A quest for the ultimate menu R to L (Japanese Style). "Izakaya--Pub Food""Izakaya" occupy the same vital space in the Japanese culinary landscape...
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reviews
Jan 09, 2010
Ron
rated it: 
The one problem with the English-language version of Oishinbo is that the volumes are organized thematically, around various types of foods, rather than going through the manga's storyline -- which I suppose is a necessity when you're dealing with a comic that's been running for 27 years. Actually, in MOST of the compilations I've read, this isn't really much of a problem, because the heart of the story (Yamaoka's efforts to create the "Ultimate Menu," and his father's constant belittl
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Jul 29, 2011
As far as I can tell, this is the end of the reprint series, and I'm giving it a negative mark since these reprints are a failure. Since they chose to publish these stories in a mishmash based on food groups instead of in chronological order, they ruined an amazingly entertaining and informative series. The information that is presented on Japanese cuisine is useless since these are ultimately manga stories based on food and not reference books, and by going out of chronological publishing ord
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Feb 13, 2010
Lydia
rated it:
This is the final volume in the Westernized Oishinbo series. I'll talk a little bit about how I felt about the series on the whole after I talk about this volume a bit.
This volume deals primarily with pubs or as they are referred to in Japan, Izakaya. Everything is dealt with, from sardines to western gratins. I have to admit, the sardine cakes (with mashed bones and all) did not look appetizing to me, but.. who knows, some day I might give them a shot!
The author revea More...
This volume deals primarily with pubs or as they are referred to in Japan, Izakaya. Everything is dealt with, from sardines to western gratins. I have to admit, the sardine cakes (with mashed bones and all) did not look appetizing to me, but.. who knows, some day I might give them a shot!
The author revea More...
Jul 19, 2010
Pixie
rated it:
Now that I have read all the volumes, I want to review the whole series. I was turned onto Oishinbo from a mention in Bon Appetit magazine. I love how VIZ brings these gems to the US and prints them back-to-front to preserve the original artwork. In general I am always amazed at how much I like the manga when if I saw the cartoons adapted from them they would seem too juvenile to watch. Something about the drawings in the printed form makes them appealing to all ages. It was also nice that they
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Nov 15, 2011
Farah
rated it: 
I watch it every night. I curl up in bed and wait for it. I love my Iron Chef. It’s called food porn for a reason. There are way too many unnecessary close-ups and it’s highly addictive. And everything just looks SO much better than when you do it yourself.
Oishinbo: Izakaya: Pub Food puts all the excitement of spectator cooking into manga so it’s no wonder that it’s hugely popular in Japan and around the world. It follows Shiro Yamaoka, a lazy reporter who’s been put to the task of col More...
Oishinbo: Izakaya: Pub Food puts all the excitement of spectator cooking into manga so it’s no wonder that it’s hugely popular in Japan and around the world. It follows Shiro Yamaoka, a lazy reporter who’s been put to the task of col More...
Jul 16, 2010
Jake
rated it: 
I feel like a jerk for giving such a consistently competent manga a low rating. For what it is, I'd give Oishinbo a 4/5 rating. The renderings food are enticing, the stories varied and the pacing is perfect. I'm just not getting much enjoyment out of this series. Maybe it's the moralizing sitcom structure, or maybe it's the way that the Japanese obsession with mastery, purity and perfection. I've read two volumes now and most of the food tips, while fun and often informative, boil down to always
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Nov 05, 2011
Elizabeth
rated it:
I probably would have rated this higher, but the odd continuity was an issue for me. For those who have not read any of these, this release of the series is centered around each food type, showing highlights from what is actually a series with over one hundred volumes. It does not, therefore, come across as a coherent story. If you are reading for snippets of Japanese culture centered on food, you should be very happy. If you want to follow the story of the characters, it may be a little frustra
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May 18, 2010
Michelangelo
rated it: 
This series is really awesome to read! Lots of interesting Japanese culinary details as well as drama in the workplace! The story centers around the hero, Yamaoka, who is in charge of creating the "ultimate menu". His father, with whom he has a strained relationship, then competes against him with his own "supreme menu". Sounds like a crazy plot for a manga series, but really fun to read!
