The Restaurant of Lost Recipes

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. He shares his insights with his daughter Koishi, who manages the detective side of their business. Though the food detectives’ process is only lightly explained in this volume, listeners can still jump into this series entry without having read the previous book. Hanako Footman returns as narrator, once again perfectly allowing Koishi to be the face of the agency. If there’s an overarching plot throughout the novels, it’s the subtle changes in Nagare and Koishi’s relationship, which Footman’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.