This was a little Becky Chambers, a little Cat Valente (via Space Opera), a little Tournament of Champions/Top Chef. Somehow, unfortunately, it wasn't quite as good as the sum of its parts. There were inconsistencies in the timeline, the politics of the food in the world were a little mushy at times, and the political refugee plotline probably should have been cut entirely. There were a number of moving pieces on the board at the end that were never resolved, and even if this is a start to a longer series, it would have been nice to see some things tied up. It is still unclear to me whether Lakshminarayan wants us to think that the food sims at the end are an excellent, innovative idea or an insult to food culture. Or both? It was unclear to me.

That said, I had a romping good time with this. I loved the creativity, I loved the world, I loved the food of it all. Will recommend.

This was one of my most hyped releases for the end of the year. Bake-off in space is suchhh a fun concept and the cover art seemed t really capture the playfulness I was hoping for from the pitch.

The opening of Megachef was delightful, we are following Kaveri and her tiny (but very vocal) robot companion Kili. Kili is adorable, I was immediately attached! If you like magical animal companions, this character might hit a similar note for you. Lakshminarayan's writing was tasteful and engaging and it was fairly easy to become invested in Kaveri's goals. The descriptions of various languages and cultures felt richly imagined and the dialogue around diaspora and racial prejudice was impactful.

The problems for me started when our second protagonist, Serenity Ko, was introduced. I understand that not all characters need to be likeable, and Serenity did feel like a real person, but her actions even just within the first few chapters felt unnecessarily abrasive and not in keeping with her supposedly heightened awareness of what people want and what lengths they will go to to realise their desires.

I struggled to connect to Ko's story, but I also found that the tone of Megachef was much more sombre than I was expecting from the synopsis and the cover. I think I was hoping for this to be an escapism read, but the writing aims for something more meaningful than that.

I might return to this one in the future, but for now I am putting this down to personal reading tastes and saying it was not for me.

The worldbuilding definitely piqued my interest! I think the world is fun and has a lot of commentary that I enjoyed. The pace was quite slow and the writing style isn't my favorite, but I did enjoy reading about these characters.

Interstellar MegaChef by Lavanya Lakshminarayan is a unique and imaginative science fiction novel that blends culinary arts with space exploration. The story follows a chef navigating a futuristic, intergalactic competition, filled with high stakes, humor, and vibrant world-building. Lakshminarayan’s writing is inventive and fast-paced, offering a mix of adventure, technology, and heart. With its fresh concept and engaging characters, Interstellar MegaChef is a fun and entertaining read for fans of sci-fi with a quirky twist.

I requested this for consideration for Book Riot's All the Books podcast for its release date. After sampling several books out this week, I decided to go with a different book for my review.

The worldbuilding in this is dizzyingly cyberpunk and South-Indian inspired. The cooking show element from the title gets quickly sidelined. What should have been a cozy, foody, camp premise quickly becomes a heavy mess of political elements that touches on themes of immigration, galactic racism, class clashes, culinary colonialism, etc. Which is not a bad thing, it's ambitious, but there's entirely too many character POVs holding up this worldbuilding, and heavily dilutes the main first-person POV character's story and makes for a VERY bloated and scattered narrative. It's very vividly visual, and would make for great prestige TV a la Expanse, but man, I saw a space donut on the cover, and got a lot of kitchen snobbery and very little droolworthy content. Every character, except some very minor side ones, are extremely morally repugnant and bratty and very hard to root for. I wish the book knew what it wanted to be...whimsical and capery or a seriouspants space opera, because it tried to be both and ended up just kinda insufferable.

This book took a super fun premise—a cooking reality show far in the future—and crafted a politically complex sci-fi that explores how culture evolves over time, the influence of technology on human life, and the tension between progress and tradition, all through the lens of food.

Thanks to Rebellion and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for my review.

Came for the Great British Bake off in Space, got caught up in the drama and trauma that it actually contained. There are many social and political issues covered, and while it took me a bit to get the world building set in my mind (mostly the names of units of time and the like), it was refreshingly original. The two main characters are impetuous and flawed, but that only made them all the more fascinating. A really great original story, with some heavy themes, but a great read.

