This was such a comforting, heartwarming tale. I loved the idea of finding a food that was linked to such a significant memory for the characters. I enjoyed reading their stories.

The descriptions of the food were mouthwatering! It made me so hungry for Japanese food. Sometimes I felt like the descriptions were a bit drawn out, but I could understand it as well because they were trying to help the reader visualise the food.

What a wonderful story!
I adored how the author connected the relationship between food, memories, people and experiences in our lives.

Food is evocative and they explored that in a compelling way.

I really enjoyed the book, will recommend and would read more from.thod author.

This is was a really calming, melancholy tale of people trying to connect with their past and their loved ones through food. I found the characters to be exceptionally believable and the stories to be incredibly touching. Though it did teeter on being too repetitive.

You do not want to read this book on an empty stomach as the food mentioned was mouth-watering. This book made me very hungry.

Comforting, Unique, Sweet.

I love these short, unique but meaningful Japanese fiction books. This book was no exception.

A father, daughter duo run a restaurant and a very unique service. There is so much mouth watering Japanese food mentioned in this book.

It made me want to book a flight to Japan for cherry blossom season and run straight to the nearest Japanese restaurant for dinner. I also loved that there was a feline character.

I would recommend this book if you are a fan of mysteries, food, Japanese fiction or just want a lovely short read.

Thank you to NetGalley for a gifted copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the perfect gentle comforting read for this time of year.

Translated seamlessly from the Japanese by Jesse Kirkwood , The Kamogawa Food Detectives are a father daughter who run a diner inn a quiet street in Kyoto. As well as serving wonderful meals daily, the duo offer a special service, recreating dishes from their customers past from scattered memories and musings. By offering this link to the past they are also offering a way to a more content future.

The book reads like several interconnected stories with each customer sharing their story and food memory. There is comfort in this formula, no shocks just well told stories and mouth watering food desciptions.

I really enjoyed this quiet meditative read and I am cooking Japanese food this weekend after reading this.

A short and delightful gentle thought provoking read. Reccomend.

A lovely unassuming book that leaves you feeling satisfied after intimate explorations of food with meaning. Koishi and her father Nagare run a restaurant with a detective agency on the side - customers visit in the hope of recreating dishes that have a special meaning to them. Very soothing and heartwarming exploration of food, family and love, with just the right amount of magical seasoning.

Koishi and her father Nagare run a restaurant that doesn’t really advertise, doesn’t look like a restaurant from the front. They also run a detective agency, where they track down recipes from your past, like something your mother cooked for you or you had on a holiday. They do their research and you then go back and they cook you that meal.

There are 6 different stories, all told in two chapters. I wish there had been more as it was a delight. I did struggle with some of the names as it is translated from Japanese so no doubt I said them wrong in my head but it did not distract from the stories. I hope there will be more.

Wholesome, wholesome, wholesome!

The perfect cozy read for this kind of weather. I absolutely loved all the food descriptions that made my mouth water. I now ardently want to try authentic Japanese cuisine.

The story gave me similar vibes as Before the Coffee Gets Cold and I'm sure fans of the latter would love to read this cute book. It's a short read that will make you smile!

The Kamogawa Food Detectives is a Japanese contemporary fiction novel, which is especially perfect for fans of the series Before the Coffee Gets Cold. This short novel includes six individual stories, of which my personal favourites were "Tonkatsu" and "Nikujaga". Customers are drawn to this café come detective agency to rediscover a dish from their past and many lessons are learned along the way.
I did particularly enjoy the translation as I found it especially British, in terms of sayings like "a bit of a faff" and "old codger", which definitely made me chuckle. I was surprised by the wonderful humour in this book, and the best part of the story was the brilliant father/daughter relationship of Nagare and Koishi, who own the Kamogawa Diner.
This book is the definition of cosy; for instance with the heartwarming element of asking customers to pay however much they can afford for the service. Although I do wish Drowsy the Cat had a bigger part to play in the story seeing as he's the focal point of the cover!
There are difficult themes in this story, in particular grief. The book really highlights real human experience and I found the ending to be incredibly emotional, specifically the last conversation between Nagare and Koishi.
I adored how the book wrapped up but I am hoping that more of the series will get the chance to be translated into English as I would love to read more of the Kamogawa Food Detectives (and Drowsy!).
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

Thank you to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and Hisashi Kashiwai for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy.

Review posted to Goodreads. Review to be posted to Amazon, Waterstones and Instagram on publication date.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives is a lovely, quick cosy read filled with nostalgia and an incredible ability to make you hungry. It's really heartwarming and beautiful and the descriptions of both the location and food are perfect. A father-daughter duo run a restaurant where they take cases for people looking for specific meals they have had, often many years ago. The book follows six of these cases in a way that is very similar to Before The Coffee Gets Cold, and I'd definitely recommend this book to fans of it. This book is a fantastic, quick, feel-good read.

