Translated by Jesse Kirkwood, Hisashi Kashiwai‘s internationally acclaimed Japanese series returns with its third instalment, The Menu of Happiness. Following the global success of The Kamogawa Food Detectives and The Restaurant of Lost Recipes, this heartwarming new novel will be published in hardback format on 9th October 2025 by Mantle.
Nostalgic and heartwarming, The Menu of Happiness features more uplifting tales from Kyoto’s Kamogawa Food Detectives as they recreate favourite dishes from their customers’ pasts, for a series that is now a global bestseller.
Kyoto’s Kamogawa Diner: Where Recipes Rekindle Memory
Welcome to the Kamogawa Diner, where every meal is a mystery ready to be solved. This unique establishment is run by a father–daughter duo who offer more than just mouth-watering meals. They act as ‘food detectives’, delving into the past to produce nostalgia-infused dishes for their hungry clientele.
A Story Woven from Longing and Flavour
Among the patrons is a once-renowned pianist whose promising career was marred by a self-inflicted injury. She longs to taste the yakisoba shared with the only man she ever truly loved. The diner also welcomes a man haunted by shadows of regret. His mind races back to the gyoza served by the parents of a lover he once jilted, as he seeks understanding and, perhaps, forgiveness.
More Than a Novel—A Recipe for Healing
The Kamogawa Diner doesn’t just serve food – it revives the essence of forgotten recipes and rejuvenates cherished memories. Each dish is a portal to the past, serving not just sustenance but solace and reconnection through the miracle of delicious food.
The Menu of Happiness follows on from the globally acclaimed The Kamogawa Food Detectives and The Restaurant of Lost Recipes.
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