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O Pequeno Restaurante da Felicidade
A felicidade está nas pequenas coisas? Está, e há um restaurante numa aldeia japonesa que a serve,
todos os dias, aos poucos que têm o privilégio de o encontrar.
Rinko, uma rapariga de 24 anos, perde a voz ao rodar a chave na porta e encontrar a sua casa vazia. Tudo, absolutamente tudo, desapareceu, incluindo o almofariz e o pilão que herdara da avó. Também desaparecido sem deixar rasto está o namorado, o maître do restaurante que fica mesmo ao lado daquele em que ela trabalha. Para Rinko, não resta alternativa: tem de deixar Tóquio e regressar à sua aldeia, de onde partiu há mais de dez anos.
Às vezes, a vida tem caminhos misteriosos. É naquela aldeia, da qual, ainda adolescente, fugiu num dia de primavera, que Rinko tem uma ideia que muda o rumo da sua vida e tocará, de forma profunda, a vida de outras pessoas: abrirá um pequeno restaurante, muito especial, no qual só há uma mesa e onde, todos os dias, cozinhará pratos diferentes, em função dos gostos e desejos dos seus clientes.
É então que a verdadeira transformação começa. Cada uma das pessoas que degustam as receitas de Rinko vai encontrar a felicidade - uma rapariga consegue conquistar o coração do rapaz que ama, uma mulher reencontra a vontade de viver…
Bem-vindos ao Pequeno Restaurante da Felicidade, o bestseller japonês que junta os melhores ingredientes para lhe dar uma leitura doce, suave e inesquecível.
todos os dias, aos poucos que têm o privilégio de o encontrar.
Rinko, uma rapariga de 24 anos, perde a voz ao rodar a chave na porta e encontrar a sua casa vazia. Tudo, absolutamente tudo, desapareceu, incluindo o almofariz e o pilão que herdara da avó. Também desaparecido sem deixar rasto está o namorado, o maître do restaurante que fica mesmo ao lado daquele em que ela trabalha. Para Rinko, não resta alternativa: tem de deixar Tóquio e regressar à sua aldeia, de onde partiu há mais de dez anos.
Às vezes, a vida tem caminhos misteriosos. É naquela aldeia, da qual, ainda adolescente, fugiu num dia de primavera, que Rinko tem uma ideia que muda o rumo da sua vida e tocará, de forma profunda, a vida de outras pessoas: abrirá um pequeno restaurante, muito especial, no qual só há uma mesa e onde, todos os dias, cozinhará pratos diferentes, em função dos gostos e desejos dos seus clientes.
É então que a verdadeira transformação começa. Cada uma das pessoas que degustam as receitas de Rinko vai encontrar a felicidade - uma rapariga consegue conquistar o coração do rapaz que ama, uma mulher reencontra a vontade de viver…
Bem-vindos ao Pequeno Restaurante da Felicidade, o bestseller japonês que junta os melhores ingredientes para lhe dar uma leitura doce, suave e inesquecível.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 505 reviews
October 1, 2019
In my librarian life, I'm always teaching students how a good source can lead to another. This happened recently in my reading life where I found out about The Restaurant of Love Regained by Ito Ogawa (translated from the Japanese) in another recent read, The Girl who Reads on the Métro (translated from the French.) If you like foodie fiction with magical realism but set in Japan, this is the book for you! (Don't go in hungry.)
September 17, 2014
Let me start by saying how much I wanted to like this book. I really wanted it to be another Chocolat, Like water for chocolate, Kitchen or Tongue. Granted, those books I read many years ago and for most of that time I was an omnivore. As a vegetarian who grew up in a Chinese family that hardly ever goes a day without meat, I am pretty tolerant around people discussing or consuming animal products/dishes, as long as the same level of respect is shown to me. I'd rather not be engulfed by the smoke rising from a meat-heavy barbecue, but I won't shoot nasty glances at your schnitzel either: as long as the exposure is moderate, it is not an issue for me. In that context, I got through most of The Restaurant of Love Regained without a hitch - foodwise - up to the latter part of the book that contains pages and pages of detailed descriptions concerning the butchering and preparation of certain animals. The author has put much effort in emphasising the value of food, whether sourced from plants or animals, but I could not side with her on the decision that Ruriko and Ringo make. Without giving too much away, I just think a more animal-friendly solution was within reach and more logical at that.
This, however, is not the only issue I have with the novel. From the first page onwards, I felt annoyed with how little Ogawa actually explains. There are just so many questions I would like to have had answered. It is clear that she wanted to write a book that was a delight to the senses, a story that the readers could smell, taste and feel... whilst putting the loosely stringed plotline on the back burner. Moreover, I felt that there were sudden, even inappropriate, breaks in the writing style and a few bits of translation that someone without sufficient knowledge of Japanese culture would find strange - like the use of the word "cute".
Many other reviews of this book have been very positive, and I certainly do not want to dissuade anyone to pick up and read it. For those who are sensitive to graphic depictions of meat preparation, you can skip the aforementioned pages without missing much of the story. And finally, perhaps letting go of the expectation of a thoroughly explored storyline, will make the read more pleasurable. Or perhaps, in the end, it just comes down to our individual bookish preferences?
This, however, is not the only issue I have with the novel. From the first page onwards, I felt annoyed with how little Ogawa actually explains. There are just so many questions I would like to have had answered. It is clear that she wanted to write a book that was a delight to the senses, a story that the readers could smell, taste and feel... whilst putting the loosely stringed plotline on the back burner. Moreover, I felt that there were sudden, even inappropriate, breaks in the writing style and a few bits of translation that someone without sufficient knowledge of Japanese culture would find strange - like the use of the word "cute".
Many other reviews of this book have been very positive, and I certainly do not want to dissuade anyone to pick up and read it. For those who are sensitive to graphic depictions of meat preparation, you can skip the aforementioned pages without missing much of the story. And finally, perhaps letting go of the expectation of a thoroughly explored storyline, will make the read more pleasurable. Or perhaps, in the end, it just comes down to our individual bookish preferences?
October 23, 2021
2,5 - Quel dommage... Je pensais vraiment plus apprécier cette lecture. J'ai aimé le style contemplatif, l'écriture très élégante, la description des saveurs japonaises, les petites histoires intégrées des clients du restaurant, mais pas mal d'éléments m'ont quand même décontenancée, et pas qu'un peu : à commencer par le rapport compliqué de la narratrice à sa mère qui se base sur quoi finalement ? Le fait qu'elle ait des amants ? Bon. Et quel est l'intérêt du personnage de Néocon, qui à part se montrer odieux toutes les cinquante pages, n'apporte absolument rien ? Mais pire, toute la fin autour du sort réservé à Hermès ? J'en étais à l'écoeurement et j'ai sauté bien une vingtaine de pages. Ce n'est pas du tout le genre de rebondissements qui m'apporte de l'émotion, mais franchement de l'incompréhension et qui me fait totalement décrocher de l'histoire. Je ne vois pas qui peut trouver que c'est une idée émouvante, qui apporte un petit côté dramatique... Mille fois non. Et c'est regrettable car j'ai terminé le roman sur cette note alors que j'ai plutôt bien aimé l'ensemble de ma lecture.
March 3, 2020
Voy a hacer un espóiler gordo, luego lo oculto.
Para los que no vayáis a leer esta novela, plis, es de las cosas más bizarras que he leído nunca.
Trata de una chica que se queda muda cuando su novio la abandona y le roba todas sus posesiones. Entonces decide volver a su pueblo natal y abrir un restaurante especial, con una sola mesa y con comida riquísima que nos va a describir con todo lujo de detalles (leer con la panza llena).
Hasta aquí todo bastante tontito y hippiolo. Nada grave.
La cara que me quedó hubiera debido inmortalizarla en una foto. No estuve nada rápida.
Para que luego digan que ya está todo escrito.
Para los que no vayáis a leer esta novela, plis, es de las cosas más bizarras que he leído nunca.
