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nerissassippi's review against another edition
5.0
This was a delightful tale of eating in Tokyo. It was told in a very charming, self-effacing manner that belied how much meaning it has to the author. I see eye to eye with most of his likes and am looking forward to the day I can taste it for myself.
daniellersalaz's review
4.0
I’ve lived in Japan, but I’m not as much a foodie as this author. Reading this book (during social distancing no less) made me want to go back to Tokyo and seek out some of the restaurants and experiences he talked about. It seems he made a real attempt to learn the language (at least to some extent) and to respect the culture and history, which not every American travel writer in Japan does. I’d recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Japan, whether they’re already knowledgeable, in which case they can nod and laugh as they read along, or a total novice, in which case some aspects of Japanese culture might be made less intimidating and more approachable. I’m sharing with my 13 year old son next—he was in Japan at about the same age as the author’s daughter, and I think he’ll enjoy it. But he’ll also want to go back even more!
jwsg's review against another edition
3.0
One of the biggest challenges of reading books like Pretty Good Number One, where the author speaks about their experience of something - food, a place, an experience - is figuring out "do I trust your taste?" "Do I think your opinions are credible?" For instance, I've decided to ignore any opinion offered by the food writer for my local paper because I've figured out over the years that any restaurant that offers fatty cuts of well salted meat and other rich foods pretty much earns a 4 star review from him. And a couple of chapters in Pretty Good Number One, I couldn't decide if I should trust Amster-Burton and continue reading the book, or if I should move on to something with more substance.
For instance, it wasn't very confidence inspiring to read 4 pages in that "If Westerners think of Tokyo at all, it's as the capital of a nation struggling to right itself after years of economic stagnation capped by a devastating earthquake and nuclear disaster. Even before the Tohoku quake, however, Tokyo was a slightly off the map tourist destination. How many Tokyo tourist attractions can you name offhand? I'm going to guess zero." Oh dear, you think. This is going to be one of those Americans who discover exotic Asia, its exotic culture and flavours and mind boggling practices. They serve the fish whole here! Including the head! They eat seaweed and drink bitter tea! They eat fermented foods! And octopus balls! Page 53, where Amster-Burton wrote "to better understand what makes Japan one of the world's greatest places to eat, we should go to 7-Eleven" almost made me shut the book for good. I was convinced at this point that Amster-Burton had spent his life eating Cheez Whiz, Pop Tarts and Twinkies and now found Japanese convenience foods to be a revelation in flavour and texture by comparison. While I agreed with his assessment that "putting together lunch for the whole family from an American 7-Eleven would be as appetising as scavenging among seaside medical waste", I wasn't sure whether he could be trusted to discern what was mediocre (it doesn't exist, in his opinion), average, above average and sublime Japanese food. Or if everything was going to be awesome and a revelation.
In the end, I decided to get over myself and read the book for what it is - how to experience Tokyo with young kids, where, let's face it, you're not going to be making plans for that sublime Michelin starred meal, to get in line early for that utterly mind-blowing hole-in-the-wall ramen joint, or beg the concierge to score you seats at Sushi Jiro. So exploring the joys of Japanese supermarkets and kombinis, train food (because kids love trains and train food is a convenient option for hungry kids during the train journey), and kid-friendly options for yakitori, tempura, ramen, sushi and what not, is probably the way to go. Read in that light, Pretty Good Number One is a pretty good read and travel guide for families heading to Tokyo.
For instance, it wasn't very confidence inspiring to read 4 pages in that "If Westerners think of Tokyo at all, it's as the capital of a nation struggling to right itself after years of economic stagnation capped by a devastating earthquake and nuclear disaster. Even before the Tohoku quake, however, Tokyo was a slightly off the map tourist destination. How many Tokyo tourist attractions can you name offhand? I'm going to guess zero." Oh dear, you think. This is going to be one of those Americans who discover exotic Asia, its exotic culture and flavours and mind boggling practices. They serve the fish whole here! Including the head! They eat seaweed and drink bitter tea! They eat fermented foods! And octopus balls! Page 53, where Amster-Burton wrote "to better understand what makes Japan one of the world's greatest places to eat, we should go to 7-Eleven" almost made me shut the book for good. I was convinced at this point that Amster-Burton had spent his life eating Cheez Whiz, Pop Tarts and Twinkies and now found Japanese convenience foods to be a revelation in flavour and texture by comparison. While I agreed with his assessment that "putting together lunch for the whole family from an American 7-Eleven would be as appetising as scavenging among seaside medical waste", I wasn't sure whether he could be trusted to discern what was mediocre (it doesn't exist, in his opinion), average, above average and sublime Japanese food. Or if everything was going to be awesome and a revelation.
In the end, I decided to get over myself and read the book for what it is - how to experience Tokyo with young kids, where, let's face it, you're not going to be making plans for that sublime Michelin starred meal, to get in line early for that utterly mind-blowing hole-in-the-wall ramen joint, or beg the concierge to score you seats at Sushi Jiro. So exploring the joys of Japanese supermarkets and kombinis, train food (because kids love trains and train food is a convenient option for hungry kids during the train journey), and kid-friendly options for yakitori, tempura, ramen, sushi and what not, is probably the way to go. Read in that light, Pretty Good Number One is a pretty good read and travel guide for families heading to Tokyo.
scheu's review
4.0
A great book for anyone travelling to Tokyo (or Japan in general) who wants a good laugh and a good primer on the food. I suspect that I will appreciate the author even more in a few months.
ghostrachel's review
5.0
A great quick read. Funny and conversational, reading it felt like a vicarious vacation. Interesting bits about Japanese food and culture from an American (occasionally) bumbling through it.
terrimarshall's review
4.0
I enjoyed this "food memoir" about a family and their experiences with food while traveling in Japan. I learned a lot about Japanese food and culture.
annaptobias's review
4.0
Pretty Good Number One is about living the dream of staying in Tokyo for a month, eating and sampling Japanese food at its best and most ordinary. In other foodie memoir books/shows (like Anthony Bourdain's, for instance), the author would visit restaurants that are crazy expensive and not representative of the way that 'normal' people eat. Yeah, it would AMAZING to be able to eat at Jiro's for sushi, but really, I don't have US$350 to eat a dozen pieces of sushi in one seating. Matthew Amster-Burton, on the other hand, writes about what a normal Tokyoite would eat -- ramen, donburi, yakitori, Denny's, onigiri from 7-11 -- and for me, reading about that kind of food makes Tokyo far more approachable.
As a manga fan, I appreciate how he references the series Oishinbo numerous times throughout the text, almost as if Yamaoka was his spirit guide.
As a manga fan, I appreciate how he references the series Oishinbo numerous times throughout the text, almost as if Yamaoka was his spirit guide.
katiez624's review
4.0
I was introduced to Matthew and his love for Japan through his hilarious podcast, Spilled Milk, which he co-hosts with Molly Wizenburg. He frequently mentions his daughter, Iris, and his love for Japan in the podcast. This book sounds exactly like he talks, witty, informal, a bit random, and full of interesting facts about food. The chapters and topics mentioned in this book are a bit disjointed, but I was able to get a fairly good picture of Japanese cuisine (mostly street food) and why he finds Japan so intriguing.