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Monster Menu: A Slice-of-Life LitRPG
An LA taco truck chef is transported to a fantasy realm where bad reviews are the least of her worries in this cozy culinary LitRPG adventure.
For Renee “Nay” Favreau, food is life. She’s the owner of a Los Angeles taco truck who dreams of becoming a respected chef and expanding her fleet, and whose greatest enemy is an unhappy food critic. Always hunting for her next great dish, the search eventually leads her to a near-fatal encounter with an interdimensional spider.
Awaking in a strange world where words appear before her eyes, a talking tentacle befriends her, and people are trying to kill her, Nay learns she has the ability to become an one of the special chefs who prepare the magical meals that power the enigmatic Marrow Eaters.
Soon, Nay is working in a remote village, where she wins the hearts—and stomachs—of the locals. But when evil threatens to destroy the place, she’ll have to employ all her wit and newfound skills to survive and save her new friends . . .
The hit LitRPG adventure—with more than 500,000 views on Royal Road—now available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible!
For Renee “Nay” Favreau, food is life. She’s the owner of a Los Angeles taco truck who dreams of becoming a respected chef and expanding her fleet, and whose greatest enemy is an unhappy food critic. Always hunting for her next great dish, the search eventually leads her to a near-fatal encounter with an interdimensional spider.
Awaking in a strange world where words appear before her eyes, a talking tentacle befriends her, and people are trying to kill her, Nay learns she has the ability to become an one of the special chefs who prepare the magical meals that power the enigmatic Marrow Eaters.
Soon, Nay is working in a remote village, where she wins the hearts—and stomachs—of the locals. But when evil threatens to destroy the place, she’ll have to employ all her wit and newfound skills to survive and save her new friends . . .
The hit LitRPG adventure—with more than 500,000 views on Royal Road—now available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible!
462 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 4, 2023
54 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 26, 2023
12/26/23 Notes:
I kept asking myself why I did not like the story. There are several reasons, but the Tell Reader story style is hard to do well. Most of this book is in that format.
Reasons Why I Should Like It:
- Good Narrator (New to me but Mela Lee was great.)
- This is Gamelit, not LitRPG.
- Cooking!
- Interesting Concepts for Abilities/Side Characters
But I spent the whole time wondering why I was bored and detached from story.
Plus, author is dead. So this is it.
12/22/23 Notes:
- Author passed away.
- Reviews state book can be read as stand-alone.
- Purchased audiobook on sale.
Slice of Life LitRPG + Food - Should be fun 🤞
I kept asking myself why I did not like the story. There are several reasons, but the Tell Reader story style is hard to do well. Most of this book is in that format.
Reasons Why I Should Like It:
- Good Narrator (New to me but Mela Lee was great.)
- This is Gamelit, not LitRPG.
- Cooking!
- Interesting Concepts for Abilities/Side Characters
But I spent the whole time wondering why I was bored and detached from story.
Plus, author is dead. So this is it.
12/22/23 Notes:
- Author passed away.
- Reviews state book can be read as stand-alone.
- Purchased audiobook on sale.
Slice of Life LitRPG + Food - Should be fun 🤞
August 24, 2023
Renee "Nay" Favreau, a food truck owner in Los Angeles, unexpectedly creates a hit menu item when she decides to get back at a bad social media reviewer by serving him monster meat. In the hopes of getting more of the secret ingredient, she ends up falling into a rift and finds herself in a different world, where she must survive with her chef skills. This is not the book to read if hungry. Solidly written, but I didn't like the selfishness of killing innocent sentient creatures for power ups. Unfortunately, though the story doesn't end on a cliffhanger, it was obviously meant to be continued, but the author passed away.
January 28, 2024
Not my kind of heroine
Straight up: I don’t like her. The story was interesting, but the heroine’s morals are questionable, at best. This was not the slice of life I expected. I like to root for the protagonist, but I just couldn’t. She would not be someone I would like for a friend, no matter how superb her cooking. Disappointed.
Gave it a 3 only because of the decent writing and world building. Obviously, I will not read anything further in this series.
Straight up: I don’t like her. The story was interesting, but the heroine’s morals are questionable, at best. This was not the slice of life I expected. I like to root for the protagonist, but I just couldn’t. She would not be someone I would like for a friend, no matter how superb her cooking. Disappointed.
Gave it a 3 only because of the decent writing and world building. Obviously, I will not read anything further in this series.
May 24, 2025
Read this for book club and had I hope it wouldn’t fall into the same pattern as most LIT RPG. The first half was interesting and then the second half bombed. Cut and paste from any other book of this genre. The characters become completely flat and have no feelings about any of their actions. She kills relentlessly and shows no remorse.
Isn’t that the point of a good book? To read your characters growth as they work through their trials?