Trata de una chica que se queda muda cuando su novio la abandona y le roba todas sus posesiones. Entonces decide volver a su pueblo natal y abrir un restaurante especial, con una sola mesa y con comida riquísima que nos va a describir con todo lujo de detalles (leer con la panza llena).
Hasta aquí todo bastante tontito y hippiolo. Nada grave.
La cara que me quedó hubiera debido inmortalizarla en una foto. No estuve nada rápida.
Para que luego digan que ya está todo escrito.
April 4, 2018
Rinko works in a restaurant in a big city. One day she comes home to find that her apartment has been cleaned out by her boyfriend and he has left. She doesn't have any option other than moving in with her mom, who lives in a village. All this makes Rinko temporarily lose her voice. Even though her relationship with her mother has always been difficult, Rinko's mother lets her stay there. After a few days, Rinko decides to start her own restaurant in the village. This would be a special kind of restaurant in which she will serve only one table - either one person or a couple or a family. Rinko plans to talk to this person or family in advance and prepare and serve exquisite dishes which will give them pleasure and make them happy. Her friend Kuma helps her to setup the restaurant.
What happens after that? Is Rinko's restaurant successful? Do the customers like her food? Does her relationship with her mother become better? Does she find love again? Does she find her voice again? The answer to these questions form the rest of the story.
I loved 'The Restaurant of Love Regained'. It is a glorious celebration of food, a beautiful love letter to food. There are pages and pages of descriptions of how Rinko cooks a particular dish, in Ito Ogawa's spare, elegant prose, and they are beautiful to read - we can almost smell the aroma of the wonderful food wafting from the kitchen. The story is nice too - it is about how a person who loses everything, tries to climb back from the depths and the surprises she encounters in the way. There is Kuma, her friend, who is very likeable, and there is Rinko's mother Ruriko, who is a complex character and there is more to her than meets the eye. Then there is Hermes, Ruriko's pet pig, who is very protective of her, and very adorable. I loved all these characters. The main character is, of course, Rinko, who narrates the story. Towards the end of the story something happens - it is a very Japanese, Chinese, East Asian thing. I won't tell you what it is, because I don't want to reveal spoilers. But I will say this - I didn't see that coming and it was heartbreaking.
I saw a film years back called 'Babette's Feast'. (In case you are interested my review is here - https://vishytheknight.wordpress.com/...) It is an incredibly beautiful celebration of food. 'The Restaurant of Love Regained' is its literary sister. If you like reading novels about food, you will like this. I read that this book has been made into a film too. I can't wait to watch that.
Have you read Ito Ogawa's book? What do you think about it?
What happens after that? Is Rinko's restaurant successful? Do the customers like her food? Does her relationship with her mother become better? Does she find love again? Does she find her voice again? The answer to these questions form the rest of the story.
I loved 'The Restaurant of Love Regained'. It is a glorious celebration of food, a beautiful love letter to food. There are pages and pages of descriptions of how Rinko cooks a particular dish, in Ito Ogawa's spare, elegant prose, and they are beautiful to read - we can almost smell the aroma of the wonderful food wafting from the kitchen. The story is nice too - it is about how a person who loses everything, tries to climb back from the depths and the surprises she encounters in the way. There is Kuma, her friend, who is very likeable, and there is Rinko's mother Ruriko, who is a complex character and there is more to her than meets the eye. Then there is Hermes, Ruriko's pet pig, who is very protective of her, and very adorable. I loved all these characters. The main character is, of course, Rinko, who narrates the story. Towards the end of the story something happens - it is a very Japanese, Chinese, East Asian thing. I won't tell you what it is, because I don't want to reveal spoilers. But I will say this - I didn't see that coming and it was heartbreaking.
I saw a film years back called 'Babette's Feast'. (In case you are interested my review is here - https://vishytheknight.wordpress.com/...) It is an incredibly beautiful celebration of food. 'The Restaurant of Love Regained' is its literary sister. If you like reading novels about food, you will like this. I read that this book has been made into a film too. I can't wait to watch that.
Have you read Ito Ogawa's book? What do you think about it?
March 18, 2025
Perfetto per gli appassionati di cucina (come me), specie orientale per la descrizione di sapori, aromi, erbe, pietanze e la capacità tutta giapponese di essere un tutt'uno con la natura. Per il resto ho trovato la storia banale e poco coinvolgente con molti luoghi comuni. Peccato..."Cucinare era per me come pregare. La cucina stessa era la vera essenza della preghiera."
August 14, 2022
This kind of was like reading a cookbook. Do not read when hungry.
February 25, 2021
3.5 Una storia molto carina di cui ho apprezzato soprattutto la cucina, dalla preparazione e descrizione dei piatti alla filosofia dietro. La trama però non mi ha convinta al 100%, alcune cose mi han fatto storcere il naso per la superficialità o perché gli eventi raccontati ai miei occhi non erano vicini a una possibile realtà. Non ho sempre colto quell'autenticità che invece traspare nella cucina e nel prendersi cura di se stessi e degli altri tramite essa.
February 8, 2015
Avevo letto per caso La cena degli addii e avevo apprezzato il modo in cui Ogawa racconta del cibo. Con questo secondo devo confermare l'ottima prima impressione.
Ringo torna a casa e la trova vuota: il fidanzato se ne è andato, senza spiegazioni, portando via tutto. Le rimane giusto un condimento preparato dall'amata nonna, ormai morta. Non sapendo che fare Ringo decide di tornare al paese natio, il che mi sembra un'abitudine molto frequente nei romanzi giapponesi. Qui reincontra la madre, con cui ha un pessimo rapporto, e riesce a realizzare il sogno di avere un ristorante tutto suo.
Splendide le descrizioni della scelta degli ingredienti e del cibo, trattato con amore e deferenza. Una nota ai vegetariani: fate attenzione verso la fine, perché Ringo è una cuoca a 360°; non solo raccoglie gli frutta, erbe e funghi dai prati e dai boschi vicino a casa, ma si occupa anche della macellazione dell'animale che verrà usato per un banchetto di nozze.
Ringo torna a casa e la trova vuota: il fidanzato se ne è andato, senza spiegazioni, portando via tutto. Le rimane giusto un condimento preparato dall'amata nonna, ormai morta. Non sapendo che fare Ringo decide di tornare al paese natio, il che mi sembra un'abitudine molto frequente nei romanzi giapponesi. Qui reincontra la madre, con cui ha un pessimo rapporto, e riesce a realizzare il sogno di avere un ristorante tutto suo.
Splendide le descrizioni della scelta degli ingredienti e del cibo, trattato con amore e deferenza. Una nota ai vegetariani: fate attenzione verso la fine, perché Ringo è una cuoca a 360°; non solo raccoglie gli frutta, erbe e funghi dai prati e dai boschi vicino a casa, ma si occupa anche della macellazione dell'animale che verrà usato per un banchetto di nozze.
June 20, 2018
Un roman plein de poésie. Très touchant, qui donne envie de cuisiner et de gouter tout ce que cuisine Rinco. J'ai beaucoup aimé le côté très travaillé de la relation entre l'héroïne et sa mère. Une relation complexe mais qui se révèle surprenante. En revanche, j'ai eu du mal avec deux passages très crus pour ne pas spoiler... Je ne pense pas que les végétariens apprécieront!
January 14, 2016
Quelle déception ! Mais quelle déception. Je voulais tellement apprécier ce livre, je m'attendais vraiment à le faire mais bon sang, chaque fois que je commençais à aimer, je tombais sur un paragraphe dont le sujet me paraissait tellement grotesque que je déconnectais aussitôt. Un vraie montagne russe ce livre mais il y a eu bien plus de bas que de hauts.
D'abord l'auteur n'explique pratiquement rien, soulève des points mais ne va pas jusqu'au bout : le petit ami ? On ne sera jamais ce qui est arrivé, ni même son nom!, l'histoire de sa naissance ? Tu peux toujours attendre.
