japanese Literature Challenge #18

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