The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai (2013)
In a nondescript building in a nondescript corner of Kyoto is a most unique detective agency. Rather than solve crimes or find missing persons, though, Nagare Kamogawa and his daughter Koishi will find any meal that you can think of. Be it a beloved childhood dinner that you can barely remember or a special dish at a restaurant that shut down decades ago, the Kamogawas will do their best to track down the ingredients, recreate it, and maybe even help you better understand its importance. The Kamogawa Food Detectives is nothing mind-blowing; there are no wild twists in these cases, no earth-shattering or heart-wrenching revelations. But it is pleasant and enjoyable, the literary equivalent of “comfort food.” It’s a perfect “lazy weekend” read that might have you waxing nostalgic about your own favorite meals. As an added bonus, Hisashi Kashiwai’s detailed descriptions of the many dishes that the Kamogawas create in their tiny restaurant will leave you salivating, and his descriptions of Kyoto’s seasons are an obvious love letter to his hometown. Note: Given Netflix’s past interest in Japanese food shows like Samurai Gourmet, Midnight Diner, and The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House, I’d totally watch a Kamogawa Food Detectives TV series.
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