Et puis, franchement l'histoire avec le pistolet à eau ? Alors celle là elle m'a vraiment estomaquée ! Je crois qu'à partir de là je n'ai plus réussi à revenir dans le roman.
Bref j'ai mis tout de même deux étoiles car j'ai aimé les passages sur la cuisine ( à part quand on arrive à la partie des noces que j'ai trouvé trop cruelle) et que mine de rien j'ai terminé le livre. Mais vraiment je ne recommande pas.
D'abord l'auteur n'explique pratiquement rien, soulève des points mais ne va pas jusqu'au bout : le petit ami ? On ne sera jamais ce qui est arrivé, ni même son nom!, l'histoire de sa naissance ? Tu peux toujours attendre.
Et puis, franchement l'histoire avec le pistolet à eau ? Alors celle là elle m'a vraiment estomaquée ! Je crois qu'à partir de là je n'ai plus réussi à revenir dans le roman.
Bref j'ai mis tout de même deux étoiles car j'ai aimé les passages sur la cuisine ( à part quand on arrive à la partie des noces que j'ai trouvé trop cruelle) et que mine de rien j'ai terminé le livre. Mais vraiment je ne recommande pas.
February 10, 2019
(3.25 stars)
Japan fascinates me - it seems like a whole different world, the nuances of its relationships, the cuisine, the culture, its history. Books about cooking and food, they excite me, too.
So what could go wrong with this novel, talking solely of a special restaurant nurtured by an aspiring chef in a little village in Japan?
Plenty, as it turned out.
The first pages of this novel dragged. And dragged. It seemed to me predictable, blandly written, and directionless. At one point, more than 30 pages in, I wanted to simply abandon it.
But I persevered. And once the restaurant 'The Snail' opened, it was a sweet, sweet reward.
Rinko, a japanese working in a Turkish restaurant, returns home to find every single of her belongings gone. She has no option but to go back to her mother's place in a far-flung village, to eke out a living. She shares a tumultuous relation with her mother. And worse, she loses her voice, perhaps due to the trauma of her Indian boyfriend absconding with everything.
So she creates an extraordinary restaurant back home, which is soon famed for helping love bloom and flourish. Does it, though? And what happens when old mysteries and lies, doubts and insecurities begin to surface?
The thing that sustained my interest was the beautiful description of the recipes, the love bestowed on each ingredient, the astounding changes it brought about it, yet they were believable. Parts of the subtle magic realism, of the enmeshment of food and person, silence and speech, reminded me of 'The Vegetarian', and the girl's image sometimes took me back to Ruth Ozeki's 'A Tale for the Time Being.'
A mellow, sincere, interesting read. Just hand on there in the opening pages.
Warning: I've never had to give this warning before, but I would advise vegetarians and animal lovers to stay clear of the latter pages. I am an omnivore and have no moral ground to say this, but the strange way with which an animal was treated made me slightly nauseous. I can understand the logic, the feeling behind it, yet it still is a bit sadistic to describe it in such great detail.
Japan fascinates me - it seems like a whole different world, the nuances of its relationships, the cuisine, the culture, its history. Books about cooking and food, they excite me, too.
So what could go wrong with this novel, talking solely of a special restaurant nurtured by an aspiring chef in a little village in Japan?
Plenty, as it turned out.
The first pages of this novel dragged. And dragged. It seemed to me predictable, blandly written, and directionless. At one point, more than 30 pages in, I wanted to simply abandon it.
But I persevered. And once the restaurant 'The Snail' opened, it was a sweet, sweet reward.
Rinko, a japanese working in a Turkish restaurant, returns home to find every single of her belongings gone. She has no option but to go back to her mother's place in a far-flung village, to eke out a living. She shares a tumultuous relation with her mother. And worse, she loses her voice, perhaps due to the trauma of her Indian boyfriend absconding with everything.
So she creates an extraordinary restaurant back home, which is soon famed for helping love bloom and flourish. Does it, though? And what happens when old mysteries and lies, doubts and insecurities begin to surface?
The thing that sustained my interest was the beautiful description of the recipes, the love bestowed on each ingredient, the astounding changes it brought about it, yet they were believable. Parts of the subtle magic realism, of the enmeshment of food and person, silence and speech, reminded me of 'The Vegetarian', and the girl's image sometimes took me back to Ruth Ozeki's 'A Tale for the Time Being.'
A mellow, sincere, interesting read. Just hand on there in the opening pages.
Warning: I've never had to give this warning before, but I would advise vegetarians and animal lovers to stay clear of the latter pages. I am an omnivore and have no moral ground to say this, but the strange way with which an animal was treated made me slightly nauseous. I can understand the logic, the feeling behind it, yet it still is a bit sadistic to describe it in such great detail.
April 13, 2024
A história de uma jovem sem voz que ao regressar á sua aldeia decidi abrir um restaurante no qual realizará os desejos dos clientes. Rinko terá também de conviver de novo com a sua mãe, e lidar com os traumas do seu abandono.
Um livro que preenche os nossos sentidos, e demonstra como a comida pode despertar memórias e sentimentos.
Um livro que preenche os nossos sentidos, e demonstra como a comida pode despertar memórias e sentimentos.
March 24, 2019
« Mon restaurant, je voulais en faire un endroit à part, comme un lieu déjà croisé mais jamais exploré.
Comme une grotte secrète où les gens, rassérénés, renoueraient avec leur vrai moi. »
Faites-vous une bonne boisson chaude, attrapez une part de gâteau fait maison, et lovez-vous dans votre spot de lecture favori : ce roman est une petite douceur qui vous fera passer le plus délicieux des moments.
Bien que les premières pages m’aient un peu déroutée par la brutalité de la rupture que subit Rinco et son apparente froideur face à cet événement (bien que ce soit surtout l’effet du choc a priori), dès qu’elle arrive à son village natal et qu’elle se plonge corps et âme dans l’ouverture de son restaurant, je me suis laissée bercer par ce récit merveilleux gorgé de douceur et de nostalgie, sans doute tout indiqué si vous venez de vivre une rupture ou si, de manière générale, vous avez un coup de blues.
J’ai été très touchée par le personnage de Rinco, cette jeune femme au coeur brisé qui se reconstruit peu à peu grâce à son amour sincère pour la cuisine – une passion transmise par sa grand-mère – et par le lien très fort que cet art lui permet d’entretenir à la fois avec la terre et avec les gens.
Avec sa délicatesse et son talent, Rinco apporte de la sérénité à ses clients, qui arrivent tous avec leurs soucis et leurs blessures et qui repartent avec le ventre lourd et le coeur léger. Ces émotions culinaires sont si fortes qu’on en salive, les odeurs et les goûts semblent presque traverser les pages et nous apporter à nous aussi la paix et la joie. C’est un véritable voyage sensoriel que nous propose Ito Ogawa, au fil des saisons et des recettes.
(suite de la chronique sur lottesofbooks.com)
Comme une grotte secrète où les gens, rassérénés, renoueraient avec leur vrai moi. »
Faites-vous une bonne boisson chaude, attrapez une part de gâteau fait maison, et lovez-vous dans votre spot de lecture favori : ce roman est une petite douceur qui vous fera passer le plus délicieux des moments.
Bien que les premières pages m’aient un peu déroutée par la brutalité de la rupture que subit Rinco et son apparente froideur face à cet événement (bien que ce soit surtout l’effet du choc a priori), dès qu’elle arrive à son village natal et qu’elle se plonge corps et âme dans l’ouverture de son restaurant, je me suis laissée bercer par ce récit merveilleux gorgé de douceur et de nostalgie, sans doute tout indiqué si vous venez de vivre une rupture ou si, de manière générale, vous avez un coup de blues.
J’ai été très touchée par le personnage de Rinco, cette jeune femme au coeur brisé qui se reconstruit peu à peu grâce à son amour sincère pour la cuisine – une passion transmise par sa grand-mère – et par le lien très fort que cet art lui permet d’entretenir à la fois avec la terre et avec les gens.