In this book all the characters come out of reach experience with no harm. Maybe a few scars BUT are miraculously heal. She beats the odds to every quest and I found my self so bored I haven’t been able to finish the last 1.5 hours because why?? Nothing happens to help the characters grow. Just flip the bedsheets it’s the same thing over and over. Quest, kill, collect vigor, and defy the DMW; because rules don’t apply to Nom and Nay. 🙄
Isn’t that the point of a good book? To read your characters growth as they work through their trials?
In this book all the characters come out of reach experience with no harm. Maybe a few scars BUT are miraculously heal. She beats the odds to every quest and I found my self so bored I haven’t been able to finish the last 1.5 hours because why?? Nothing happens to help the characters grow. Just flip the bedsheets it’s the same thing over and over. Quest, kill, collect vigor, and defy the DMW; because rules don’t apply to Nom and Nay. 🙄
August 19, 2023
Don't read this if you're dieting! <--Seriously. This is very important.
Nay gets pulled from Los Angeles to an otherworld icy tundra where people gain buffs or power-ups from eating delicacies. Since the local heroes need to protect the townsfolk from an increasing monster threat, they really value Nay for her magical cuisine as well as her own growing combat skills.
Creative world-build with a lot of thought put into it. I'm not sure what to make of Nay's sous-chef, a detached tentacle with a British accent, but +1 for weird entertainment value. I got vibes reminiscent of David Bowie's The Labyrinth.
Nay gets pulled from Los Angeles to an otherworld icy tundra where people gain buffs or power-ups from eating delicacies. Since the local heroes need to protect the townsfolk from an increasing monster threat, they really value Nay for her magical cuisine as well as her own growing combat skills.
Creative world-build with a lot of thought put into it. I'm not sure what to make of Nay's sous-chef, a detached tentacle with a British accent, but +1 for weird entertainment value. I got vibes reminiscent of David Bowie's The Labyrinth.
December 7, 2023
a unique take at dimensional relocation and slice of life
Absolutely one of the funniest stories I’ve read in a while! The characters are witty, the systems are well thought out, and the concepts of how food and cultivation work make this my top read book for 2023! Give it a shot if only for the biggest foodie around - a sentient tentacle from an eldrich horror.
Absolutely one of the funniest stories I’ve read in a while! The characters are witty, the systems are well thought out, and the concepts of how food and cultivation work make this my top read book for 2023! Give it a shot if only for the biggest foodie around - a sentient tentacle from an eldrich horror.
August 11, 2023
Good read
I enjoyed dressing this book. Interesting characters, interesting story. I have read multiple books centered around food. I rather like that aspect. Hopefully will get to read the next one in this series.
I enjoyed dressing this book. Interesting characters, interesting story. I have read multiple books centered around food. I rather like that aspect. Hopefully will get to read the next one in this series.
September 17, 2023
It was written well
The story was interesting I found the same underlying morality issues to be much more interesting. I was having problems with the whole thing and then the author writes my issues into the book. Again interesting.
The story was interesting I found the same underlying morality issues to be much more interesting. I was having problems with the whole thing and then the author writes my issues into the book. Again interesting.
February 16, 2024
This was a fun read. Foodies and fans of LitRPG format will enjoy this one. Fun little isekai adventure with a unique spin. Sadly, this series is over just as it was starting. Wish more could be written.
May 22, 2025
DNF @64%
I read this for book club. I'm not a fan of this genre but even so, I feel like this one was worse than most. I didn't like the main character and I found the story to be pretty boring. On the plus side, there will be lots of book related food items to serve at book club.
I read this for book club. I'm not a fan of this genre but even so, I feel like this one was worse than most. I didn't like the main character and I found the story to be pretty boring. On the plus side, there will be lots of book related food items to serve at book club.
September 22, 2023
Great, cozy story
Loved the mix of isekai and food, and the terminology was different from your average LitRpg, but in a way that made it more unique. Highly recommend.
Loved the mix of isekai and food, and the terminology was different from your average LitRpg, but in a way that made it more unique. Highly recommend.
January 3, 2024
3.5 stars
This is an interesting take on a fantasy world. I never forgot where we were. My only complaint is that it’s VERY long and has lots of filler
This is an interesting take on a fantasy world. I never forgot where we were. My only complaint is that it’s VERY long and has lots of filler
July 24, 2023
[Story]
'Nay' (which I misheard as 'Mae' my entire read) is a chef out of LA, running a taco truck known as 'Taco The Town'. After receiving a bad review and finding a sickly blue tentacle in her fridge, she decides to serve it to the reviewer who scorned her... Only for him to LOVE it. Wanting to figure out what that tentacle was, she retraces her steps during a drunken stupor before returning to a church... and an angry spider with a portal in its stomach. Sucked through and thrown into the snows of a world she doesn't recognize, Nay is lucky to find a hot spring... and a particularly talkative tentacle that hopes they can help each other survive.
