The Restaurant of Lost Recipes

We all hold lost recipes in our hearts. A very special restaurant in Kyoto helps find them . . .

Tucked away down a Kyoto backstreet lies the extraordinary Kamogawa Diner, run by Chef Nagare and his daughter, Koishi. The father-daughter duo have reinvented themselves as “food detectives,” offering a service that goes beyond cooking mouth-watering meals. Through their culinary sleuthing, they revive lost recipes and rekindle forgotten memories.

From the Olympic swimmer who misses his estranged father’s bento lunchbox to the one-hit-wonder pop star who remembers the tempura she ate to celebrate her only successful record, each customer leaves the diner forever changed—though not always in the ways they expect . . .

The Kamogawa Diner doesn’t just serve meals—it’s a door to the past through the miracle of delicious food. A beloved bestseller in Japan, The Restaurant of Lost Recipes is a tender and healing novel for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

An Apple Books Best Book of October
A Book Riot Best Book of the Week
An Electric Literature Heartwarming Japanese Book Perfect for Cozy Nights

“Delicious and delectable.” —NPR

“This cozy book delights in Japanese cuisine.” —Kirkus

“In addition to tantalizing recipes, the narrative is driven by the desire to recapture lost love, reconcile with a parent, or relive one’s youth. Ingredients and items are lovingly detailed. . . The equivalent of delightful comfort food.” —Library Journal

“Kashiwai is telling simple, meaningful human stories about people whose voyage through life has been interrupted.” —BookReporter

“Kashiwai is among a certain coterie of Japanese writers to have perfected a globally successful literary formula: create a café-esque setting with beloved staff who deliver plenty of empathic kindness to customers whose visits inspire stand-alone narratives. . . Deliciousness lingers.” —Booklist

“Succinct and heartwarming.” —Marie Claire

“Thought-provoking and will leave you hungry for more.” —BookRiot

“Author Hisashi Kashiwai shows a tremendous amount of empathy for his characters as well as a gentle humor. Plus, sensuous descriptions of homespun meals like a hamburger steak or a bowl of fried rice make The Restaurant of Lost Recipes such a memorable delight. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll open a delivery app.” —Apple Books

Kashiwai’s heartwarming sequel to The Kamogawa Food Detectives entices listeners with exceptional sounding Japanese food while reminding them that hope and healing are always on the menu. Each chapter features a different person in need. The customers occasionally know why they’re seeking a lost flavor—to remember or honor someone long gone, for instance—but other times, it’s wise chef Nagare who ascertains their true need. If there’s an overarching plot throughout the novels, it’s the subtle changes in Nagare and Koishi’s relationship, which [the narrator’s] warmth and good humor subtly highlight. More centered are the ever-changing clients, whom she imbues with quiet yet urgent needs that the detectives must ascertain and assuage. —Library Journal, Audio In Depth

“What an absolute gem of a book!” —It’s All About the Book

Hisashi Kashiwai was born in 1952 and was raised in Kyoto. He graduated from Osaka Dental University. After graduating, he returned to Kyoto and worked as a dentist. He has written extensively about his native city and has collaborated in TV programs and magazines.

Jesse Kirkwood is a literary translator working from Japanese into English. The recipient of the 2020 Harvill Secker Young Translators’ Prize, his translations include The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai, Tokyo Express by Seicho Matsumoto and A Perfect Day to Be Alone by Nanae Aoyama.

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