Avec sa délicatesse et son talent, Rinco apporte de la sérénité à ses clients, qui arrivent tous avec leurs soucis et leurs blessures et qui repartent avec le ventre lourd et le coeur léger. Ces émotions culinaires sont si fortes qu’on en salive, les odeurs et les goûts semblent presque traverser les pages et nous apporter à nous aussi la paix et la joie. C’est un véritable voyage sensoriel que nous propose Ito Ogawa, au fil des saisons et des recettes.
(suite de la chronique sur lottesofbooks.com)
April 5, 2020
really enjoyed some of this but the ending took a weird turn that I couldn’t really get behind. Full review to come!
August 7, 2018
When translated works can bind one in a spell because of the beauty of the language, it is then and only then that one wishes so fervently that he or she could read the book in its original language. If a translated work could be so beautiful, I wonder...what would the original work be like?
“The Restaurant of Love Regained” by Ito Ogawa is one such book. Ringo, a Japanese girl of 25 returns home after work to see her apartment bereft. Spotlessly bare. The things which she once shared with her Indian boyfriend were all taken away by him, so cunningly. No explanations, just a saddening emptiness. She decides to leave the apartment which reminded her of precious things accumulated over the years and a person who was close to her heart. Ringo hastily boards a bus with her only possession, a small ceramic vase in which she and her grandmother made pickled vegetables in salted bran paste. While on her way to her village from which she ran away 10 years ago, she realises that she has lost her voice too.
Back at her village, Ringo decides to open a restaurant. Her mother, to whom she has not spoken for 10 years, offers Ringo her storage hut on the condition that she would not give up halfway and must finish what she starts. Ringo is also entrusted with the task of taking full care of her mother’s 100 kg pig called Hermes. With the help of her friend Kuma, the two of them transform the hut into a cosy restaurant and name it “The Snail”.
But this is not your regular restaurant. Ringo’s plan is to just have one pair of customers a day. She would meet the customer the day before and ask them about their preferences of food and budget. She does this to ensure that her customers get the best menu. Everthing goes well, right from Kuma, her first customer and very soon her restaurant becomes very popular as customers started experiencing miracles after having tasted her food. Especially the case of the elderly lady who is always seen dressed in black as she grieves for her late lover. She is transformed overnight after having Ringo’s sumptuous dinner. She decides to shed her forlorn look and black dresses and reverts to her outgoing personality.
Ringo’s fame as a miracle chef spreads far and wide and soon we come across a few interesting customers with different needs – a young, shy couple who can’t confess their love for each other; a man and woman brought together by a matchmaker; a family of six with a senile grandfather; a girl with an almost lifeless rabbit and so on. It was a pleasure to get to know their stories and how Ringo’s food heals them all.
The whole book is akin to a meditative journey. It is a tale of how food cooked with so much love, care and attention can heal and transform people. There isn’t much conversation as the protagonist has lost her voice and interacts with everyone with the help of handwritten cards. There aren’t many characters in the book too. However, there are plenty of descriptions of nature and food. Many of the moments that Ringo spends in her village brought a smile to my face.
“Like turning over a beetle struggling on its back and watching it walk away. Like feeling the warmth of a freshly laid egg against my cheek. Like seeing a droplet of water balance on a leaf’s surface, more beautiful than any diamond. Or like finding a Kinugasa mushroom at the entrance to the bamboo forest, carefully plucking it and taking it home to place in my miso soup, with its wonderful flavour and its underside as beautiful and intricate as hand-knitted lace. All of these things filled me with wonder and gratitude and made me want to kiss God on the cheek.” All this sort of reaffirmed my belief in the goodness in life.
Whether it is the snowdrops or the red radish fields or soaking in the hot springs to heal any kind of ailment, they all bring so much of soothingness to the reader’s heart. Then there are endless descriptions of food and ingredients. Like these which made my mouth water oh so.
“..strawberry salad by marinating fresh rocket leaves, watercress and strawberries in boiled balsamic vinegar...fried carrots resembling deep fried shrimps and steak of Japanese radish.”
A simple book on the power of ingredients from the lap of nature. I don’t think I have read a novel where the pure, pristine nature is talked about in a such a refreshing way like this. We have all lost touch so much with the greenery and brownness of earth that this book was like a whole new world to me. A magical place where all kinds of miracles happen.
The book is written in very simple English yet filled with some beautiful, simple imagery. To quote a few...
“My daydreams were as sweet as mango lassi”
“...thoughts washed away as if a bucket of white paint had been poured right through my mind”
“...memories of my grandmother surfaced like bubbles with every bite”
“...as soon as I opened the lid, a warm steam floated up into the air like fairies on a mission to make this love happen.”
There were a few imageries which seemed weird yet interesting.
“...a rabbit’s beautiful silver-grey hair is...like a kitchen sink that had been painstakingly scrubbed”
“The tips of the Twin Peaks were covered in snow, making it look as if they were wearing some gigantic lacy bra”
and when the author described Ringo’s drunk mother and lover together like this, I laughed out loud.
“...I watched them sitting together, leaning sloppily into each other like two different flavours of melting ice cream”
The whole book is a tribute to nature, food and cooking. It is the perfect read for one who is looking for something light and warm. Though there are a few heart breaking moments at the end, I found that these are inevitable to the plotline. In fact, though it saddens me a lot, it seems like there is no better way to end this book the way it ended. This book made me want to go to “The Snail” so badly because I, for one, would love to see some miracles happening. This also happens to be another one of those rare books which fall under the category of what I love to call ‘sensuous fiction”. You would find yourself immersed in a wide range of emotions running through this book and I really found it hard to come out of this amazing reading experience.
Rating: 5/5
“The Restaurant of Love Regained” by Ito Ogawa is one such book. Ringo, a Japanese girl of 25 returns home after work to see her apartment bereft. Spotlessly bare. The things which she once shared with her Indian boyfriend were all taken away by him, so cunningly. No explanations, just a saddening emptiness. She decides to leave the apartment which reminded her of precious things accumulated over the years and a person who was close to her heart. Ringo hastily boards a bus with her only possession, a small ceramic vase in which she and her grandmother made pickled vegetables in salted bran paste. While on her way to her village from which she ran away 10 years ago, she realises that she has lost her voice too.
Back at her village, Ringo decides to open a restaurant. Her mother, to whom she has not spoken for 10 years, offers Ringo her storage hut on the condition that she would not give up halfway and must finish what she starts. Ringo is also entrusted with the task of taking full care of her mother’s 100 kg pig called Hermes. With the help of her friend Kuma, the two of them transform the hut into a cosy restaurant and name it “The Snail”.
But this is not your regular restaurant. Ringo’s plan is to just have one pair of customers a day. She would meet the customer the day before and ask them about their preferences of food and budget. She does this to ensure that her customers get the best menu. Everthing goes well, right from Kuma, her first customer and very soon her restaurant becomes very popular as customers started experiencing miracles after having tasted her food. Especially the case of the elderly lady who is always seen dressed in black as she grieves for her late lover. She is transformed overnight after having Ringo’s sumptuous dinner. She decides to shed her forlorn look and black dresses and reverts to her outgoing personality.
Ringo’s fame as a miracle chef spreads far and wide and soon we come across a few interesting customers with different needs – a young, shy couple who can’t confess their love for each other; a man and woman brought together by a matchmaker; a family of six with a senile grandfather; a girl with an almost lifeless rabbit and so on. It was a pleasure to get to know their stories and how Ringo’s food heals them all.
The whole book is akin to a meditative journey. It is a tale of how food cooked with so much love, care and attention can heal and transform people. There isn’t much conversation as the protagonist has lost her voice and interacts with everyone with the help of handwritten cards. There aren’t many characters in the book too. However, there are plenty of descriptions of nature and food. Many of the moments that Ringo spends in her village brought a smile to my face.