[Characters]
A once sous chef, Nay lost her sense of taste during the pandemic and has rebuilt herself since. She now relies on others or the texture and consistency of a dish to determine quality. After being dimensionally transported and waking completely naked, she's prompted with a quest: find shelter from the cold. This brings her to a cavernous hot spring and our second main character 'Nzxthommocus the III, 3rd Whip of the Pain Lord' who is a one-eyed, talking tentacle. The two struggle down the mountainside together before wandering into someone's camp. The man initially provides a blanket and invitation to his fire... before attempting to rape her. Its only with the assistance of the tentacle that she's able to survive, looting the man and discovering food known as a 'Marrow' and a 'Delicacy'.
[Progression Mechanics]
Identifying a Marrow called the 'Tongue of the Hierophant', Mae learns that cooking it in a specific way will unlock a skill tree with 12 empty slots. After eating it and sharing with the tentacle (who's voracious eating earns him the nickname of 'Nom'), she gains the ability to identify skill-granting ingredients from monsters known as 'delicacies' on her minimap and cook buff-enhanced food. As Nay gained a Cooking specific Marrow, she is known as an 'Epicurist' or a chef of magical cuisine and exclusively gains cooking skills. Hunting these monsters and cooking their parts grants magical abilities to those willing to take the chance.
The system is also inextricably tied with cultivation. As Mae increases her ranks as a 'Marrow Eater' more of her MMO HUD unlocks while also unlocking a recipe book from someone known as 'Jezebel Childs' in her mind.
[Final Thoughts]
While interesting, I don't think it takes any of its ideas far enough. All the same food exists between our world and the other world, with recipes boiled down to their most basic components. No new spices or methods of cooking... The most significant recipe was near the end of the book and much more fun, but we quickly return to the most basic of cooking deliver. The book and author also wear their influences on their sleeve from movies like Chef and Burnt to games like World of Warcraft, where the MC's entire skillset is taken from the Rogue class 1:1. The title hinges itself off of its cast and the familiarity of working in a kitchen with a bunch of oddballs, but the dialogue can feel stinted and unnatural at times when Nay delivers Reddit dialogue. Its not very successful on building an interesting supporting class around Nay, falling back into cultivation or standard 'jolly tavern owner' fantasy tropes quickly. It's all too... comfortable, all too controlled and limited. The world doesn't feel quite real, but the city Nay finds herself in does. The worldbuilding is so uniquely... off that it's disarming. Not sure how to describe it. The magic system put the cooking before the world, so it doesn't translate perfectly for every other 'Marrow Eater' and its timeline implies the ability has only existed for a few centuries. Nom is also a classic miss with a companion character, having his moments of interesting introspection (in chapters from his perspective) but otherwise being a weird set piece or savior when Nay stumbles into a situation.
4.5... more like a 4.9/10, its short by inches because of its derivative nature near the end of the title and just... not taking that LEAP with the cooking or the world.
'Nay' (which I misheard as 'Mae' my entire read) is a chef out of LA, running a taco truck known as 'Taco The Town'. After receiving a bad review and finding a sickly blue tentacle in her fridge, she decides to serve it to the reviewer who scorned her... Only for him to LOVE it. Wanting to figure out what that tentacle was, she retraces her steps during a drunken stupor before returning to a church... and an angry spider with a portal in its stomach. Sucked through and thrown into the snows of a world she doesn't recognize, Nay is lucky to find a hot spring... and a particularly talkative tentacle that hopes they can help each other survive.
[Characters]
A once sous chef, Nay lost her sense of taste during the pandemic and has rebuilt herself since. She now relies on others or the texture and consistency of a dish to determine quality. After being dimensionally transported and waking completely naked, she's prompted with a quest: find shelter from the cold. This brings her to a cavernous hot spring and our second main character 'Nzxthommocus the III, 3rd Whip of the Pain Lord' who is a one-eyed, talking tentacle. The two struggle down the mountainside together before wandering into someone's camp. The man initially provides a blanket and invitation to his fire... before attempting to rape her. Its only with the assistance of the tentacle that she's able to survive, looting the man and discovering food known as a 'Marrow' and a 'Delicacy'.
[Progression Mechanics]
Identifying a Marrow called the 'Tongue of the Hierophant', Mae learns that cooking it in a specific way will unlock a skill tree with 12 empty slots. After eating it and sharing with the tentacle (who's voracious eating earns him the nickname of 'Nom'), she gains the ability to identify skill-granting ingredients from monsters known as 'delicacies' on her minimap and cook buff-enhanced food. As Nay gained a Cooking specific Marrow, she is known as an 'Epicurist' or a chef of magical cuisine and exclusively gains cooking skills. Hunting these monsters and cooking their parts grants magical abilities to those willing to take the chance.
