The Menu of Happiness by Hisashi Kashiwai ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Every memory has a flavor. A very special restaurant in Kyoto helps find them . . .

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

October 2025; G.P. Putnam's Sons; 979-8217045358
audio, ebook, print (224 pages); translated fiction

I'm a big fan of Toshikazu Kawaguchi's Before the Coffee Gets Cold series. If you loved that series too, then you need to check out Hisashi Kashiwai's Kamogawa Food Detectives series. I missed the first two books in the series (I have holds on them at the library, but the wait is LONG). The Menu of Happiness is book 3, but you don't need to have read the previous books to enjoy this one.

Like the Kawaguchi's series, each chapter focuses on a different character and the dish they wish to recreate. Unlike it, there is no magical realism, and therefore, no true time travel in this novel. However, the characters are mentally transported back to the feeling that they felt when they first tasted the dish. 

I don't know anything about Japanese cuisine, so the descriptions of the dishes being served were lost on me. But if you are a fan of Japanese food, then you will enjoy the lengthy descriptions. I did pick up a cooking tip. I make a pretty good stir fry, which this book made me crave. The chef in the book always seasoned the rice with something when it was steamed. So I decided to try that with some Asian spice mix that I have. It was delicious.

The stories of each character are a nice slice of life as they share why they desire to recreate a dish from their past.

You probably don't want to read this when hungry. Even though I didn't know what all the dishes were, there was enough that I understood that it always made me hungry. Thankfully, I read most of the book while eating a meal.

If you want an easy read that lets you learn about a different culture, then this is a great book to pick up. I liked that we saw Kyoto in every season.

Buy The Menu of Happiness at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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