Review by Booklist Review
When Bourdain first teased that he would be penning a graphic novel, he promised an ultra-violent slaughter-fest over culinary arcana, and he delivers pretty much exactly that. The story takes place in a near-future city where two chef-warlords are locked in a bitter ideological turf war. One on side is militant locavore Alice, and on the other is corporate megalith Bob. And right in the middle is our hero, a pure-soul sushi chef named Jiro (who isn't above decapitating patrons who don't properly respect his fish). Bourdain lets his foodie id run wild, extolling the elegant simplicity of a peasant dish like pot-au-feu here and caving in skulls with saute pans there. Foss' stubby, dough-faced figures walk a fine line between goofy and thuggish, and fall apart with great ickiness when dismembered. Equal parts blunt culinary opinion-mongering and satiric takedown of the very same chef-worship culture Bourdain helped create, this amusing diversion coasts comfortably in the wake of the standard bearer of gore-soaked foodie comics, John Layman and Rob Guillory's Chew.--Chipman, Ian Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Chef Jiro wants nothing more than to serve traditionally crafted sushi to humble and respectful diners. But his extraordinary skills eventually attract the wrong kind of attention when the heads of two cutthroat rival food empires, one that embodies the epicurean ideal and the other obsessed with all things local and homegrown, begin to vie for his services. What's an ex-yakuza enforcer turned sushi chef to do, ask culinary expert and author Bourdain (Medium Raw) and co-writer Joel Rose (La Pacifica) in this boisterous lampooning of food culture, a pet project for Bourdain, who seems to revel in the unrestrained narrative allowed in a comic book. Their answer will be enjoyable to anyone versed in samurai revenge stories or the films of Sam Peckinpah, but may turn off readers looking for a less bloody and derivative outcome. The book's saving grace is the wonderfully clean and detailed art by an all-star team of artists led by illustrator Foss, whose meticulously researched and composed visuals mirror Jiro's precision with a knife and produce equally appetizing results. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
In the futuristic Los Angeles presented in celebrity chef Bourdain's first graphic novel, food culture rules all social life, copping to corporate honchos. People even sing about food at karaoke bars. Two reigning culinary empires control the town like mafia, and both want new-in-town sushi chef Jiro on their team. But Jiro has his own plans and prevails by cleverly pitting both sides against each other, snotty international omnivores vs. holistic purists. This simple plot gets plenty of moxie out of details swiped from fight manga, kung-fu films, gourmet trivia, and food-service culture. Jiro doesn't just slice-and-dice tuna but also yahoo customers who order California rolls. Hit men have salt and pepper shakers tattooed on their arms. And references to ortolans, elvers, pho, or boudain may send you right to the web. VERDICT World building carried to delicious extremes makes this one a gourmet delight. Art and coloring come off exactly right: detailed, hyper, and rather grimy-like a restaurant kitchen after a long, overworked evening-and Foss's skill at subtle facial expressions is extraordinary. Recommended for foodies, Bourdain fans, and devotees of Layman and Guillory's Chew. (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
