Reviews
A "wacky, oddly endearing memoir." - The Washington Post " Ramen King serves up enlightenment in a bowl" - San Francisco Chronicle "Endearing and compelling [...] therapeutic and enlightening [...] oddly entertaining" - San Francisco Chronicle Book Review "Hilarious and often poignant [...] unexpectedly charming." - San Francisco magazine "Alternately tongue-in-cheek and sincere, The Ramen King and I proves that, to paraphrase a Japanese proverb, "If man has no ramen in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty." - FlavorPill "A hilarious but instructive casserole. ... Readers with hankerings for the zany and life-affirming (not to mention Japanese) will salivate over this book. Serve with Julie Powell''s Julie and Julia ." - Library Journal "Mixing humor and raw honesty, Raskin''s introspective journey is inspiring and entertaining." - Booklist "Raskin''s laugh-out-loud memoir yields surprising insights [...] An engaging portrait of a journey of self-discovery, leading to the liberating knowledge that joy and freedom often come from accepting limitations." - Kirkus "Andy Raskin has crafted something much more than a clever and entertaining story. While bringing to life several curiously vivid Japanese subcultures, he sets out on a quest for something deep within himself, and finds it. Great comedies offer us honest-to-goodness meaning, and The Ramen King and I , with emotional depth beneath its quirky humor, certainly ranks among them." -Arthur Golden "I ate this book in one sitting. Okay three sittings. What I mean is I loved it. It won me over from the start, and when it wasn''t making me hungry it made me think. Apparently I, too, battle against the Fundamental Misunderstanding of Humanity." --Po Bronson "To say The Ramen King and I is a memoir about sex and fidelity and instant noodles only hints at the humor and humanity of this wonderful, beautifully crafted book. I couldn''t stop laughing, even though it was also sad, in that being-human-is-sometimes-a-sad-proposition kind of way. Andy Raskin has an insider''s perspective on male desire and Japanese culture, and a keen eye for the delicate, heartbreaking absurdities of both." -Ruth Ozeki, author of My Year of Meat "More raw than sushi...Raskin''s journey is bizarre, enlightening, and delicious." -Pamela Drickerman, author of Lust in Translation, A "wacky, oddly endearing memoir." - The Washington Post " Ramen King serves up enlightenment in a bowl" - San Francisco Chronicle "Endearing and compelling [...] therapeutic and enlightening [...] oddly entertaining" - San Francisco Chronicle Book Review "Hilarious and often poignant [...] unexpectedly charming." - San Francisco magazine "Alternately tongue-in-cheek and sincere, The Ramen King and I proves that, to paraphrase a Japanese proverb, "If man has no ramen in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty." - FlavorPill "A hilarious but instructive casserole. ... Readers with hankerings for the zany and life-affirming (not to mention Japanese) will salivate over this book. Serve with Julie Powell's Julie and Julia ." - Library Journal "Mixing humor and raw honesty, Raskin's introspective journey is inspiring and entertaining." - Booklist "Raskin's laugh-out-loud memoir yields surprising insights [...] An engaging portrait of a journey of self-discovery, leading to the liberating knowledge that joy and freedom often come from accepting limitations." - Kirkus "Andy Raskin has crafted something much more than a clever and entertaining story. While bringing to life several curiously vivid Japanese subcultures, he sets out on a quest for something deep within himself, and finds it. Great comedies offer us honest-to-goodness meaning, and The Ramen King and I , with emotional depth beneath its quirky humor, certainly ranks among them." -Arthur Golden "I ate this book in one sitting. Okay three sittings. What I mean is I loved it. It won me over from the start, and when it wasn't making me hungry it made me think. Apparently I, too, battle against the Fundamental Misunderstanding of Humanity." --Po Bronson "To say The Ramen King and I is a memoir about sex and fidelity and instant noodles only hints at the humor and humanity of this wonderful, beautifully crafted book. I couldn't stop laughing, even though it was also sad, in that being-human-is-sometimes-a-sad-proposition kind of way. Andy Raskin has an insider's perspective on male desire and Japanese culture, and a keen eye for the delicate, heartbreaking absurdities of both." -Ruth Ozeki, author of My Year of Meat "More raw than sushi...Raskin's journey is bizarre, enlightening, and delicious." -Pamela Drickerman, author of Lust in Translation, A "wacky, oddly endearing memoir." -The Washington Post "Ramen Kingserves up enlightenment in a bowl" -San Francisco Chronicle "Endearing and compelling [...] therapeutic and enlightening [...] oddly entertaining" -San Francisco Chronicle Book Review "Hilarious and often poignant [...] unexpectedly charming." -San Franciscomagazine "Alternately tongue-in-cheek and sincere, The Ramen Kingand I proves that, to paraphrase a Japanese proverb, "If man has no ramen in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty." -FlavorPill "A hilarious but instructive casserole. ... Readers with hankerings for the zany and life-affirming (not to mention Japanese) will salivate over this book. Serve with Julie Powell's Julie and Julia." -Library Journal "Mixing humor and raw honesty, Raskin's introspective journey is inspiring and entertaining." -Booklist "Raskin's laugh-out-loud memoir yields surprising insights [...] An engaging portrait of a journey of self-discovery, leading to the liberating knowledge that joy and freedom often come from accepting limitations." -Kirkus "Andy Raskin has crafted something much more than a clever and entertaining story. While bringing to life several curiously vivid Japanese subcultures, he sets out on a quest for something deep within himself, and finds it. Great comedies offer us honest-to-goodness meaning, and The Ramen King and I, with emotional depth beneath its quirky humor, certainly ranks among them." -Arthur Golden "I ate this book in one sitting. Okay three sittings. What I mean is I loved it. It won me over from the start, and when it wasn't making me hungry it made me think. Apparently I, too, battle against the Fundamental Misunderstanding of Humanity." --Po Bronson "To say The Ramen King and Iis a memoir about sex and fidelity and instant noodles only hints at the humor and humanity of this wonderful, beautifully crafted book. I couldn't stop laughing, even though it was also sad, in that being-human-is-sometimes-a-sad-proposition kind of way. Andy Raskin has an insider's perspective on male desire and Japanese culture, and a keen eye for the delicate, heartbreaking absurdities of both." -Ruth Ozeki, author of My Year of Meat "More raw than sushi...Raskin's journey is bizarre, enlightening, and delicious." -Pamela Drickerman, author of Lust in Translation
Synopsis
"Mankind is Noodlekind" For three days in January 2007, the most e-mailed article in The New York Times was "appreciations: Mr. noodle," an editorial noting the passing, at age ninety-six, of Momofuku Ando, the inventor of instant ramen. Ando's existence came as a shock to many, but not to Andy Raskin, who had spent three years trying to meet the noodle pioneer. The Ramen King and I is Raskin's funny and, at times, painfully honest memoir about confronting the truth of his dating life-with Ando as his spiritual guide. Can instant ramen lead one to a committed relationship? And is sushi the secret to self-acceptance? A true tale of hunger in its many forms, The Ramen King and I is about becoming slaves to our desires and learning to break free., "Mankind is Noodlekind" For three days in January 2007,the most e-mailed article in The New York Times was "appreciations: Mr. noodle," an editorial noting the passing, at age ninety-six, of Momofuku Ando, the inventor of instant ramen. Ando's existence came as a shock to many, but not to Andy Raskin, who had spent three years trying to meet the noodle pioneer. The Ramen King and I is Raskin's funny and, at times, painfully honest memoir about confronting the truth of his dating life-with Ando as his spiritual guide. Can instant ramen lead one to a committed relationship? And is sushi the secret to self-acceptance? A true tale of hunger in its many forms, The Ramen King and I is about becoming slaves to our desires and learning to break free.
