Rice, Noodle, Fish - by Matt Goulding (Hardcover)

About the Book

An innovative new take on the travel guide, Rice, Noodle, Fish decodes Japan's extraordinary food culture through a mix of in-depth narrative and insider advice, along with 195 color photographs. In this 5000-mile journey through the noodle shops, tempura temples, and teahouses of Japan, Matt Goulding, co-creator of the enormously popular Eat This, Not That! book series, navigates the intersection between food, history, and culture, creating one of the most ambitious and complete books ever written about Japanese culinary culture from the Western perspective.

Written in the same evocative voice that drives the award-winning magazine Roads & Kingdoms, Rice, Noodle, Fish explores Japan's most intriguing culinary disciplines in seven key regions, from the kaiseki tradition of Kyoto and the sushi masters of Tokyo to the street food of Osaka and the ramen culture of Fukuoka. You won't find hotel recommendations or bus schedules; you will find a brilliant narrative that interweaves immersive food journalism with intimate portraits of the cities and the people who shape Japan's food culture.

This is not your typical guidebook. Rice, Noodle, Fish is a rare blend of inspiration and information, perfect for the intrepid and armchair traveler alike. Combining literary storytelling, indispensable insider information, and world-class design and photography, the end result is the first ever guidebook for the new age of culinary tourism.

Book Synopsis

2016 Travel Book of the Year by the Society of American Travel Writers

Finalist for the 2016 IACP Awards: Literary Food Writing

Named one of the Financial Times' "Best Books of 2016"

An innovative new take on the travel guide, Rice, Noodle, Fish decodes Japan's extraordinary food culture through a mix of in-depth narrative and insider advice, along with 195 color photographs. In this 5000-mile journey through the noodle shops, tempura temples, and teahouses of Japan, Matt Goulding, co-creator of the enormously popular Eat This, Not That! book series, navigates the intersection between food, history, and culture, creating one of the most ambitious and complete books ever written about Japanese culinary culture from the Western perspective.

Written in the same evocative voice that drives the award-winning magazine Roads & Kingdoms, Rice, Noodle, Fish explores Japan's most intriguing culinary disciplines in seven key regions, from the kaiseki tradition of Kyoto and the sushi masters of Tokyo to the street food of Osaka and the ramen culture of Fukuoka. You won't find hotel recommendations or bus schedules; you will find a brilliant narrative that interweaves immersive food journalism with intimate portraits of the cities and the people who shape Japan's food culture.

This is not your typical guidebook. Rice, Noodle, Fish is a rare blend of inspiration and information, perfect for the intrepid and armchair traveler alike. Combining literary storytelling, indispensable insider information, and world-class design and photography, the end result is the first ever guidebook for the new age of culinary tourism.

From the Back Cover

The world needs Roads & Kingdoms. It needs this book.
Anthony Bourdain

An innovative new take on the travel guide, Rice, Noodle, Fish decodes Japan's extraordinary food culture through a mix of in-depth narrative and insider advice, along with 195 color photographs. In this five-thousand-mile journey through the noodle shops, tempura temples, and teahouses of Japan, Matt Goulding, co-creator of the enormously popular Eat This, Not That! book series, navigates the intersection of food, history, and culture, creating one of the most ambitious and complete books ever compiled from the Western perspective about the Japanese culinary landscape.

Written in the same evocative voice that drives the award-winning magazine Roads & Kingdoms, Rice, Noodle, Fish explores Japan's most intriguing culinary disciplines in seven key regions, from the kaiseki tradition of Kyoto and the sushi masters of Tokyo to the street food of Osaka and the ramen culture of Fukuoka. You won't find hotel recommendations or bus schedules; you will find a brilliant narrative that interweaves immersive food journalism with intimate portraits of the cities and the people who shape Japan's food world.

This is not your typical travel guide. Rice, Noodle, Fish is a rare blend of inspiration and information, perfect for the intrepid journeyman and armchair traveler alike. Combining literary storytelling, indispensable insider information, and world-class design and photography, the result is the first-ever guidebook for the new age of culinary tourism.

Review Quotes

"The world needs Roads & Kingdoms. It needs this book." - Anthony Bourdain
"Goulding successfully illuminates the vast and deep yet acute and precise palatal scale that is Japanese cuisine--using words. Encompassing Japan's seven key regions, the author peels back the layers of access and entry, tradition, and history through the lens of food [in] this new breed of travel book." - Library Journal (starred review)
"[Goulding] manages to be entertaining, informative and inspirational as he recounts his many meals in one of the world's most popular food destinations....[his] gift for phrasing and razor-sharp prose elevate what could have been yet another rote travelogue into something much better." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A food connoisseur expertly unravels the intricate dance surrounding food in Japan" - Kirkus Reviews
"Partially backed by Anthony Bourdain, this is a totally new approach to food writing: full immersion in the country and its cuisine at the highest and lowest levels. Superb photography, intensely geeky text and not a recipe or a celebrity chef's 'twist on a classic' to be seen. If this is the future, I love it." - Tim Hayward, Financial Times
"If this is the future of food writing, I love it." - Tim Hayward, Financial Times
"A good travel book makes you want to change your plans; a great one makes you want to change your life. Rice, Noodle, Fish falls into the latter category through its deft and delectable combination of gorgeous photography, compelling writing and cunning usability. Matt Goulding knows Japan and the importance of the "shokunin" to Japanese cooking, the artisan's "quiet pursuit of perfection" in all things edible. This story is about more than just food; it's about devotion." - Society of American Travel Writers, 2016 travel book of the year
"The book reads like more of a travelogue than a true travel guide. And that's what makes it so refreshing. Goulding leaves you not just thoroughly informed about Japan's culinary culture, but craving it. The result is enjoyable to read whether or not you have any travel planned." - Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers
"Refusing to claim either expert or insider status makes Goulding both a fantastic and relatable narrator, ...and his unique, impeccably observed meals make the book a page turner." - Eater.com Eater.com
"Rice, Noodle, Fish isn't just a travel document...it's a literary exploration of just what makes Japan the place that food lovers lay awake at night and dream of." - Men's Journal
"Whether you're the sort of person who brakes for a new ramen-ya or a neophyte who still thinks that a California roll is an acceptable sushi bar order, you'll have fun, learn some things--and probably start looking up flights to Narita on Kayak after reading a few pages." - Los Angeles Times