The Hundred-foot Journey is the story of Hassan Haji, a boy from Mumbai who embarks, along with his boisterous family, on a picaresque journey first to London and then across Europe, before they ultimately open a restaurant opposite a famous chef, Madame Mallory, in the remote French village of Lumie re. A culinary war ensues, pitting Hassan's Mumbai-toughened father against the imperious Michelin-starred cordon bleu, until Madame Mallory realizes that Hassan is a cook with natural talents far superior to her own.
The Hundred-Foot Journey
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Review
'Don't read this book if you're hungry. You might eat it.' --Simon Beaufoy, Oscar-Award-winning screenwriter, Slumdog Millionaire
'I enjoyed this book very much. It has great charm and is colorfully written, sensual and evocative.' --Joanne Harris
'For anyone who loves food, and who cares for character, the book's a banquet.' --Simon Callow
'A culinary 'journey' from Mumbai to Paris.' --The Independent
'A well told and charming tale that explores our culinary differences.' -- Charles Campion, Food Critic, Evening Standard
'Morais s research into both French and Indian cultures and cuisines and into professional kitchens has clearly been rigorous, making from a vivacious backdrop to an engaging tale of love and loss.' - Time Out
'I thoroughly enjoyed the book... I thought the book was well written, evocative and engaging. I read it in a matter of days and didn't want it to end, enjoying the story as well as the little insights and secrets of cooking traditional French dishes.' -- Anjum Anand
'Delightful novel, a perfect summer read which spices the volatility of human relationships with the sensuality of exquisite food.' --YOU Magazine
'I enjoyed this book very much. It has great charm and is colorfully written, sensual and evocative.' --Joanne Harris
'For anyone who loves food, and who cares for character, the book's a banquet.' --Simon Callow
'I enjoyed this book very much. It has great charm and is colorfully written, sensual and evocative.' --Joanne Harris
'For anyone who loves food, and who cares for character, the book's a banquet.' --Simon Callow
'I enjoyed this book very much. It has great charm and is colorfully written, sensual and evocative.' --Joanne Harris
'For anyone who loves food, and who cares for character, the book's a banquet.' --Simon Callow
'A culinary 'journey' from Mumbai to Paris.' --The Independent
'A well told and charming tale that explores our culinary differences.' -- Charles Campion, Food Critic, Evening Standard
'Morais s research into both French and Indian cultures and cuisines and into professional kitchens has clearly been rigorous, making from a vivacious backdrop to an engaging tale of love and loss.' - Time Out
'I thoroughly enjoyed the book... I thought the book was well written, evocative and engaging. I read it in a matter of days and didn't want it to end, enjoying the story as well as the little insights and secrets of cooking traditional French dishes.' -- Anjum Anand
'Delightful novel, a perfect summer read which spices the volatility of human relationships with the sensuality of exquisite food.' --YOU Magazine
'I enjoyed this book very much. It has great charm and is colorfully written, sensual and evocative.' --Joanne Harris
'For anyone who loves food, and who cares for character, the book's a banquet.' --Simon Callow
'I enjoyed this book very much. It has great charm and is colorfully written, sensual and evocative.' --Joanne Harris
'For anyone who loves food, and who cares for character, the book's a banquet.' --Simon Callow
About the Author
Morais's debut novel, The Hundred-Foot Journey, is the international best-seller that has sold in 21 territories around the world and is in active film development. His first book, an unauthorized biography of Pierre Cardin, was published by Bantam Press in 1991 to critical acclaim. He currently lives in New York, where he is also the editor of Barron's Penta, a quarterly magazine and website offering insights and advice to affluent families. An American born in Lisbon and raised in Zurich, Morais lived in London for 17 years, where he served as Forbes magazine's European Bureau Chief.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Cath B
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I really enjoyed this book. It tells the story of Hassan - a boy from Mumbai, who discovers he has the equivalent of perfect pitch when it comes to food and cooking. The story documents his early, happy years in Mumbai, where his family run a restaurant business and the tragedies and adventures that lead him and his family through London, Lumiere and Paris on his journey to become a Michelin starred chef. The author clearly knows his food and what ensues is a touching story about triumph in adversity and about family, ambition and friendship.
A really good read.
A really good read.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
What a delightful book! Richard C. Morais' tale
spans two continents and three generations of a
family of foodmakers from the poor streets of West
Bombay (seen through the eyes of Hassan Haji, a boy
with the finest gatronomic and culinary sensibilities)
who, following the sectarian murder of "Mummy" Haji,
translocates briefly to Southall as a stepping stone to
their final resting place in a small town in the Jura
mountains of eastern France.
The story is both funny, moving and uplifting in equal
measure. Mr Morais breathes life into all his characters.
Even the small parts are beautifully drawn. His sense of
place is also admirably acute. The description of Lumiere's
market and its fickle traders is particularly enjoyable.
At the heart of the story we find a conflict between two
worlds vividly concentrated in the relationship between
Madame Mallory, Michelin-starred chef-proprietress of
Le Saule Pleureur, a local shrine to haute-cuisine and
the Hajis' mission to bring the delights of Indian cuisine
and culture to Lumiere in the gloriously unrestrained form
of their own restaurant, 'Maison Mumbai'.