The system is also inextricably tied with cultivation. As Mae increases her ranks as a 'Marrow Eater' more of her MMO HUD unlocks while also unlocking a recipe book from someone known as 'Jezebel Childs' in her mind.
[Final Thoughts]
While interesting, I don't think it takes any of its ideas far enough. All the same food exists between our world and the other world, with recipes boiled down to their most basic components. No new spices or methods of cooking... The most significant recipe was near the end of the book and much more fun, but we quickly return to the most basic of cooking deliver. The book and author also wear their influences on their sleeve from movies like Chef and Burnt to games like World of Warcraft, where the MC's entire skillset is taken from the Rogue class 1:1. The title hinges itself off of its cast and the familiarity of working in a kitchen with a bunch of oddballs, but the dialogue can feel stinted and unnatural at times when Nay delivers Reddit dialogue. Its not very successful on building an interesting supporting class around Nay, falling back into cultivation or standard 'jolly tavern owner' fantasy tropes quickly. It's all too... comfortable, all too controlled and limited. The world doesn't feel quite real, but the city Nay finds herself in does. The worldbuilding is so uniquely... off that it's disarming. Not sure how to describe it. The magic system put the cooking before the world, so it doesn't translate perfectly for every other 'Marrow Eater' and its timeline implies the ability has only existed for a few centuries. Nom is also a classic miss with a companion character, having his moments of interesting introspection (in chapters from his perspective) but otherwise being a weird set piece or savior when Nay stumbles into a situation.
4.5... more like a 4.9/10, its short by inches because of its derivative nature near the end of the title and just... not taking that LEAP with the cooking or the world.
April 28, 2024
Couldn’t put it down! Just loved the cooking, adventure and the leveling system. So sad to read that the author passed away. I was desperately hoping for a sequel.
July 8, 2023
I really loved this food-driven litRPG. And after all the power-hungry books that I generally get, it was super nice to dive into a slice-of-life adventure. But...! Don't get me wrong Chef Nay our MC and Nom her trusty Sous Chef a tentacle that has a taste for good food, aren't gonna be left behind and while cooking they're powering up as well. Fighting edibles... (evil chuckle) monsters that are not only tasty but by killing and eating their meat it makes 'em stronger. And the stats are building up rapidly.
Ohhhh yeah, grab the audiobook 'cause you don't wanna miss out on Mela Lee's delightful performance of this all you can eat buffet but make sure you save some room for dessert 😋. Bon Appétit!
Here's a quote that might gimme pause the next time I facedown a glass of boba tea:
"It looked like a deluge of boba tea falling out of it in clumps and forming mounds on the ground. The tapioca balls inside were embryos the size of basketballs."
Ohhhh yeah, grab the audiobook 'cause you don't wanna miss out on Mela Lee's delightful performance of this all you can eat buffet but make sure you save some room for dessert 😋. Bon Appétit!
Here's a quote that might gimme pause the next time I facedown a glass of boba tea:
"It looked like a deluge of boba tea falling out of it in clumps and forming mounds on the ground. The tapioca balls inside were embryos the size of basketballs."
July 21, 2023
I had never read anything in this genre before reading this book, and it was AMAZING! The characters are relatable the world the author creates is thoughtful and full of things I could never have imagined in my own head. The food descriptions made my mouth water!
The plot was not slow, it felt like there was adventure around every corner. I rarely read books that are set in todays world. I think this novel could go well in college courses that look at post Covid-19 writing.
The book is set up to be a series and I think the most disappointing thing is that the author won’t be completing it. HOWEVER, I look forward to the day I can find fanfic on this world!! It was that good!!
The plot was not slow, it felt like there was adventure around every corner. I rarely read books that are set in todays world. I think this novel could go well in college courses that look at post Covid-19 writing.
The book is set up to be a series and I think the most disappointing thing is that the author won’t be completing it. HOWEVER, I look forward to the day I can find fanfic on this world!! It was that good!!
July 4, 2023
I was so excited to read this. It was such a great read. I enjoyed every minute of it. From start to end, it kept me super engaged. The story was well-written, witty, thrilling, and fun. It has all the awesome elements of an awesome LitRPG book. And boy, this made me really hungry as well!
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
July 16, 2023
Enjoyable read. Cooking focus and leveling system based on food. Lots of world building to explore.
Sadly the author died after completion, so while it is definitely worth checking out to support his family, the ending sets up more story that isn't likely to be developed.
Sadly the author died after completion, so while it is definitely worth checking out to support his family, the ending sets up more story that isn't likely to be developed.
July 4, 2023
The perfect cozy fantasy book. The characters and world are so fun.
December 14, 2023
Really good, I like the characters and the pacing is good. be ready to be hungry from the food description.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews