A Mouthwatering Read: The 100 Foot Journey

The 100 Foot Journey by Richard C Morais is one of the most enjoyable books I've read this year. To be fair, having already seen the movie by the same name last year I knew it was going to be good, but even knowing the plot didn't spoil what the book had to offer. Morais' writing sparkles and he managed to cram an amazing amount of storyline into one book while still making The 100 Foot Journey an easy book to digest.

The story is narrated by Hassan, an Indian adolescent who grows up in a family dedicated to food. With an entrepreneurial and somewhat larger-than-life Father, Hassan moves from their crowded village to the drab streets of England and onto the beautiful valleys of Lumiere in France after the tragic death of his mother. It is in this small village that the family set up there cheap and cheerful Indian restaurant. Across the road Madame Mallory the formidable owner of a two-stared Michelin restaurant and protector of all that is French is not happy with her new neighbours, and so begins a culinary war between the two households. Fortunately even Madam Mallory can see that Hassan's gift for cooking is worthy training at her establishment and Hassan's journey to becoming one of the most sought after chef's in France really begins.

Morais prose is light and funny and I loved how much he managed to squeeze into Hassan's journey as we follow him from India, to England and from his small village of Lumiere onto the bright lights of becoming one of the best chefs in Paris. The 100 Foot Journey was truly an enjoyable read and one where not only the food and flavours of the cooking come to life on the page but also the descriptions of the cities and towns Hassan is living in too. I thoroughly recommend picking up this book and then following up with the movie version because that is equally as entertaining!