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A review by labunnywtf
Super Sushi Ramen Express: One Family's Journey Through the Belly of Japan by Michael Booth
5.0
In Japan chefs work with what God provides; in France, the chefs think they are God.
It's been a very long time since I won a book via GoodReads giveaways. And of all the books I've won from my beloved site, this is by far the best one.
I'm not a foodie. I adore Asian food, and crave varieties of it more than any other type of cuisine (the exception being Indian, only because it's not available anywhere near me). But I'm very aware that what I eat is Americanized Asian, the stuff actual Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Thai people shake their first at.
But you don't have to be a foodie to love every single chapter of this book. Michael Booth and his family traveled from one end of Japan to the other trying unpronounceable cuisines and learning a little more about Japanese culture with each new day. From Sumo wrestling to proper Wasabi to the truth behind MSG, this book is so crammed full of information, I don't know that anyone could read this and not have a deep, all-encompassing need to book their flight to Japan immediately.
Warning warning warning: It will also make you SO HUNGRY.
Seriously, I didn't eat any Japanese food the entire time I was reading this, and I work directly across the street from an excellent sushi restaurant. It's like death to read about these amazing ingredients and flavors and NOT EAT THEM.
Props to Michael Booth, because his food descriptions are, in a word, successful.
There's no filler to this book, and I think that's what I loved the most about it. While he certainly talks about his young (and picky) sons' reactions to this strange new world of food (fried chicken cartilage good, octopus bad), the focus is on the food and the traditions, not just his family. Enormous time is spent on history and tradition, and at the end of the chapter, it's about his taste and his experience. I love this more than I can explain.
I was already wanting to visit Japan someday (two words: Rabbit Island), but seriously, I'm ready to go now. The trouble is, I want to visit almost every place he mentions, which means I, too, would have to spend three months in Japan to get the full experience.
I'm not opposed to this, though...
It's been a very long time since I won a book via GoodReads giveaways. And of all the books I've won from my beloved site, this is by far the best one.
I'm not a foodie. I adore Asian food, and crave varieties of it more than any other type of cuisine (the exception being Indian, only because it's not available anywhere near me). But I'm very aware that what I eat is Americanized Asian, the stuff actual Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Thai people shake their first at.
But you don't have to be a foodie to love every single chapter of this book. Michael Booth and his family traveled from one end of Japan to the other trying unpronounceable cuisines and learning a little more about Japanese culture with each new day. From Sumo wrestling to proper Wasabi to the truth behind MSG, this book is so crammed full of information, I don't know that anyone could read this and not have a deep, all-encompassing need to book their flight to Japan immediately.
Warning warning warning: It will also make you SO HUNGRY.
Seriously, I didn't eat any Japanese food the entire time I was reading this, and I work directly across the street from an excellent sushi restaurant. It's like death to read about these amazing ingredients and flavors and NOT EAT THEM.
Props to Michael Booth, because his food descriptions are, in a word, successful.
There's no filler to this book, and I think that's what I loved the most about it. While he certainly talks about his young (and picky) sons' reactions to this strange new world of food (fried chicken cartilage good, octopus bad), the focus is on the food and the traditions, not just his family. Enormous time is spent on history and tradition, and at the end of the chapter, it's about his taste and his experience. I love this more than I can explain.
I was already wanting to visit Japan someday (two words: Rabbit Island), but seriously, I'm ready to go now. The trouble is, I want to visit almost every place he mentions, which means I, too, would have to spend three months in Japan to get the full experience.
I'm not opposed to this, though...