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mamagames's review against another edition
4.0
A great addition to our sushi unit study... the writing is entertaining and the chapters are quite short, almost like a collection of essays, making it easy to pick up and read just a bit in a short snippet of time. I learned a lot about Japanese food, geography, and culture, and it was an enjoyable read.
jwsg's review against another edition
2.0
I was a little wary when in Chapter 3, Booth pledged to avoid casual racism, to "knee-jerk prejudice", taking cheap shots at the Japanese to score a laugh like making jokes about their height and to focus on cultural stereotypes e.g. "photographing teenage girls dressed like Gothic Lolitas without them knowing". I was worried that this was going to be one of those books where White Person Encounters Asia and Uses Cheap Humour to Entertain People Looking for Light Reading.
Booth didn't let me down on that front. By Chapter 4, he waxes lyrical about Japan being a place where he could probably have a good basketball career, and describing how he and his family "took sneaky photos of teenage girls dressed in lacy, stack-heeled, puffball skirted Gothic Lolita costumes". And when comparing the Tsuji Culinary Institute to his alma mater, Paris Cordon Bleu, says it makes the latter look like "a Ugandan bush primary school in comparison." Charming.
I wondered if Booth really was as ignorant and bumbling as he made himself out to be (e.g. when he describes himself peeking into the fridge at a sumo stable to see if it is stuffed with cakes and chocolates or his account of his interview with Ajinomoto executives) or if this was just part of his Cheap Humour tactic. If the former, one wonders what sort of journalist/travel writer he is (and that his fixer, Emiko Doi, must be some sort of sorceress cum saint). Still, the book was informative enough to keep me reading. (Indeed, the book was turned into a Japanese anime series so it must have found a welcoming Japanese audience). During his trip, Booth covers a lot of ground: Tokyo, Sapporo, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka/Hakata, Kobe, Okinawa and he does have some interesting nuggets for travelers planning an itinerary e.g. the Parasite Museum in Tokyo; Shizuoka south of Mt Fuji that is popular for its onsen but also synonymous with wasabi; Ramen Yokocho (Ramen Alley) in Sapporo; saba-zushi restaurant Izuu in Kyoto; soy sauce on Shikoku Island; just to name a few.
Two and a half stars.
Booth didn't let me down on that front. By Chapter 4, he waxes lyrical about Japan being a place where he could probably have a good basketball career, and describing how he and his family "took sneaky photos of teenage girls dressed in lacy, stack-heeled, puffball skirted Gothic Lolita costumes". And when comparing the Tsuji Culinary Institute to his alma mater, Paris Cordon Bleu, says it makes the latter look like "a Ugandan bush primary school in comparison." Charming.
I wondered if Booth really was as ignorant and bumbling as he made himself out to be (e.g. when he describes himself peeking into the fridge at a sumo stable to see if it is stuffed with cakes and chocolates or his account of his interview with Ajinomoto executives) or if this was just part of his Cheap Humour tactic. If the former, one wonders what sort of journalist/travel writer he is (and that his fixer, Emiko Doi, must be some sort of sorceress cum saint). Still, the book was informative enough to keep me reading. (Indeed, the book was turned into a Japanese anime series so it must have found a welcoming Japanese audience). During his trip, Booth covers a lot of ground: Tokyo, Sapporo, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka/Hakata, Kobe, Okinawa and he does have some interesting nuggets for travelers planning an itinerary e.g. the Parasite Museum in Tokyo; Shizuoka south of Mt Fuji that is popular for its onsen but also synonymous with wasabi; Ramen Yokocho (Ramen Alley) in Sapporo; saba-zushi restaurant Izuu in Kyoto; soy sauce on Shikoku Island; just to name a few.
Two and a half stars.
hedgehogreads01's review against another edition
5.0
I picked up the book in the library— more by accident then on purpose. And Oh Lord I need it in my home library!
I want almost each and every dish described, I want to be able to find and try the best ramen, the most tasty dashi and to buy the authentic soy sauce.
