✎┊ RECS [pt.2]

Hello! ♡

There's just something so satisfying about watching someone cook or seeing a character get way too excited about what they're eating. So I wanted to put together a little list of manga that revolve around food and cooking! Some are cozy, some are funny, some will probably make you hungry at 2am... but I love them all for different reasons. Anyway, grab a snack and let's get into it!

_____________________-`♡´-_____________________
Kodoku no Gourmet by Masayuki Kusumi & Jiro Taniguchi
https://www.mangago.me/read-manga/kodoku_no_gourmet/

This one is just about a man, a lot of food and the very important question of what he's going to eat next. The manga follows Goro, a travelling salesman who spends his days visiting different places for work. Whenever he gets hungry, he finds somewhere to eat and we get to follow along with his detailed thoughts about whatever he orders (no alcohol though!). And honestly that's pretty much the whole appeal! I love how ordinary the meals can be: there's something really peaceful about it. This manga is so comforting that it makes me want to wander around a random neighbourhood, find a tiny restaurant, order something I've never tried before and just enjoy the moment.

_____________________-`♡´-_____________________
7 Days Diner by Sanka Kumaru
https://www.mangago.me/read-manga/7_days_diner/

7 Days Diner is a cute little food+romance story that I found really easy to fall into. It follows Omori, a salaryman who travels for work and has a particular hobby: whenever he visits a restaurant, he tries to recreate the dishes he ate there and posts his attempts online. Then he meets Ichika, a waitress at one of those restaurants and suddenly his food adventures start turning into something a little more romantic (kyaaa!!). What I like about this one is that food isn't just there to make us hungry: it's what brings the characters together. There's something really sweet about discovering a person through the food they love and I think the idea of recreating a meal because it meant something to you is genuinely adorable.

_____________________-`♡´-_____________________
Halal Food with Me and My Little Brother by Misuji Yamamoto
https://www.mangago.me/read-manga/halal_food_with_me_and_my_little_brother/

As you can guess by the title, this manga is about a muslim girl and her little brother exploring food together with a focus on finding halal food while living in Japan. I appreciate seeing muslim characters represented in such a casual and joyful way. Food is such a huge part of culture and everyday life so getting to see that through the eyes of these siblings makes the whole thing feel really cute. I've also come across comments from muslim readers who really appreciated the manga and gave it positive feedback, especially for the effort Yamamoto put into researching halal food properly. I think that kind of attention to detail makes the representation feel much more thoughtful and respectful. Needless to say, I loved the relationship between the siblings. So adorable!!

_____________________-`♡´-_____________________
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou by Hitoshi Ashinano
https://www.mangago.me/read-manga/yokohama_kaidashi_kikou/

This one is quite unique! It takes place in a world where humanity is slowly declining and the sea is gradually taking over but somehow the manga feels incredibly peaceful rather than scary. The main character is an android who runs a small cafe while waiting for her owner to return (in fact I'd say this is more about her life than the food, sorry!). She spends her days meeting people, travelling around, taking photographs and enjoying all the tiny things that make life beautiful. There isn't a huge amount of action or drama: it's really about quiet moments and how these ordinary things feel incredibly precious. I have to admit that there's also something bittersweet about knowing that the world is changing and that things won't stay the same forever. But instead of making everything feel hopeless, Ashinano makes it feel almost nostalgic. It's as if the manga is gently reminding you to appreciate things while they're here!

_____________________-`♡´-_____________________
Yonagi san no Yonayona Gyoza by Paradise Yamamoto & Miri Nanase
https://www.mangago.me/read-manga/yonagi_san_no_yonayona_gyoza/

This one immediately caught my attention because... gyoza! ♡ In short this is a manga that revolves around little dumplings filled with deliciousness. I really like manga where cooking feels a little messy and ordinary rather than perfect. Little bonus! Since we're already talking about gyoza, I also wanted to mention The Dumpling Queen. It's a chinese film based on the real life story of Zang Jianhe, the woman who founded the famous Wanchai Ferry frozen dumpling brand and became known as the "Dumpling Queen". Just thought this would be such a fun little connection to add here!

