Japanese Cuisine introduces us to the fundamental ingredients--rice, sashimi, green tea, and dashi (cooking stock)--that constitute the soul of the Japanese kitchen. In each story we learn about the proper preparation and presentation of different dishes, as well as their history and cultural significance. The result is a moveable feast of a book, as informative as it is engaging.
A manga about food, this is way more passionate about food than I get, to the point of a character picking out all the broken and odd bits of rice before cooking it so that it all cooks exactly evenly.
Still, it's interesting and entertaining at times, so I may have to check out further volumes.
If you like food and manga, I recommend this series. Just finished the first book. I love all kinds of food, but especially Japanese cuisine. This tells a great story of not only Japanese cuisine, but also of a father-son relationship. I wasn't sure what to expect going into this, but was willing to give it a try.
This is a series that I plan on following. The premise is pretty interesting and simple. This newspaper has embarked on a quest to create the "Ultimate Menu." To do so, they put the protagonist in charge who, though not exactly the most enterprising guy, actually does have some serious culinary chops of his own. Problem is a rival newspaper wants to do a "Supreme Menu" of their own as well, and they are being advised by none other than our protagonist's father. Father and son are rivals, so this adds some tension.
The story set-up is used basically to give us an excellent overview of Japanese cuisine and culture. The book even includes some recipes. This is a fun and neat way to learn about Japanese cuisine and culture. The artist has done an excellent job in the drawings, and it is clear the author has put a lot …
This is a series that I plan on following. The premise is pretty interesting and simple. This newspaper has embarked on a quest to create the "Ultimate Menu." To do so, they put the protagonist in charge who, though not exactly the most enterprising guy, actually does have some serious culinary chops of his own. Problem is a rival newspaper wants to do a "Supreme Menu" of their own as well, and they are being advised by none other than our protagonist's father. Father and son are rivals, so this adds some tension.
The story set-up is used basically to give us an excellent overview of Japanese cuisine and culture. The book even includes some recipes. This is a fun and neat way to learn about Japanese cuisine and culture. The artist has done an excellent job in the drawings, and it is clear the author has put a lot of effort in the research. We get a lot of attention to detail, and overall, it is a very enjoyable series.
People who like things like Iron Chef (the original Japanese show, not the tripe from the U.S.), Anthony Bourdain, or similar food documentary shows will probably enjoy this. Even though the series is labeled for teens, I think a lot of adults might enjoy it as well.
