3.71 AVERAGE


Tarihi kurgu sevmeyenlerin dahi keyif alacağı, yemeğin büyüsünü saray mutfağı ile harmanlayan, kimi zaman gidişatı tahmin edebilseniz de, genel olarak merak öğesini devamlı canlı tutan bir kitap. Bence tek sıkıntısı sonunun biraz aceleye getirilmiş olması. Onun dışında yemeğin büyülü dünyasına, baharatlara, yıldızlara ve hayata dair beklediğimin çok üstünde bir kitap oldu.
irene_addler's profile picture

irene_addler's review

4.5
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Don't read this on an empty stomach!

The weakest point was the prose. There were shining moments, but most of the prose was fairly lackluster, and I even saw some typos in the ebook I read. I believe the book was translated into English, so I'm curious if the original text is more lyrical, or if the prose also feel bland and flat.

The omniscient narration and dubbing the main character "the cook" lent to some confusion as well, but overall, it's a fairly easy read.

Despite the few shortcomings, I was caught up in the story, and often find my mouth watering at the foods. The plot tugged at my heart and I loved many of the characters and hated others. The romance is beautiful and lovely. I definitely recommend this for a fun, quick, yet interesting read! 

It was also very cool to learn a bit more about the Ottoman Empire.
tenasadie's profile picture

tenasadie's review

4.5
adventurous emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
themoonphoenix's profile picture

themoonphoenix's review

3.75
informative reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I went back and forth between 3 and 4 stars.

I love the deliciousness of this book; the loving way Ersin writes about food.

In some ways this reminded me of a much less violent and less developed Song of Fire and Ice. It has political intrigue and magic and power all entangled not to mention strange figures from around the world, dancers and prostitutes and love.

It does lack the depth of Martin's work but it has that adventure feel. Plus the writing about food is more detailed and more exciting.
girlamongthebooks's profile picture

girlamongthebooks's review

4.0

Absolutely scrumptious! The characters and the intrigue is a very heady and exciting mix. While I would have liked more from Kamer, it was from the POV of the Cook. The only downside being that this tale will make you extremely hungry.

Food is powerful. A good meal can bring people together who normally can’t stand to be together (Thanksgiving, anyone?). A favorite dish can recall lost memories of childhood (Proust made a whole career out of this). But in Saygın Ersin’s The Pasha of Cuisine (translated by Mark Wyers), a man known only as the cook attempts to use his mastery of flavor and scent to win back his lost love from the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire himself...

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss, for review consideration.

seamyst's review

4.75
adventurous inspiring mysterious reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A great story of a cook who masters all elements of the alchemy of food for one greater purpose. He lost his one true love through circumstances he could not control. Will his plan to use the power of cuisine help him to find her? The author beautifully melds the stories of the characters with lessons about the effects that flavors, scents, and all aspects of foods have on our lives all while giving us a history lesson about the Ottoman Empire. I've been to Turkey but did not know too much about the Ottoman Empire or culture, so this book taught me as well as entertained me with the story and the descriptions of the unique qualities and powers of foods. I will look for other books by this author.
altlovesbooks's profile picture

altlovesbooks's review

3.0
adventurous lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I wanted to give this book 4 stars for the food descriptions alone. If you weren't hungry before, you will be after spending time with this book. I've never had any of the food described, but I'd eat any of it, anytime, anywhere, just let me know.

The larger problem I had with the book was that the cook's story was disjointed and kind of predictable. The cook had a privileged life growing up, meets a girl, falls in love with said girl, gets separated from said girl, and spends the entire book trying to get back together with said girl. The story's told nonsequentially as well, through flashbacks while the cook is already near his endgame. I wasn't all that fond of how the cook treats everybody around him as tools and pawns to get what he wants -- what he wants being, of course, the girl -- and damn everyone else who tries to be sensible with him. It's very much a "love conquers all" Disney story.

But still, the food descriptions are like, 5 stars at least.