This is a cosy read with a really intriguing premise. The idea of food as a core component of people's lives, memories and even decisions is something I had never really considered. The various characters that drift in and out of the food detective agency are all interesting, and it made me want to read more of their story and their future after they left the agency. The food descriptions are also really enticing. I am typically a fast reader, but the writing forced me to slow down and truly savour the experience it offers.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives revolves around Nagare and his daughter Koishi who recreate dishes based on a description given by the customer of food from their past. This book contains six short stories, each of which focusses on a different customer and their reasons for wanting to relive that moment from their history.

I loved the overall cozy atmosphere created throughout the book and the descriptions of Kyoto were absolutely beautiful. The relationship between Nagare and Koishi was incredibly tender and I liked that it developed throughout the book. I thought the way in which Nagare, who is an ex police officer, went about deciphering the customer's vague memories of a meal was really interesting. The translation was done impeccably and the writing style flowed really nicely.

However I found this book extremely repetitive and each of the stories followed a very strict structure. Therefore I would recommend dipping in and out of this book rather than reading it cover to cover as it became quite tedious by the sixth time you've worked through the same framework. I felt that each individual story was too short so the characters didn't feel very developed and some of the afore mentioned detective work felt quite rushed. This book is marketed as being similar to Before the Coffee Gets Cold which in terms of structure and the nostalgia element it is however I feel it does miss the mark in terms of the emotion that Before the Coffee Gets Cold manages to evoke.

Overall I think this would be a great book to have on your bedside table to dip in and out of if you want a cozy short story. However it was quite repetitive to read cover to cover and wasn't as emotional as I was expecting.

This is such a cosy read. It gives definite studio Ghibli vibes, and the focus on food as a whole sensory and memory experience is so calming and mindful.

In that way, it reminded me a little of the film Chocolat, as this book features a father and daughter running a small restaurant and quietly changing the lives and emotional state of the people around them at the same time.

It's less about the detective process and more about the food itself, and how flavour and scent can unlock memories and also help us to let go of things - or give us the courage to pursue them.

Structured in a very episodic way, it's more like reading several linked short stories than a novel, a little like the structure of Before the Coffee Gets Cold. It's sweet, peaceful, and perfect to read this autumn, though I guarantee it will leave you craving some good food!

This was a lovely cozy, easy read. Father and daughter run a restaurant that isn’t easy to find, a few lucky customers track them down from a one line advert. And they also run a detective agency to find a recipe for a meal you’ve enjoyed before and never thought you’d taste again. Great characters and I loved drowsy the cat too!

Hisashi Kashiwai’s debut novel was a roaring success in Japan, tapping into the country’s rich and varied food culture. It’s a light comfort read that’s been compared to books like Before the Coffee Gets Cold. Set in Kyoto it centres on a father and daughter who run a small restaurant. But they have an unusual sideline, a food detective agency, advertised so discreetly that finding it is a feat in itself. Their clients are people who are somehow cut off from their roots or yearning for some aspect of their past - like the woman in search of a pasta dish she shared with her grandfather during her childhood. Each has a pungent memory of a significant meal or a recipe they've been unable to track down: Tonomi Iwakara is looking for a type of mackerel sushi a neighbour lovingly prepared for him when he was a lonely, young child; widower and former police colleague Hideji Kuboyama longs to taste the noodle dish his wife used to make.

Former police detective Nagare Kamogawa and his daughter Koishi probe their clients’ recollections in order to recreate these lost experiences. They search for regional recipes, local ingredients and blends of flavours and colours building on Japan’s long history of dishes passed down from generation to generation, with variations related to locations, seasonality, or heritage. It’s a fluid, straightforward piece, broken down into interlinked episodes, each featuring a specific customer and recipe. I thought the scenes of life in Kyoto were nicely observed from the weather to the local plants and trees. And I liked the way each chapter overflows with mouthwatering descriptions of foods and flavours – although for readers unable to cook Japanese food or far from a Japanese restaurant these may be a little frustrating. Although this wasn’t the kind of book I’d normally seek out, it was pleasant and enjoyable enough. One of those novels that taps into feelings linked to nostalgia, community, and the dream of a more leisurely, organised way of life, a little like those elaborate cooking shows many people watch while gulping down their hastily-heated, ready meals. Translated by Jesse Kirkwood.

