Even though I told N not to get me anything for Valentine’s day (I’m counting the kitchen update as my own Valentine’s day/anniversary/birthday present), he surprised me with a set of the English translations of Oishinbo!
I know, what a sweetie, right? I received the first volume of Oishinbo
Oishinbo is a popular, long-running Japanese cooking manga with over 100 million volumes in print. The story follows a young journalist and gourmand who has been assigned the task of creating the “Ultimate Menu,” a meal which will encompass the very essence of Japanese cuisine.
But our young hero’s father which whom he is estranged is working on creating a competing menu and they have all sorts of impassioned arguments over different aspects of Japanese cuisine.
I really enjoyed the first volume and I can’t wait to read the others. These English translations are compilations organized around a specific theme so sometimes the plot jumps around a little bit but VIZ has done a good job overall of editing the content together into an entertaining story.
They’re fun to read and when you’re finished you’ve actually learned something. If you’re interested in Japanese food at all I think you’ll like Oishinbo.
I’ve enjoyed the work of James Kochalka ever since N’s brother Ken loaned us 
and 
are in print. I would recommend reading the collections; they make for quick, fun reads. But if you have time to kill at the office you can also read all of the strips 