I expected a light SF comedy. This was darker at times and with more layers. Classism, racism, envy, greed, revenge, you name it. I was looking for more fluff.

Saraswati Kaveri comes to the planet Primus to take part in the Interstellar Megachef competition. She has a little flying robot named Kili, a mysterious background and something to prove.

Serenity Ko is a prodigy and writer of immersive sims. She drinks too much, is pretty arrogant and not easy too like. One wild night too many and she is on mandatory leave from work.

Those two are the main characters. Both of them have serious issues with their parents. Eventually their worlds collide and they might or might not end up in a romantic relationship. That was a development I could have done without. Neither character is very mature. There is a lot of sulking and pouting involved.

And then there is Optimism Mahd‘vi, a mover and shaker in the background. At the beginning I thought she would play a more pivotal role, but she showed up pretty infrequently.

I really disliked all of the Primians and their culture. A whole planet of entitled and narrow minded bigots. On purpose, I am sure, but nasty nonetheless and not fun to read.

This was pretty unpleasant to read over large stretches of the novel. I don‘t understand why I should care about a story filled with mean people. I don’t see the attraction. Two-third into the book I almost tossed it. And when Ko was shown the errors of her ways, she behaved like a 5-year old. Aggravating and very unattractive. I did continue, but skimmed quite a bit, having mostly lost my remaining enjoyment in the story.

Interesting discourse on simulations, possible addiction and their dangerous potential of replacing the real deal.

Well done ending that leaves several plot points unresolved. I doubt that I will read the sequel, I skimmed entirely too much and disliked too many of the characters, including Serenity Ko.

"This was an entire culture obsessed with its past, while struggling desperately to assert its relevance in a rapidly evolving future."

Saraswati Kaveri has arrived to Primus all the way from long-forgotten, often-maligned Earth with her tech-bot best friend and a dream: to compete on Interstellar MegaChef and show everyone on Earth and the universe that she can cook. Except...nothing goes to plan, and as she struggles to find her footing in the culturally elitist world of Primus, she stumbles into tech genius Serenity Ko and a gambit to change the concept of food forever.

"And yet, every one of their traditions was preserved in a bell jar, hallowed like the ancient relic of a saint, never questioned or re-examined."

This book was so good.

It's a scathing indictment of empire and xenophobia and cultural superiority and immigration, with heavy, heavy comparisons to the UK and India. There is also a lovely idea of the role food plays in culture, and not a little jab at the elitist mentalities of the chefs of the Great British Bake-Off when they encounter non-white foods and BIPOC chefs.

"I don't know if I'll ever run into you again, and I hope I don't, because talking with you is like being stabbed with a billion needles all at once, but I won't forget your kindness."

Wrapped in the commentary is the story of Saraswati, who is trying to do her best and figure out her shit—and Serenity Ko, who is also trying to do her best (sure?) and figure out her shit. Both women are at odds personality-wise, and both are embroiled at opposite ends of a galaxy-wide conspiracy that neither is really aware of.

I really enjoyed how their relationship transformed and changed over the course of the book, as Serenity Ko very, very slowly got her shit together and realized that creation isn't a monolith but a framework of people, and as Saraswati found her place in Primus society. I wasn't entirely sold on one aspect of their relationship, but it was relatively new by the book's end.

There's more stuff going on, but the book does end in a something of a cliffhanger, so I'm hoping that the loose plot points will be resolved in book 2.

Anywho, if you're looking for a book that skewers the racist microaggressions of GBBO, this is the book for you.

I received an ARC from the publisher

Described as The Great British Bake Off in space, this book definitely lives up to that description but also gives so much more. The author manages to weave in complex social and political issues while still managing to make it a fun and entertaining space romp. I'm excited to see more from this author.

I discovered this book on Twitter when the author shared the cover reveal. Seeing it available on NetGalley, I quickly submitted a request. Food, sci-fi, and an interstellar culinary show… a recipe for perfect entertainment if you ask me. But, did the book live up to its hype?

What I liked:
Right off the bat, you meet Saras, short for Saraswati Kaveri. She’s your typical protagonist, the intergalactic equivalent of a small-town girl who comes to the big city (Primus, a planet with a more advanced and abundant society) to pursue her dreams. She’s talented, but she’s also naïve and starry-eyed with seemingly not enough awareness of how Primian culture functions. However, Saras never gives up, powering through each challenge with the drive and ferocity of a person with dreams.