“Like turning over a beetle struggling on its back and watching it walk away. Like feeling the warmth of a freshly laid egg against my cheek. Like seeing a droplet of water balance on a leaf’s surface, more beautiful than any diamond. Or like finding a Kinugasa mushroom at the entrance to the bamboo forest, carefully plucking it and taking it home to place in my miso soup, with its wonderful flavour and its underside as beautiful and intricate as hand-knitted lace. All of these things filled me with wonder and gratitude and made me want to kiss God on the cheek.” All this sort of reaffirmed my belief in the goodness in life.
Whether it is the snowdrops or the red radish fields or soaking in the hot springs to heal any kind of ailment, they all bring so much of soothingness to the reader’s heart. Then there are endless descriptions of food and ingredients. Like these which made my mouth water oh so.
“..strawberry salad by marinating fresh rocket leaves, watercress and strawberries in boiled balsamic vinegar...fried carrots resembling deep fried shrimps and steak of Japanese radish.”
A simple book on the power of ingredients from the lap of nature. I don’t think I have read a novel where the pure, pristine nature is talked about in a such a refreshing way like this. We have all lost touch so much with the greenery and brownness of earth that this book was like a whole new world to me. A magical place where all kinds of miracles happen.
The book is written in very simple English yet filled with some beautiful, simple imagery. To quote a few...
“My daydreams were as sweet as mango lassi”
“...thoughts washed away as if a bucket of white paint had been poured right through my mind”
“...memories of my grandmother surfaced like bubbles with every bite”
“...as soon as I opened the lid, a warm steam floated up into the air like fairies on a mission to make this love happen.”
There were a few imageries which seemed weird yet interesting.
“...a rabbit’s beautiful silver-grey hair is...like a kitchen sink that had been painstakingly scrubbed”
“The tips of the Twin Peaks were covered in snow, making it look as if they were wearing some gigantic lacy bra”
and when the author described Ringo’s drunk mother and lover together like this, I laughed out loud.
“...I watched them sitting together, leaning sloppily into each other like two different flavours of melting ice cream”
The whole book is a tribute to nature, food and cooking. It is the perfect read for one who is looking for something light and warm. Though there are a few heart breaking moments at the end, I found that these are inevitable to the plotline. In fact, though it saddens me a lot, it seems like there is no better way to end this book the way it ended. This book made me want to go to “The Snail” so badly because I, for one, would love to see some miracles happening. This also happens to be another one of those rare books which fall under the category of what I love to call ‘sensuous fiction”. You would find yourself immersed in a wide range of emotions running through this book and I really found it hard to come out of this amazing reading experience.
Rating: 5/5
November 14, 2020
Ne perdez pas de temps, dégustez ce joli livre sans attendre. En ces temps anxiogènes, cette histoire de reconstruction est très apaisante.
C'est lumineux, subtile, gourmand, très poétique même dans les scènes les plus crues et surtout c'est plein d'amour sans aucune mièvrerie.
En tournant ces pages, à défaut des jolis plats de Rinco, on se remplit d'amour pour les magnifiques évocations des paysages du Japon rural, pour sa population, pour le plaisir de la table et des mets créatifs et si exotiques et même pour les animaux peu glamour comme le cochon. Je risque d'attirer les foudres des végans, mais même la fin de vie de Hermès est belle et m'a ramenée à des scènes de vie dans la ferme de mes grands-parents, dans la campagne profonde. Dans toutes choses, il y a de la beauté cachée finalement, il suffit d'être ouvert à l'autre et curieux !
C'est lumineux, subtile, gourmand, très poétique même dans les scènes les plus crues et surtout c'est plein d'amour sans aucune mièvrerie.
En tournant ces pages, à défaut des jolis plats de Rinco, on se remplit d'amour pour les magnifiques évocations des paysages du Japon rural, pour sa population, pour le plaisir de la table et des mets créatifs et si exotiques et même pour les animaux peu glamour comme le cochon. Je risque d'attirer les foudres des végans, mais même la fin de vie de Hermès est belle et m'a ramenée à des scènes de vie dans la ferme de mes grands-parents, dans la campagne profonde. Dans toutes choses, il y a de la beauté cachée finalement, il suffit d'être ouvert à l'autre et curieux !
October 30, 2014
Quando ripenso a questo romanzo (ma non accade spesso, lo ammetto) mi ritrovo a contemplare con sconcerto l'idiozia totale della trama e la pressoché incredibile demenzialità di tutti i personaggi, nessuno escluso. E a chiedermi perché ho sprecato (poche, grazie al Cielo) ore della mia vita a finirlo.
October 27, 2018
4 sao. Tiệm cận 4 sao thôi, vì nhận ra mình không có muốn rec quyển này lắm, kiểu nếu mà dằng ấy có ý định đọc rồi thì ok, truyện đọc cũng được.
Read
August 20, 2020Δείτε και την κριτική στα Ελληνικά στις βιβλιοαλχημείες.
Returning home from work (Turkish Restaurant), Rinko finds her apartment totally empty, no furniture, no appliances, no nothing.
Her only other choice is to go back to her village and her mum, who she hasn't seen in 10 years.
There she will decide to open a special restaurant that serves only one table per day. The customers are persons who want to reconciliate, persons in love who want someone else to bring them together, and more.
And so the restaurant of love regained is established having the name "The Snail". Probably for its slow and dedicated pace in preparing foods.
The blurb in the back says it is for fans of Like Water for Chocolate by Mexican author Laura Esquivel, which I read two months before this one. And this was the 2nd reason I bought this book at a book bazaar.
The first is well-known. My reading the world project. So when I saw Japanese book I took it.
This was the first book I read in March and the last I started and finished before the arrival of the virus in Cyprus. A strange month. Quarantine, seclusion, praying, flagellation. I'm kidding. Only the first two are valid.
Strange month also in terms of readings too.
With this book as an exception plus my last book from March: Shutter Island, all the rest were lukewarm disappointments.
They had a slow pace and their themes were not my favourite.
This is the side-effect of blindly buying books from all over the world with the only criterion being the country of origin: Japan, Jordan, Malaysia.
But, they weren't back books. They were pretty slow and I was utterly bored and wanted them to end, in contrast with this book which I found cute, weird, a bit saccharine, but nevertheless with a good pace that didn't bore me. Digestible. You have a nice time and then you move on.
November 12, 2018
Mình đã quyết định mua luôn quyển này không cần suy nghĩ vì bìa quá đẹp và cả tên của truyện nữa. Cả hai đều làm mình nhớ gần như lập tức một đêm nọ trong chuyến đi trao đổi văn hóa đến Nhật, cả đoàn lên xe đi thật xa và vòng vèo chỉ để đến một quán ăn nọ. Mình đã thấy lại chuyến đi đó qua quyển sách này, và dĩ nhiên dù biết câu chuyện chắc chắn sẽ không có gì giống cái đêm tìm đến quán ăn ở Nhật đó, mình đã hi vọng câu chuyện của nó cũng sẽ hay như vậy. Nhưng mình đã hơi thất vọng.
Cái tên “Quán ăn tìm lại tình yêu” cũng nêu lên khá rõ ràng nội dung của truyện - một cửa tiệm mà thực khách, bằng cách nào đó, sẽ tìm lại được tình yêu đã mất hay thứ mình hằng tìm kiếm. Nó khiến mình nghĩ đến Những Giấc Mơ Ở Hiệu Sách Morisaki, và quả thật đoạn đầu dẫn dắt cũng tương tự như vậy. Một biến cố trong đời sẽ dẫn nữ nhân vật chính đến việc mở quán ăn tìm lại tình yêu.
Rinko chạy trốn tình yêu, mở “quán ăn tìm lại tình yêu” và bản thân cũng tìm lại 1 tình cảm đặc biệt khác cho riêng mình. Câu chuyện hay, một cái kết đủ bất ngờ và có phần xúc động, nhưng cách viết đơn giản, tả cảnh quá nhiều, và dù biết sách về nấu ăn, nhưng có cảm giác tác giả lạm dụng nhồi nhét kiến thức ẩm thực vào sách, hoặc là hơi tham dùng thuật ngữ, hoặc là lồng ghép không khéo léo.
Truyện ngắn, có thêm phần ngoại truyện rất không liên quan. Nói chung hơi fail vì lỡ mê cái bìa. Mà nghĩ lại có thể mình đọc hơi trễ hehe thấy ghi “dành cho tuổi trưởng thành”, nhưng là bao nhiêu tuổi nhỉ :)
Cái tên “Quán ăn tìm lại tình yêu” cũng nêu lên khá rõ ràng nội dung của truyện - một cửa tiệm mà thực khách, bằng cách nào đó, sẽ tìm lại được tình yêu đã mất hay thứ mình hằng tìm kiếm. Nó khiến mình nghĩ đến Những Giấc Mơ Ở Hiệu Sách Morisaki, và quả thật đoạn đầu dẫn dắt cũng tương tự như vậy. Một biến cố trong đời sẽ dẫn nữ nhân vật chính đến việc mở quán ăn tìm lại tình yêu.
Rinko chạy trốn tình yêu, mở “quán ăn tìm lại tình yêu” và bản thân cũng tìm lại 1 tình cảm đặc biệt khác cho riêng mình. Câu chuyện hay, một cái kết đủ bất ngờ và có phần xúc động, nhưng cách viết đơn giản, tả cảnh quá nhiều, và dù biết sách về nấu ăn, nhưng có cảm giác tác giả lạm dụng nhồi nhét kiến thức ẩm thực vào sách, hoặc là hơi tham dùng thuật ngữ, hoặc là lồng ghép không khéo léo.
Truyện ngắn, có thêm phần ngoại truyện rất không liên quan. Nói chung hơi fail vì lỡ mê cái bìa. Mà nghĩ lại có thể mình đọc hơi trễ hehe thấy ghi “dành cho tuổi trưởng thành”, nhưng là bao nhiêu tuổi nhỉ :)
July 10, 2024
3,4⭐️
J’ai peut-être lu trop de livres japonais du même style! La magie opère, mais un peu moins 😅
On a encore affaire à un livre lent, calme, contemplatif, méditatif, presque. Ça fait vraiment du bien de plonger dans ces univers.
Par contre, je ne suis pas convaincue de ce que j’ai lu. L’histoire est pour le moins étonnante. Le personnage principal se fait quitter (sans raison?) par son fiancé, qui part sans dire un mot en volant toutes leurs possessions : il laisse l’appartement complètement vide...! Dans un état d’hébétude (où ce vol est uniquement qualifié de « chagrin d’amour »…) elle perd la voix et retourne vivre chez sa mère, avec qui elle n’avait pas parlé depuis 10 ans. Là, elle s’échine à ouvrir un restaurant, où elle cuisine chaque soir un repas différent pour une seule tablée.
J’ai bien aimé le volet cuisine. On sent bien l’amour et le temps qui est mis dans le restaurant et dans chaque plat cuisiné par l’héroïne. Ça donne presque le goût de cuisiner! Ça prend beaucoup, beaucoup de place dans l’histoire, toutefois.
Le personnage principal n’a pas beaucoup de relief. J’ai vraiment détesté le bout où elle cuisine gentiment pour un ami de sa mère, qui vient de lui manquer royalement de respect. Jusqu’où va sa dévotion? La mère, qui semblait un copié-collé de la mère de Papeterie Tsubaki, se révèle finalement être beaucoup plus innocente qu’on pensait… c’est presque trop facile. On voit défiler une ribambelle d’autres personnages, souvent un peu caricaturés.
Ça reste quand même un beau petit livre.
J’ai peut-être lu trop de livres japonais du même style! La magie opère, mais un peu moins 😅
On a encore affaire à un livre lent, calme, contemplatif, méditatif, presque. Ça fait vraiment du bien de plonger dans ces univers.
Par contre, je ne suis pas convaincue de ce que j’ai lu. L’histoire est pour le moins étonnante. Le personnage principal se fait quitter (sans raison?) par son fiancé, qui part sans dire un mot en volant toutes leurs possessions : il laisse l’appartement complètement vide...! Dans un état d’hébétude (où ce vol est uniquement qualifié de « chagrin d’amour »…) elle perd la voix et retourne vivre chez sa mère, avec qui elle n’avait pas parlé depuis 10 ans. Là, elle s’échine à ouvrir un restaurant, où elle cuisine chaque soir un repas différent pour une seule tablée.
J’ai bien aimé le volet cuisine. On sent bien l’amour et le temps qui est mis dans le restaurant et dans chaque plat cuisiné par l’héroïne. Ça donne presque le goût de cuisiner! Ça prend beaucoup, beaucoup de place dans l’histoire, toutefois.
Le personnage principal n’a pas beaucoup de relief. J’ai vraiment détesté le bout où elle cuisine gentiment pour un ami de sa mère, qui vient de lui manquer royalement de respect. Jusqu’où va sa dévotion? La mère, qui semblait un copié-collé de la mère de Papeterie Tsubaki, se révèle finalement être beaucoup plus innocente qu’on pensait… c’est presque trop facile. On voit défiler une ribambelle d’autres personnages, souvent un peu caricaturés.
Ça reste quand même un beau petit livre.
October 21, 2023
Gostei imenso de ler esta pérola de livro, de uma imensa sensibilidade, que é para ser lido a saborear com lentidão.. Pena que aqui não existe um pequeno restaurante de Felicidade como este da menina Rinko que fazia a comida com muito amor e gratidão.. As energias passam para a comida, por isto é importante as emoções de quem a faz.
August 27, 2025
Un peu trop fantasque par certains aspects, mais belle plongée dans la cuisine japonaise.
Bien évidemment, j’ai pleuré pendant les derniers chapitres (âme sensible bonjour).
Bien évidemment, j’ai pleuré pendant les derniers chapitres (âme sensible bonjour).
October 9, 2023
Basta leggere il titolo e immaginare tutta la banalità che potrebbe correlarsi a queste poche parole: ristorante/amore/ritrovato. Aggiungiamoci a manate grosse altri cliché che conosciamo del mondo giapponese: il villaggio rurale, il ritorno alla famiglia ancestrale, nonne sagge, malinconia, scrittura d’atmosfera eterea, oggetti simbolici, ricordi di profumi e sapori, la cucina tradizionale.
Sopra, una colata di melassa senza controllo e misura, scritta con toni iperbolici e infantili, che copre i pochi punti che avrebbero potuto essere taglienti o intriganti (come il rapporto conflittuale con la madre): ed ecco fatto il romanzo.
L’autrice infantilizza e lirizza ogni frase, cercando volutamente il risultato del dipinto ad acquerello. Dimostra invece una peculiare crudezza e mancanza di sensibilità su alcuni argomenti, per esempio nel parlare dell’ex fidanzato della protagonista; il quale viene citato SEMPRE, decine di volte, senza nome ma con la sua provenienza etnica. Come se il fatto che fosse indiano non fosse assolutamente trascurabile (aggiungi a riguardo anche dettagli stereotipati e blandamente razzisti, come l’odore di spezie che questo fantomatico fidanzato indiano pareva portare sempre con sé).
Poi, dopo aver sopportato il capitolo sul coniglio domestico - insuperabilmente patetico e melenso - in cui all’animaletto appena conosciuto vengono attribuite surreali caratteristiche sentimentali e umane, decido di mollare questa prova di resistenza quando la protagonista e sua madre, con una coerenza pari a zero, decidono invece di macellare il maiale domestico che fa loro compagnia da anni (?!), perché il fatto che sopravviverebbe alla madre creerebbe troppa sofferenza all’animale, e quindi a loro sembra logico mangiarselo durante la festa di nozze (what the actual f*** ?!?). Inquietante a palla, ma senza nessuna volontà di esserlo.