I want to experience this: “It was as if the chef had found a taste receptor I never knew I had, some kind of palate G-spot, and performed a kind of culinarylingus”.
I want almost each and every dish described, I want to be able to find and try the best ramen, the most tasty dashi and to buy the authentic soy sauce.
I want to experience this: “It was as if the chef had found a taste receptor I never knew I had, some kind of palate G-spot, and performed a kind of culinarylingus”.
lithimna's review against another edition
5.0
Warning: this book will make you hungry every time you open it.
mercenator's review against another edition
3.0
This book was super interesting in that I felt that I learned a lot about traditional Japanese cuisine and cooking. That being said, I wish Booth had devoted just a bit more time to each chapter, as often times I was left wanting more.
txjpjenny's review against another edition
4.0
Lots of fun to read this food/travel memoir. Adding to its entertainment value is the fact that he brought his wife and two young kids on his mission to discover the secrets of Japanese cooking. Booth tells hilarious stories while going into great detail about Japanese food and culture and the staple ingredients that go into its cuisine, all the way from Hokkaido down to Okinawa, with many stops in between. I’ve lived in Japan for more than 10 years and I learned a good amount of new information! I’m also very hungry.
minty's review against another edition
2.0
This was not as good as I'd hoped it would be. The author makes several comments that reveal him to be set in his old, racist/intolerant ideas, and though I'm sure he'd argue "that's just a turn of phrase! it doesn't mean I think poorly of trans people!" they just came across so poorly that I did NOT like him and had a hard time feeling good about this book by the end. I definitely would love to retrace his steps in Japan, and it made me want to eat all the food!
saralynnburnett's review against another edition
4.0
One of the best things about this book is that it points out how Japanese food is truly top tier in terms of elevation - how much respect there is for the ingredients (massaging cows pre-slaughter to reduce their anxiety), seasonality (an emphasis on the soil nutrients and freshness), and the art of cooking (training as long as a doctor to cut fish correctly). It’s definitely a philosophy we don’t have in the west. For instance the Ama divers chapter noted that while they could use modern scuba gear to stay down longer and collect more sea cucumbers and whatnot they choose the traditional way instead by holding their breath in order to prevent over-harvesting.
I also love that the author took a little swing at western celebrity chefs and by default western society’s idealization of individuality / celebrity culture: “If you go to eat at one of the great European or American chefs - Alain Ducasse or Thomas Keller, for instance, the food is generally a direct expression of the chef’s personality or ego...” and that rang especially true for me. Japanese culinary expression at its finest as you’ll discover throughout this foodie travelogue is an expression of their culture and their land. He closes the book with a sentence that while applicable to all he’s discussed regarding Japanese cuisine I felt was also reflective of Japanese culture: “to be a truly great chef... you must above all else have humility...” and he goes on to say “...humility especially towards the ingredients [without which] a chef is nothing.”
If you have any interest in Japan and/or Japanese cuisine you’ll surely enjoy this!
I also love that the author took a little swing at western celebrity chefs and by default western society’s idealization of individuality / celebrity culture: “If you go to eat at one of the great European or American chefs - Alain Ducasse or Thomas Keller, for instance, the food is generally a direct expression of the chef’s personality or ego...” and that rang especially true for me. Japanese culinary expression at its finest as you’ll discover throughout this foodie travelogue is an expression of their culture and their land. He closes the book with a sentence that while applicable to all he’s discussed regarding Japanese cuisine I felt was also reflective of Japanese culture: “to be a truly great chef... you must above all else have humility...” and he goes on to say “...humility especially towards the ingredients [without which] a chef is nothing.”
If you have any interest in Japan and/or Japanese cuisine you’ll surely enjoy this!
saaaam_j's review
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
2.0
I almost DNF this book after reading the author describe sumo wrestlers as “fatties in diapers.” I had hoped for this book’s premise given that I wanted an overview of Japanese culture but unfortunately, this book reeks of white people’s stereotypes of Asian culture. The book covers a lot of topics and provides decent contextual information and food writing but the “jokes” that the author tries to make come off as disrespectful and rude.