The Kamagawa Food Detectives

In the Japanese city of Kyoto, it’s a certain kind of client that looks for the Kamagawa Diner. A nondescript building, perhaps a little shabby with no obvious signage, it’s almost as if doesn’t want to be found.
But retired policeman, Hideji Kuboyama, saw the discreet advert in Gourmet Monthly with directions to the diner and the strapline ‘We Find Your Food’ and decides to slide open the aluminium door. He immediately receives a warm welcome and is surprised to see an ex- colleague, Nagare Kamagawa, behind the counter. He describes himself as ‘an old codger who happens to run a restaurant’. He is a widower and runs the diner with his only daughter Koishi.
But after a wonderful meal, cooked by Nagare, Hideji reveals that he’s interested in the Kawagawas other business as he has a case for them. His request is for them to recreate a dish made by his deceased wife, Kikuro. Apparently the woman that is about to become his second wife, doesn’t make it the way that Kikuro did.
And he isn’t the only one as he is followed by five other clients, other seekers of memories connected with food. And Drowsy, the local cat, cuddles up to all of them as they each enter the diner with their own memories and stories connected with food…..
I really enjoyed this book although there are so many intriguing references to Japanese food that I began to feel quite hungry. There were some foods that I recognised and I could understand the ceremony involved. The special china and the chef, Nagare, deciding on the first dishes for the customer and of course the regular customers coming and going. Although the diner always seems empty whenever a new client calls.
It’s really a novella and just the right length. The customers stories are happy, sad, regretful but they all involve loss in some way. A wife, a parent, a grandparent or a relationship that never happened but they are all linked by the memory of a particular dish. It bookmarks their lives with the combination of ingredients and sauces, the aroma and taste and of course the company. But, after all as Nagare says ‘people asking for our services are liable to be a little peculiar.’
The idea of the ’food detectives is such a great one and the book, despite its sadder elements was light hearted and charming. There is the customary cat on the cover although Drowsy the cat never seemed to be able to get inside the diner. I loved the mysterious restaurant that only a few people knew about or could locate and the other side of its business. I really felt part of the diner as Nagare and Koishi cooked and served food and bustled abou,t seemingly without stopping, while also out detecting and dealing with their clients.
It was a charming book with several references to Drowsy the cat, so named as he always appeared to be asleep, and seemed to have a very good life around the diner. I felt that if there had been more chapters then it might have become repetitive and the charm would have been lost. However, I would not have minded reading a couple more stories A shout out to the translator who did a sterling job.
I hope there’s a second book to come.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

Oh I loved this!!!! Very similar to Before the Coffee Gets Cold, but this time with food, this is a quiet and unassuming book that will fill you with joy!

The Kamogawa Food Detectives is a wonderful feel good book that is as much about people and memories as it is about food. Translated by Jesse Kirkwood it keeps the enchantment of the original while allowing access to a wider audience. The Kamogawa Food Detectives are located down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner offers extravagant meals but that is not the main reason people stop back. The father-daughter duo are advertising as food detectives. Through thorough investigation they are capable of recreating a dish from a customers’ past. Dishes that might hold keys to unlockings forgotten memories and future happiness. A host of characters visit the diner from someone looking for a first love’s beef stew to a widower looking for a specific noodle dish that their wife would cook. The restaurant finds a way to link the past and present and perhaps help patrons find a happier future.

I have to agree with the recommendation that fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold will enjoy this novel. It is beautiful in its general simplicity but has such a unique storyline as well. I really hope the other novels in the series are translated. Not only are the descriptions of the meals and recipes beautifully brought to life but so too are the visitors to the café. Each one is unique and gives an insight into their life. The characters are very human in their wants and desires and of course missed chances.

Each chapter focuses on a certain dish and patron and while I will not go into too much detail to avoid spoilers I think each one draws on a certain aspect of human life and human condition. The writing is easy to follow and engage with. If you enjoy novels like Before the Coffee Gets cold series you are sure to love this one as well.

If you have read Before the Coffee gets Cold, then you would most certainly enjoy reading this one--except this one is based on Japanese food!

Koishi and Nagare Kamogawa runs a restaurant that treats their guest with extravagant meals. But that's not the reason why many people visit this restaurant. People have heard of this restaurant that apparently relives back the memories of the meal that they had eaten with their loved ones or made by their loved ones and the father-daughter help them to recreate those memories.

I actually enjoyed reading this book and this book made me feel like I was in Japan having Japanese meal. Reading about the actually food with its vivid descriptions of the food in detail also made me feel hungry as a result and made me wish that I can have that particular meal right now! I do like the relationship between Koishi and Nagare and I do like how each of the chapters are named with the name of the Japanese food that they will be using. Nagare recreates the dish thus making the guests feel and relive their memories of eating that particular dish thus feel a connection between the guest and the meal (a widower eating a dish that his late wife use to prepare, grand daughter recalls a dish that she and her grandfather would eat together). Oh, not to mention, I really like the mention of their cat!

Over all, this is a charming tale of short stories, quick to read and a book that talks about the food aligning with the retelling of memories that talks about loss, emotions, love and relationships. This is the first book of the stories and I actually enjoyed this one--worth four stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and PanMacmillan for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Lots of Japanese food descriptions! A series of stories linked by a father and daughter who run a restaurant but are also food detectives. Customers ask them to track down a particular dish that is evoking a specific memory of a person or place. Each chapter is about a different investigation but its only during the reveal we hear specific details of how the foo£ was tracked down. It made me hungry!