L’autrice crea cioè quadri ridicoli, o surreali o molto awkward (la cena del pesce palla e le rivelazioni sulla madre fanno alzare entrambe le sopracciglia, a moti alterni) ma privi di consapevolezza, senza la reale volontà di creare un quadro bizzarro o provocatorio.
Esempi di prosa di Ogawa:
Un amico della protagonista scrive il nome del ristorante con il pennello sul camioncino: “i caratteri erano rozzi, ma pieni di affetto” (ma in che senso?!).
Lirismi senza controllo sul curry al melograno: “Quando l’avevo gustato per la prima volta, mi era parso di vedere davanti ai miei occhi le sterminate distese desertiche color seppia dell’Iran, pur senza esserci mai stata”. O ancora “con le mani appena lavate tastai con estremo garbo quei prodotti della natura, avvicinandoli a uno a uno al viso e parlandoci, a occhi chiusi, come se fossero piccole creature appena nate”.
Oppure “le lacrime, grosse quasi quanto uova di tartarughe venute a deporre sulla spiaggia, sgorgavano copiose e mi rigavano le guance senza tregua”.
Anche meno…
Sopra, una colata di melassa senza controllo e misura, scritta con toni iperbolici e infantili, che copre i pochi punti che avrebbero potuto essere taglienti o intriganti (come il rapporto conflittuale con la madre): ed ecco fatto il romanzo.
L’autrice infantilizza e lirizza ogni frase, cercando volutamente il risultato del dipinto ad acquerello. Dimostra invece una peculiare crudezza e mancanza di sensibilità su alcuni argomenti, per esempio nel parlare dell’ex fidanzato della protagonista; il quale viene citato SEMPRE, decine di volte, senza nome ma con la sua provenienza etnica. Come se il fatto che fosse indiano non fosse assolutamente trascurabile (aggiungi a riguardo anche dettagli stereotipati e blandamente razzisti, come l’odore di spezie che questo fantomatico fidanzato indiano pareva portare sempre con sé).
Poi, dopo aver sopportato il capitolo sul coniglio domestico - insuperabilmente patetico e melenso - in cui all’animaletto appena conosciuto vengono attribuite surreali caratteristiche sentimentali e umane, decido di mollare questa prova di resistenza quando la protagonista e sua madre, con una coerenza pari a zero, decidono invece di macellare il maiale domestico che fa loro compagnia da anni (?!), perché il fatto che sopravviverebbe alla madre creerebbe troppa sofferenza all’animale, e quindi a loro sembra logico mangiarselo durante la festa di nozze (what the actual f*** ?!?). Inquietante a palla, ma senza nessuna volontà di esserlo.
L’autrice crea cioè quadri ridicoli, o surreali o molto awkward (la cena del pesce palla e le rivelazioni sulla madre fanno alzare entrambe le sopracciglia, a moti alterni) ma privi di consapevolezza, senza la reale volontà di creare un quadro bizzarro o provocatorio.
Esempi di prosa di Ogawa:
Un amico della protagonista scrive il nome del ristorante con il pennello sul camioncino: “i caratteri erano rozzi, ma pieni di affetto” (ma in che senso?!).
Lirismi senza controllo sul curry al melograno: “Quando l’avevo gustato per la prima volta, mi era parso di vedere davanti ai miei occhi le sterminate distese desertiche color seppia dell’Iran, pur senza esserci mai stata”. O ancora “con le mani appena lavate tastai con estremo garbo quei prodotti della natura, avvicinandoli a uno a uno al viso e parlandoci, a occhi chiusi, come se fossero piccole creature appena nate”.
Oppure “le lacrime, grosse quasi quanto uova di tartarughe venute a deporre sulla spiaggia, sgorgavano copiose e mi rigavano le guance senza tregua”.
Anche meno…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2023
✍️ R E V I E W
📘 O Pequeno Restaurante da Felicidade, de Ito Owaga
🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧/5
Malta, este livro foi um murro no estômago, uma lufada de ar fresco, transmitindo um carinho enorme para mim e um reviver de memórias.
A Rinko, personagem principal da história é cozinheira profissional e regressa a casa depois do namorado a deixar sem nada, ela sofre tamanho desgosto de amor que fica sem conseguir falar, e apenas comunica escrevendo num bloco de notas.
A personagem não tem boa relação com a mãe, mas é o único sítio que pode regressar. Ao longo do livro, ela vai mencionando passagens com a avó, que a ensinou a cozinhar (e aqui é que nasce a magia. Fez-me reviver memórias com a minha avó, porque com ela também aprendi a cozinhar, e também me tornei cozinheira de profissão, confesso que chorei horrores).
Ler o amor e a paixão que a Rinko tem à cozinha, fez-me renascer a vontade de cozinhar e repensar nos valor que aprendi quando também eu tirei o meu curso, e isso é só fantástico acreditem!
Este livro é a personificação de que com pouco e com coisas simples podemos fazer/proporcionar o melhor para os outros.
Nasce a Cantina dos Caracóis, o restaurante que com a ajuda do senhor Kuma, cresce e que faz milagres, ou melhor a comida, da cozinheira faz milagres! Desde uma velhota angustiada que vai ganhar vida; uma menina que consegue declarar o seu amor ao amado e saem ambos apaixonados; juntar a professora com o herdeiro agricultor, que sai do restaurante orgulhoso do pai pelo seu trabalho com as hortícolas; um coelhinho anorexico que adora os seus biscoitos doces; e uma mãe que está doente e que só quer que o seu único desejo para o casamento seja concedido pela filha... a Hérmes, uma porca, que vem a dar uma lição de vida fantástica.
A história termina de uma maneira tocante, fantástica e o meu pensamento foi "ainda bem que li este livro", tudo o que a Rinko pensava da sua vida é mentira e a verdade vai fazer com que ela consiga recuperar a sua voz.
Leiam este livro por favor, acho que ninguém se vai arrepender.
🤏 O facto de ter muitos termos em chinês faz com que em livro talvez andem sempre a pesquisar no dicionário, sorte que eu li no Kobo e foi prático.
📘 O Pequeno Restaurante da Felicidade, de Ito Owaga
🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧/5
Malta, este livro foi um murro no estômago, uma lufada de ar fresco, transmitindo um carinho enorme para mim e um reviver de memórias.
A Rinko, personagem principal da história é cozinheira profissional e regressa a casa depois do namorado a deixar sem nada, ela sofre tamanho desgosto de amor que fica sem conseguir falar, e apenas comunica escrevendo num bloco de notas.
A personagem não tem boa relação com a mãe, mas é o único sítio que pode regressar. Ao longo do livro, ela vai mencionando passagens com a avó, que a ensinou a cozinhar (e aqui é que nasce a magia. Fez-me reviver memórias com a minha avó, porque com ela também aprendi a cozinhar, e também me tornei cozinheira de profissão, confesso que chorei horrores).
Ler o amor e a paixão que a Rinko tem à cozinha, fez-me renascer a vontade de cozinhar e repensar nos valor que aprendi quando também eu tirei o meu curso, e isso é só fantástico acreditem!
Este livro é a personificação de que com pouco e com coisas simples podemos fazer/proporcionar o melhor para os outros.
Nasce a Cantina dos Caracóis, o restaurante que com a ajuda do senhor Kuma, cresce e que faz milagres, ou melhor a comida, da cozinheira faz milagres! Desde uma velhota angustiada que vai ganhar vida; uma menina que consegue declarar o seu amor ao amado e saem ambos apaixonados; juntar a professora com o herdeiro agricultor, que sai do restaurante orgulhoso do pai pelo seu trabalho com as hortícolas; um coelhinho anorexico que adora os seus biscoitos doces; e uma mãe que está doente e que só quer que o seu único desejo para o casamento seja concedido pela filha... a Hérmes, uma porca, que vem a dar uma lição de vida fantástica.
A história termina de uma maneira tocante, fantástica e o meu pensamento foi "ainda bem que li este livro", tudo o que a Rinko pensava da sua vida é mentira e a verdade vai fazer com que ela consiga recuperar a sua voz.
Leiam este livro por favor, acho que ninguém se vai arrepender.
🤏 O facto de ter muitos termos em chinês faz com que em livro talvez andem sempre a pesquisar no dicionário, sorte que eu li no Kobo e foi prático.
January 30, 2021
Primo approccio con Ito Ogawa (da non confondersi con Yoko Ogawa), devo dire che la lettura è stata molto sottotono. Alla ricerca di un libro "leggero", da intrattenermi in un giorno un po' difficile, non ho ottenuto altro che un livello poco profondo di intrattenimento.
Ringo torna a casa dalla madre dopo che il fidanzato l'ha lasciata e si è portato via tutti i loro risparmi e averi. La madre, con cui non ha contatto da dieci anni, le concede l'uso di un piccolo spazio dove Ringo crea il suo ristorante, sogno che coltivava fin da bambina, rendendolo un luogo dell'anima dove pian piano far rimarginare le proprie e altrui ferite.
✅ Partendo dai lati positivi: nonostante il titolo un po' harmony, non si tratta di una struggente storia d'amore, ma della crescita personale della protagonista e l'amore che questa nutre per la cucina. Il ritmo è lento, il che non è negativo, anzi, sottolinea come la pazienza e la dedizione possano aiutare a rimarginare le ferite dell'anima.
Bellissime le descrizioni dei piatti e delle materie prime, trattate sempre con affetto e rispetto.
❌ Purtroppo, lo stile tratteggia Ringo e i suoi clienti con un tratto fin troppo superficiale. Non mi sono mai veramente immedesimata nelle loro storie, che rimangono molto episodiche, mentre avrei preferito un po' più di approfondimento sulla trama principale e non vederla solo a inizio e fine libro. Osservazione mia professionale: ho storto il naso tutte le volte che andava alla ricerca di ingredienti sia locali che ricercati. Il fattore "business" decisamente degno di un Hallmark.
Rimane una lettura che fa trascorrere qualche ora dolceamara, che OK, non mi ha soddisfatto, ma sicuramente in futuro vorrei comunque approfondire anche con altri suoi libri.
ATTENZIONE: In ultimo, piccolo avvertimento che mi sento di dare: attenzione ai lettori vegetariani/vegani, le descrizioni sulla preparazione del cibo sono parte fondamentale del libro e l'autrice non ci risparmia anche i dettagli sulla macellazione.
Ringo torna a casa dalla madre dopo che il fidanzato l'ha lasciata e si è portato via tutti i loro risparmi e averi. La madre, con cui non ha contatto da dieci anni, le concede l'uso di un piccolo spazio dove Ringo crea il suo ristorante, sogno che coltivava fin da bambina, rendendolo un luogo dell'anima dove pian piano far rimarginare le proprie e altrui ferite.
✅ Partendo dai lati positivi: nonostante il titolo un po' harmony, non si tratta di una struggente storia d'amore, ma della crescita personale della protagonista e l'amore che questa nutre per la cucina. Il ritmo è lento, il che non è negativo, anzi, sottolinea come la pazienza e la dedizione possano aiutare a rimarginare le ferite dell'anima.
Bellissime le descrizioni dei piatti e delle materie prime, trattate sempre con affetto e rispetto.
❌ Purtroppo, lo stile tratteggia Ringo e i suoi clienti con un tratto fin troppo superficiale. Non mi sono mai veramente immedesimata nelle loro storie, che rimangono molto episodiche, mentre avrei preferito un po' più di approfondimento sulla trama principale e non vederla solo a inizio e fine libro. Osservazione mia professionale: ho storto il naso tutte le volte che andava alla ricerca di ingredienti sia locali che ricercati. Il fattore "business" decisamente degno di un Hallmark.
Rimane una lettura che fa trascorrere qualche ora dolceamara, che OK, non mi ha soddisfatto, ma sicuramente in futuro vorrei comunque approfondire anche con altri suoi libri.
ATTENZIONE: In ultimo, piccolo avvertimento che mi sento di dare: attenzione ai lettori vegetariani/vegani, le descrizioni sulla preparazione del cibo sono parte fondamentale del libro e l'autrice non ci risparmia anche i dettagli sulla macellazione.
August 31, 2024
I got this book for my birthday last year, and almost a year later, I picked it up, and much to my disappointment... this is a very low three stars or maybe a high two stars...
First of all, the story is not particularly interesting to me, it starts in a very weird way - makes little sense, in a way that's not relatable to how people act, and then it may also be a bit racist - and then the way the restaurant works isn't very appealing (or relatable) to me (if you've watched the Bear, it's similar to that episode Richie is working in the fancy restaurant).
Secondly, the writing wasn't too appealing to me... something too simple and straightforward at times, and then too descriptive in others (which is also a good thing and I'll get to next).
Thirdly, and why I think this book may work for other people, this book has magnificent descriptions of food and I think it's made for people who love Japanese food - now I knew nothing about the foods described, and even looking up a few, images gave me nothing on smell and taste, so I lacked that full attachment!!!
To conclude, this wasn't for me, I think if you eat, know and enjoy Japanese food a lot, you may enjoy this!!! :)
First of all, the story is not particularly interesting to me, it starts in a very weird way - makes little sense, in a way that's not relatable to how people act, and then it may also be a bit racist - and then the way the restaurant works isn't very appealing (or relatable) to me (if you've watched the Bear, it's similar to that episode Richie is working in the fancy restaurant).
Secondly, the writing wasn't too appealing to me... something too simple and straightforward at times, and then too descriptive in others (which is also a good thing and I'll get to next).
Thirdly, and why I think this book may work for other people, this book has magnificent descriptions of food and I think it's made for people who love Japanese food - now I knew nothing about the foods described, and even looking up a few, images gave me nothing on smell and taste, so I lacked that full attachment!!!
To conclude, this wasn't for me, I think if you eat, know and enjoy Japanese food a lot, you may enjoy this!!! :)
October 15, 2023
Houve partes de que gostei mais do que outras. A certa altura é monótono ler as ementas e sobre a preparação da comida. Há vocabulário que é difícil de esclarecer, especialmente sobre produtos japoneses. Em geral, é uma história em que a comida fornece um local seguro e que proporciona uma nova vida e a redescoberta da protagonista. Interessante,mas vou esquecê-lo rapidamente. Houve quem dissesse que foi horrível ler sobre o desmembrar de um animal antes de o cozinhar; é um livro que fala da transformação de produtos, se é um animal que vai ser cozinhado e transformado, porque não? Eu apenas achei monótono. A explicar de que todos os elementos do bicho serem consumidos de forma a que o sacrifício do animal valha a pena faz sentido. Eu como animais, preparo-os e alguém os matou antes, não tem de ser um problema. Nunca serei vegetariana.
February 20, 2018
I was in the mood for something light and charming, and this was perfect. Props to David Karashima for his excellent translation.
As an American living in Japan, it bothered me a little bit that the only foreigners mentioned in the book were faithless and/or dishonest. And as someone with an MFA from a Western university, I thought that a few elements could have been developed more, and a few details (the pubic hair!) seemed off-key. But overall, I really enjoyed the quirky details -- Mom's pet pig Hermes, Grandpa Owl, bungee jumpers -- and the mouthwatering descriptions of meals.
Now I want to see the movie!
As an American living in Japan, it bothered me a little bit that the only foreigners mentioned in the book were faithless and/or dishonest. And as someone with an MFA from a Western university, I thought that a few elements could have been developed more, and a few details (the pubic hair!) seemed off-key. But overall, I really enjoyed the quirky details -- Mom's pet pig Hermes, Grandpa Owl, bungee jumpers -- and the mouthwatering descriptions of meals.
Now I want to see the movie!
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