_____________________-`♡´-_____________________
Suito-to! by Yui Okino
https://www.mangago.me/read-manga/suito_to/

Yuri and food! Here's a food manga but alongside all the delicious food, there's also a sweet romantic relationship developing between the two girls. Momo is a university student who looks like she's obsessed with pretty sugary foods on social media except that's actually one of her little secrets: she hates sweets and would much rather eat something salty and rich. Then she meets Yuzu, a younger student who knows so much about food around Fukuoka. So the two start going out to eat together! What I like is that the food is such a huge part of the relationship between them. Their little food adventures give them a reason to spend time together, get closer and slowly become more comfortable with each other. Momo doesn't have to pretend to be the sweet and elegant girl everyone thinks she is. If you like your food manga with a side of girls falling for each other, this one is definitely worth adding to the list.
[NOTE!!!] As I have written above, Yuzu is younger than her. The author never specifies their ages so I can only hope they're both legal... all we know is that they're both college students! I wanted to specify this for fairness.

_____________________-`♡´-_____________________
Yankee to Carameliser by Chiuko Umeshibu
https://www.mangago.me/read-manga/yankee_to_carameliser/

And since I just recommended a yuri, here's also a yaoi. This one is basically the 3Bs: bad boy + baking + BL. We read about Akito, a high school student and social media influencer, who discovers that his intimidating classmate Maki secretly makes really pretty sweets and posts them online. Akito immediately sees the potential and convinces Maki to let him help with the videos. Maki looks like the classic scary yankee but then he's quietly making beautiful cakes and desserts in his free time... I love that kind of contrast. And the more Akito sees this softer side of him, the more his feelings start changing from simple friendship into something more. Naturally, the food is a really cute part of their relationship. Baking gives them something to share and I like how the manga uses sweets to show a side of Maki that he normally keeps hidden. There's also a sequel "Yankee to Carameliser: Second Bake" which follows Maki and Akito after they graduate from high school!

_____________________-`♡´-_____________________
Owari Nochi, Asanagi Kurashi by Kikori Morino
https://www.mangago.me/read-manga/owari_nochi_asanagi_kurashi/

This manga is basically about a girl and her enormous spider companion trying to make a little life together in a post apocalyptic world. The girl's name is Nagi and she lives alone in the mountains, waiting for her father to return. One day she comes across a strange giant spider creature. At first she's obviously terrified but the spider turns out to be surprisingly gentle and more importantly very interested in Nagi's cooking. Nagi eventually names the spider Asa and the two start living together. What makes their relationship so adorable is that they can't really communicate in the normal way but they slowly learn to understand each other anyway. Asa follows Nagi around, helps her, protects her and gets very excited whenever she makes food. And this is where the food part comes in! Nagi cooks for herself and Asa and meals become one of the main ways they bond. I love that something as simple as making food becomes their way of caring. Must add that the post apocalyptic setting is also really interesting because you can see the remains of the old world around them while Nagi and Asa are just trying to live quietly in their little corner of it.

_____________________-`♡´-_____________________
Isekai Omotenashi Gohan by Shinobumaru & Medamayaki
https://www.mangago.me/read-manga/isekai_omotenashi_gohan/

Amidst all the isekai slop, here's this one that is a fun mix of food, magic and sisterly love. It's about Akane, an ordinary office worker who suddenly gets transported to another world together with her younger sister and their little dog. And, of course, the first thing Akane ends up doing in this fantasy world is... cooking. The funny thing is that Akane isn't some powerful warrior or mage. All she does is basically making really good home cooked food. And once she starts cooking for the people around her, everyone becomes completely obsessed with her meals. I appreciate that the food here is very much japanese comfort food rather than elaborate fantasy dishes. Moreover the manga portrays a really sweet relationship between Akane and her younger sister. Their bond is a huge part of the story, especially because they've already been through a lot together. The food becomes another way for Akane to take care of her sister and make their strange new life feel a little more like home.

_____________________-`♡´-_____________________
Ramen Aka Neko by Angyaman
https://www.mangago.me/read-manga/ramen_aka_neko/

This is a very popular manga about cats running a ramen shop. I really don't think I need to say much more than that. We read about Tamako, a human woman who goes to a job interview at ramen akaneko. When the owner asks whether she prefers cats or dogs, she honestly answers dogs and somehow that gets her hired. Her actual job isn't making ramen though... she's brought in to take care of the cats who run the restaurant. And yes, the cats actually run the whole ramen shop themselves. And if you're wondering whether this one has an anime... yes! It has an anime adaptation so you can absolutely enjoy this silly manga and then go watch the cats bring their ramen shop to life.

_____________________-`♡´-_____________________
And that's everything for today. See you next time!