Saras was a huge part of why I loved Interstellar Megachef. The story throws everything at her, from passive discrimination to outright xenophobic hate, to failure and constant letdowns; Saras never baulks under all that weight. Yes, she breaks down as would anyone in her position. But she always finds it in her to get up. Even when her past catches up to her, and we are made aware of the far-reaching consequences of Saras’ actions—and potential discovery—she stays true to herself and keeps striving to move forward.

The second, and larger, reason for why I loved Interstellar Megachef was the food. Not all of it was familiar. In fact, a lot of the culinary scenes included Primian cuisine and a strangely hyper-scientific approach to cooking. Yet, the author makes it work like magic. The philosophy behind how Primians perceive food really tells a larger story of humanity and excess. Primian culture follows what Earth desperately needs—not just in the story, but also in real life. Earth, ironically follows what Primian culture has easy access to, yet chooses not to for ideological reasons. The parallels between first-world countries/rich classes and Primus are subtle, yet evident. It’s easy to look down on someone because of their culture, but very hard to really empathize with why that culture is the way it is. It’s easy to self-impose moderation when you have access to excess.

Lavanya Lakshminarayan uses food and the culinary world to explore a lot more than just culture. Coming from a country where even diet has been politicized in the last decade—if you’re Indian, you know what I’m talking about—this one hit close to home. Some cooking techniques are rejected on the basis of ideology, while some food items are banned because they might offend new allies; the people’s opinion means squat, as long as the party in power are satisfied. History, culture, philosophy, politics, Interstellar Megachef doesn’t hold back in its exploration of food through the many lenses of human identity.

This last bit is particularly important because the other story arc—Serenity Ko’s—takes everything and cranks it up quite a few notches. I won’t spoil it for you, because discovering it along the read was a fantastic experience. I will tell you this though—food has evolved with humanity and its technological advancements. The dominant norm on Primus is moderation and ras-based cuisine. But, what could be the next step? What connotations could it attract, and what consequences could follow it? Interstellar Megachef has some ideas, and they are as thought-provoking as they are divisive. Definitely worth pondering over.

What I didn’t like:
I will say this—and this is my personal opinion—the blurb and the marketing for this book have done some disservice to the author and the book. While the “British Bake Off in Space” aspect of the book is an integral part of the narrative, it’s not as big a focus. In fact, <spoiler>Saras gets kicked out of the show in round one and only returns for one special round in the end. The rest of the book is mostly her trying to survive as an immigrant/refugee whilst proving her culinary skills in a fine-dine restaurant, a xenophobic society, and a corporate-sponsored food-based tech project.</spoiler> Food remains the key element here, with the author’s love for food shining through each chapter and each scene. However, if you’re expecting a dramatized bake-off tournament, you might be disappointed.

Another thing I didn’t particularly like were the B, C & D plotlines. Saras was great, but I had a hard time connecting with Ko. I will admit, her change of heart and upliftment were impressive, and I almost had a soft corner for her by the end, but my feelings towards her remain mixed. Maybe that’ll change in the sequel, but I did find myself wanting to skim through her chapters in this one. And I’m saying that despite loving her story.

The political plot with Optimism Mahd’vi and the Khurshid twins were nice touches to build the world, but the characters themselves felt a little underdeveloped. Interesting additions no doubt, ones that complicate the politics and power dynamics of the larger world, but something felt wanting.

Lastly, and this is purely my bias, <spoiler>I did not like the sudden Saras-Ko romance. I mean, I knew it was coming, I just didn’t like the way it happened. I’m not a fan of romance, so don’t take my word for it. Honestly, I just feel that both these characters have a lot to offer individually than as a couple. Their dynamic in the book also didn’t work for me all that well. </spoiler>

Conclusion:
Interstellar Megachef is being marketed as “The Great British Bake Off in Space”, but it is so much more than that. If you ask me, Interstellar Megachef is the author’s love letter to food, the culinary arts, and the deeply important space food holds within the larger blanket of human experiences.

It is a fun-loving cooking competition sci-fi, culinary drama, but it is also a thought-provoking and reflective piece of writing that poses some very important questions, not just about food, but also about human society and identity.

TL;DR:
WHAT I LIKED: Food and how the author has used it to explore aspects of human society and personal experiences. Also loved hte world-building and politics.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: Some characters didn’t work for me, the “cooking show tournament” wasn’t as big a part of the story as I had expected.

Having seen this book described as being like The Great British Baking Show in space I was expecting a fun time. That’s not what this book is at all. It’s a much more serious work than the title and cover and marketing might lead you to expect. It ended up not being my cup of tea, but thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read it.

Lavanya Lakshminarayan's previous novel The 10% Thief was a clever-themed set of short stories that coalesced together to tell a single whole. High concept but lacking a central protagonist, it was a book I admired rather than loved. Interstellar MegaChef, as its lowish concept tile suggests, is a lot easier to grasp, has two hugely engaging central protagonists and I low-key loved it. It also manages to be philosophical, clever and questioning about all sorts of diasporic issues, not least the idea of ethical colonisation, post-settler independence culture, low impact consumption and class. And of course its central theme - food.

Earth civilization falls around 2300, regroups under a world civilization with a shared philosophy, and sends out colony ships a few years later. The first planet colonised is named Primus, and becomes the new hub for humanity, developing its own culture and extending its tenets over newly founded worlds, basically, no-one wants anyone to do with Earth which is still polluted and unstable despite the previous coming together. Our heroine Saras Kaveri is a chef from Earth who wants to take part in Interstellar Megachef, a show that no Earth human has been on for almost twenty seasons. A cooking competition which is a perfect way of showing how Primus, despite its seemingly enlightened culture, is snobbish and discriminatory against outsiders (including a few aliens, and other colony worlds). None of this is subtle but doesn't need to be, even the act of cooking with whole ingredients and an open flame is seen as hugely barbaric. At the same time Serenity Ko, a scion of a very successful family who now works for a virtual experiences company hits upon the idea of trying to recreate the high-end dining experience virtually - democratising the experience perhaps, but at what cost? Saras and Serenity's stories crisscross to a very satisfactory (if not exactly unexpected) finale, leaving a few tantalising threads for future exploration.

Interstellar MegaChef has that intelligence from before, the world-building here is subtle, and mainly done through a reality TV show, but extremely effective. But its key success in in its two lead characters who are both impetuous, short-tempered and display a myriad of other flaws but remain fascinating. But have complex back-stores that are partially revealed through action - though there is a lot untapped in Sars's Earth past. At its heart the conceit of this reality show allows certain shorthand of the form to create a very entertaining framework, upon which Lakshminarayan can have some really weighty conversations which don't have easy answers. Food in the age of virtual reproduction, and I am here for it.

Interstellar MegaChef is the first novel in the sci-fi series Flavour Hackers, a really clever book written by Lavanya Lakshminarayan, and published by Solaris Books. A novel which not only has an excellent plot woven around two deep characters and their way to understand food and cooking, but which also takes the opportunity to examine many current themes through the sci-fi lense.

Saraswati (Saras) Kaveri has arrived to Primus from the often deemed as primitive Earth, only with her techbot friend and with an invitation to compete on Interstellar Megachef, planning to show to the universe that she can cook; but things don't go accord to plan, and she struggles to find a place on the elitist Primus' culture. But opportunities appear in unexpected places, and stumbling into the tech genius Serenity Ko and her idea to change the concept of food forever is the gambit she needs to prove her value.

Lakshminarayan has written an excellent novel in all aspects, starting with the characters. Not only we have in Saras the figure of somebody fighting against adversity, constantly being shunned due to her origin, but in contrast with the Primus people, she's open to change her mind; she's marked by her past and wants to prove her value. We also have Serenity, a workaholic that is trying to create a revolution in a field she doesn't understand; she's trying her best even if her manners are not always good, and in reality, when paired with Saras, we finally have somebody that really wants to learn.

Outside of the characters, it's incredible how Lakshminarayan manages to organically weave into the novel themes such as the dismiss done by colonialism to the occupied places; how food plays a role in society, and how it is understood in different ways, all being equally valuable, even if many of them are not taken into account because of the origin. How Saras is treated because of her being a refugee is a perfect portrait of the racism experienced by many people (especially BIPOC nowadays).
The story is amazingly paced, told using several POV, and taking the story to a finale that I personally love (I have a soft spot for them).

Lakshminarayan has created something incredible with Interstellar MegaChef, and definitely I recommend it to people that like clever sci-fi with abundant social commentary; I've enjoyed every single page of it, and I can't wait to see how the Flavour Hackers series continue. And be sure to have a meal before reading this one, because you will end hungry!

This Iron Chef in space story takes place on Primus, a large and powerful planet settled many years earlier by humans. These humans wanted to escape the ravaged Earth, and its attitudes and practices that had led to the climate collapses. All the human colonies were founded with sustainability as a central tenet, but Primus has the most wealth, power and political and cultural influence on space-settled humans, most of whom have a variety of tech augments, but others have gone further with extensive body mods.

Saraswati Kaveri arrives on Primus at the novel's start. She’s upset about her life on Earth, and travelling incognito with her best friend Kili, a Winger, which is a flying artificial intelligence shaped as a sphere. Saras is there to enter a cooking competition, and make her name as a brilliant chef, a feat she has already achieved on Earth, but some event in her past has thoroughly tainted her memories of her earlier achievements.

At the same time, we meet Serenity Ko, a brilliant virtual reality designer, whose recent simulation SoundSpace has been incredibly successful. After getting thoroughly drunk and starting a riot, Serenity Ko ends up on a transport where Saras meets her. Ko does not make a good first impression.

Saras' dream of making it big on Primus are dashed spectacularly on air, while Ko is put on mandatory leave by her boss for not playing nicely with her coworkers (rather than inciting a riot). Ko is flummoxed and furious, as she sees this as a punishment, rather than a time to reflect on herself. She has worked harder than anyone else she knows to get to where she is at the company she works at, Xperience, after being dubbed a Techno-Aesthete Savant by the Primus Employment Council and recruited straight out of university.

Saras tries to pick up the pieces of her dream but keeps crashing into Primus preconceptions that Earthers are incredibly primitive barbarians, crass, dangerous and volatile, while Ko has an epiphany, not about herself, but rather, the next amazing sim she will create for Xperience. It will entail building on SoundScape, and using people's implants to evoke memories when seeing and smelling a cooked item. Ko attempts to recruit a star chef (also her grandmother) to her cause, but Ko's self-centredness, slapdash approach to cooking and lack of interest in food stalls her efforts.

Saras begins working in the kitchen of a high-end restaurant run by two siblings formerly of Earth, who have no desire to be associated in any way with their home planet. Saras learns about the cuisine of Primus, and how it developed from the early colonists' experiences, and when Ko needs a chef to help her to develop her sim, she remembers the weird Earther she met, and the two begin a friction-filled work relationship, even while each realizes they find the other attractive.

While all this is happening, a Primus cultural minister, Optimism Mahd’vi, is determined to remind all of humanity of the preeminence of Primus in all things.

The title and book cover both convey the impression of a fun, potentially bombastic, definitely cut throat competition amongst the best chefs in all the human settlements in the galaxy. And yes, there is some of that, but instead we also get author Lavanya Lakshminarayan posing some hard questions about colonialism, xenophobia, bigotry, bullying, empathy, the difficulties of assimilation into a dominant culture and its potential effects on mental health, cultural imperialism, familial expectations versus personal ambitions, and the idea that the prevalence of virtual reality may diminish curiosity, exploration, engagement and respect for nature and its diversity. It's also a slow burn love story between two messy, queer women.

The novel is fantastic. It's smart, it's funny, it's touching, it's infuriating, it’s sad, it's sweet (Kili!), and it made me so hungry. Lakshinarayan must really love food and all it entails: the ingredients, the care and attention it takes to cook something delicious (I'm not referring to only high-end cuisine) and how sharing a meal can bring people together.

I loved this story, and was a little surprised by its abrupt ending, but this book is listed as the first of a series, so I'm really eager to find out what happens next.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Rebellion for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Cooking show meets space romp

I can see exactly what Lakshminarayan is doing here, and it works to a point. As in any good Hallmark/Lifetime/GAF romcom, a plucky outsider arrives the biggest competition in their field, hoping to break into the big time. Meanwhile, they bump into a fractious local who might just be the key to ultimate success. What on earth might happen?