Mar 06, 2011
C
rated it:
The characters are a bit histrionic, and while I love my food, I sometimes have to laugh at the prissiness about it... but I am learning some interesting things both about Japanese food, culture and apparently, the perfect beer pour.
One can never go wrong, learning about the perfect beer pour.
*sip*
Edit - I ended up skipping over most of the chatter/story and skipping to the parts about food. Learned some interesting things, at least.
One can never go wrong, learning about the perfect beer pour.
*sip*
Edit - I ended up skipping over most of the chatter/story and skipping to the parts about food. Learned some interesting things, at least.
Jan 10, 2011
Emily
rated it:
I enjoyed the last of this series. This one seemed a bit less unified to me, I guess because many of the stories in other books take place in pubs, so these just seemed like a random sampling rather than a sampling on a unifying subject. But I enjoyed the series and am sorry that there are no more editions for the English-speaking world.
Jan 30, 2012
Keri (JD)
rated it:
This was a GREAT book. Now I am not a long time fan of this series, and I did find the jumping around of plot a bit frustrating, but I very much so enjoyed the teaching of cultural relevance of differe Izakaya foods very enlightening. I Even had a dream because of this book (a rare event)
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Feb 28, 2010
Erin
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So I'm really sad that I have finished this series :( According to Viz it's the final volume they plan to publish, but I sure wish they would do more especially since it's clear that it was so prolific in Japan. Anyway this was a good one with a focus on the unique cuisine served in Japanese pubs. I think I'm going to have to buy this entire series so that when I go to Japan I can use them as reference for hunting for good food. How cool would it be in there was an Oishinbo culinary tour of
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Dec 31, 2011
Alee
rated it:
Because the English version of these volumes are actually compendiums, they can get a little confusing in terms of the characters' relationships.
Apr 23, 2010
Karen
rated it:
Not as good as the others I have read, but pretty decent. The Americans were too Japanese for my taste. Plus, a lot of these stories seemed to be driven by subplots that, because of thematic nature of "Oishinbo a late carte," were almost completely ignored.
Sep 06, 2010
David
rated it:
I believe this is the final Viz volume of Oishinbo that Viz is releasing. In retrospect I don't know that they needed to put out seven; I think a greater editorial staff could have put out a three volume overview with greater indication of end notes. (I couldn't tell when there were end notes, as the text was not annotated to signify when the Japanese term would have an explanation.)
That said, I think the series has made me think of myself as a sake snob. I guess there are worse thi More...
That said, I think the series has made me think of myself as a sake snob. I guess there are worse thi More...
Apr 14, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
Really enjoyed this. It's the first volume of Oishinbo I've read & I'm wondering if I like it as much as I do because it's a stellar series, or if it's because I utterly adore Izakaya. The food writing is lyrical & wonderfully descriptive and I'm not bothered at all by the way the stories are grouped. (By food topic, not linear narrative, so you're jumping into the future and probably missing the day-to-day details of the story.)
Jun 25, 2010
Stien
rated it:
Intriguing insight in food tradition in Japan. A bit forced but always mouthwatering.
Jul 27, 2010
Token Female Gamer
rated it:
There must be some cultural "lost in translation" bit going on here, because my definition of pub food is a bit different then the selection that was offered in this book.
Didn't really matter, I still wanted to eat every dish. =D
Didn't really matter, I still wanted to eat every dish. =D
Feb 27, 2011
Camilla
rated it:
like an archie comic that gets very in-depth about japanese food. i couldn't ask for more, except a better glossary.
Feb 09, 2012
Feb 08, 2012
Feb 08, 2012
