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A review by rorikae
The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
'The Kamogawa Food Detectives' by Hisashi Kashiwai is a cozy book about a restaurant that tracks down long lost recipes and dishes for its patrons. The story centers on Nagare and Koishi Kamogawa, a father-daughter team that run the restaurant. Each chapter follows a new patron who comes to visit the diner to inquire after a dish from their past that they would like to experience again. We get to learn more about each character through their experience with the dish and how Nagare recreates the lost recipe.
I really appreciate the character work for each patron that visits the restaurant. They are all so vastly different and have different motivations for why they wish to experience that particular meal again. Many are nostalgic for old times, past relationships, or lost loved ones. Kashiwai also adds some delectable food writing that helps elevate each section. I do wish we spent a little bit more time with Nagare as he works to track down the meal based off of snippets of memories relayed by the customers. The story is very formulaic, with each character coming for a meal, telling Koishi about the meal they wish to eat again, and then returning to try the meal once Nagare has learned how to recreate it. This formula can be quite comforting, which makes this story more cozy. I would be interested to see if the following books in the series continue this formula or if they are different in any way.
I really appreciate the character work for each patron that visits the restaurant. They are all so vastly different and have different motivations for why they wish to experience that particular meal again. Many are nostalgic for old times, past relationships, or lost loved ones. Kashiwai also adds some delectable food writing that helps elevate each section. I do wish we spent a little bit more time with Nagare as he works to track down the meal based off of snippets of memories relayed by the customers. The story is very formulaic, with each character coming for a meal, telling Koishi about the meal they wish to eat again, and then returning to try the meal once Nagare has learned how to recreate it. This formula can be quite comforting, which makes this story more cozy. I would be interested to see if the following books in the series continue this formula or if they are different in any way.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Terminal illness, and Death of parent