The tropes are strong in this one, and the ending is never out of sight, but the journey to that ending is entertaining enough, and as this is the start of a series, the burgeoning romance is sure to get ignited in future editions. I might pick these up if I see them, but I wasn't wowed by the world building or the techno-babble, and the attempt on the page to do the thing that Pixar's Ratatouille does so well is a spectacular failure.

I picked up this book because it was marketed as Great British Bake Off in outer space, and I was not disappointed! The author does an incredible job of highlighting nuanced social issues and bringing them to the forefront of the readers' attention. I really appreciated the story, setting, and relationship between the main characters. Their relationship and growth was the best part. I am invested enough to continue the series, and I look forward to seeing more from this author!

This book was extremely clever. Not perfect, but clever. Between this one and *The Ten Percent Thief* I’m prepared to add Lavanya Lakshminarayan to my “auto-read” list.

This is set about 2000 years in the future. Humans have colonized other planets across the galaxy; the Earth is (still) a shitshow, but the colonies were all founded on principles of sustainability and the collective good. People are still people, but the colony worlds seem to, on the whole, be living up to their ideals. More or less. This book takes place on the first of those colony worlds, Primus. The Primians will tell you - without prompting and at length - about just how great they are at those ideals, especially compared to those barbaric Earthlings.

Our main characters are Saraswati Kaveri (Saras to her friends) and Serenity Ko. Saras is a refugee from Earth, and a talented chef. She’s determined to compete on - and win - the biggest show in the galaxy, *Interstellar MegaChef*, despite the disdain that Primians have for everything Earth (cuisine not the least). Ko is a rising star at XP Inc, a company that uses nano biotech to deliver experiences ranging from reality-augmenting to fully immersive. But her boss is making her take a sabbatical, much to Ko’s annoyance, because her work-life balance is non-existent and she needs to get a better perspective. While on sabbatical, she hits on her best idea yet: *eating* as a simulated experience. Someone can eat a plate of what is, essentially, NutraLoaf, but thanks to XP Inc’s integrated nanotech get the sensory experience of some of the greatest meals ever cooked. Unfortunately, despite being the granddaughter of a famous Primain cookbook author and restaurant critic, Ko knows absolutely nothing about food (drinks, she’s good on). If only there was someone who could help her learn…

As a work of science fiction, this has a lot going on. Partly it’s commentary on cultural imperialism - the irony of the Primian disdain for Saras’ big, bold flavors in favor of their more sedate “refined” was not lost on me, given that the author is Indian. It poses an interesting question with this immersive virtual food tech - what is lost by convenience? It definitely has its good points, in that it has the potential to deliver these wonderful experiences across the galaxy to people who could otherwise never experience. But it also has its dangers, both as a tool of cultural imperialism (reinforcing Primus’ place at the cultural apex of humanity) and as a tool of propaganda if in the wrong hands (the ability for something external to influence what a person experiences with this degree of finesse).

And what about the effect this will have on the culture of food? It’s not a huge thing to Ko, but it is to Saras and Ko’s grandmother. Even if it’s not quite as good as the “real” thing - and Ko is determined to make it so - will there still be a place for “real” food in the world Ko is trying to build? Humans, as Ko’s grandmother points out, will collectively choose the most convenient option every time, which has historically not worked out too well for us.

Beyond science fiction, this book has a lot to say about food. It’s clear that Lavanya Lakshminarayan is someone who appreciates food; not only for its flavor, but for the love that can go into creating it, the way it brings people together, the passion it can engender.

I called it flawed at the top of this, and it is. Going into specifics would be spoilers, but my big issue with the book is that it just *stops*. Goodreads has it as book #1 of the “Flavour Hacker” series, so I’m perfectly content with lots of unanswered questions. Even if it was standalone, I’m content with ambiguous answers and lots of things being left to the reader. But there needs to be a denouement of some sort, and that’s where I think this book is lacking. Still, 4 stars.

Honestly, it felt a bit over the top for me. I really dig the idea of the food tech they’re working on, and the parts that focus on designing it are definitely some of my favorite bits in the book.