The battle culminates in tragedy but moves on through
reconciliation, forgiveness and eventual redemption.
A bright future beckons and Hassan is a worthy hero throughout.
'The Hundred Foot Journey' will be loved by food and book
lovers of all persuasions. The sights and smells Mr Morais
conjures into being had me salivating on more than one occasion!
A cracking read!
Highly Recommended.
spans two continents and three generations of a
family of foodmakers from the poor streets of West
Bombay (seen through the eyes of Hassan Haji, a boy
with the finest gatronomic and culinary sensibilities)
who, following the sectarian murder of "Mummy" Haji,
translocates briefly to Southall as a stepping stone to
their final resting place in a small town in the Jura
mountains of eastern France.
The story is both funny, moving and uplifting in equal
measure. Mr Morais breathes life into all his characters.
Even the small parts are beautifully drawn. His sense of
place is also admirably acute. The description of Lumiere's
market and its fickle traders is particularly enjoyable.
At the heart of the story we find a conflict between two
worlds vividly concentrated in the relationship between
Madame Mallory, Michelin-starred chef-proprietress of
Le Saule Pleureur, a local shrine to haute-cuisine and
the Hajis' mission to bring the delights of Indian cuisine
and culture to Lumiere in the gloriously unrestrained form
of their own restaurant, 'Maison Mumbai'.
The battle culminates in tragedy but moves on through
reconciliation, forgiveness and eventual redemption.
A bright future beckons and Hassan is a worthy hero throughout.
'The Hundred Foot Journey' will be loved by food and book
lovers of all persuasions. The sights and smells Mr Morais
conjures into being had me salivating on more than one occasion!
A cracking read!
Highly Recommended.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By bomble
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Other reviewers have done a great job of summarising the plot of this book and (so far three five-star ratings) they seem to have been won over completely. I did like it a lot, but also feel that it falls well short of 5* (or trois-étoiles Michelin).
Morais quite openly declares in his acknowledgements that he'd love to see his tale transformed to the silver screen to honour his departed friend, Ismail Merchant (of The Merchant Ivory Collection [DVD] [1992] film fame). I'd say there's a good chance it will be... but that's not an unqualified compliment. There's so much familiar about the basic plot elements here; achievement against the odds... cultural stereotypes that turn out to be hiding the character's true colours... an ageing mentor whose protégé reaches heights they never quite managed themselves. These are the building blocks of the Hollywood drama, retold and reconstructed in every conceivable permutation but yet chronically lacking in basic originality. I'm sorry to say that I could almost see the checklist of plot elements that Morais seems to have used to ensure scriptwriter interest.
Just as I can enjoy a Billy Eliot, Bend it Like Beckham and other such films, so I found A Hundred Foot Journey to be a good read and happily munched through its pages of succulent foodie descriptions and anecdotes in the life of an up and coming chef. But in the end I couldn't help feeling unsated. The key to winning Michelin stars, asides from culinary flair, is attention to detail and commitment to quality at every level. It may be that my personal history (which includes some knowledge of Bombay, many years lived in France and some very fine meals along the way) got in the way of the `suspension of disbelief' required to really enjoy an escapist tale. For example, I'm not sure how many Muslim children attended the Jesuit St Xavier's college in Bombay but I can't imagine there were many.
It's a good read which is especially delightful for those who live to eat rather than vice versa. But in the end it just doesn't have the kind of emotional depth that makes a novel truly brilliant.
Morais quite openly declares in his acknowledgements that he'd love to see his tale transformed to the silver screen to honour his departed friend, Ismail Merchant (of The Merchant Ivory Collection [DVD] [1992] film fame). I'd say there's a good chance it will be... but that's not an unqualified compliment. There's so much familiar about the basic plot elements here; achievement against the odds... cultural stereotypes that turn out to be hiding the character's true colours... an ageing mentor whose protégé reaches heights they never quite managed themselves. These are the building blocks of the Hollywood drama, retold and reconstructed in every conceivable permutation but yet chronically lacking in basic originality. I'm sorry to say that I could almost see the checklist of plot elements that Morais seems to have used to ensure scriptwriter interest.
Just as I can enjoy a Billy Eliot, Bend it Like Beckham and other such films, so I found A Hundred Foot Journey to be a good read and happily munched through its pages of succulent foodie descriptions and anecdotes in the life of an up and coming chef. But in the end I couldn't help feeling unsated. The key to winning Michelin stars, asides from culinary flair, is attention to detail and commitment to quality at every level. It may be that my personal history (which includes some knowledge of Bombay, many years lived in France and some very fine meals along the way) got in the way of the `suspension of disbelief' required to really enjoy an escapist tale. For example, I'm not sure how many Muslim children attended the Jesuit St Xavier's college in Bombay but I can't imagine there were many.
It's a good read which is especially delightful for those who live to eat rather than vice versa. But in the end it just doesn't have the kind of emotional depth that makes a novel truly brilliant.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
bml
This is a fascinating read. The story of a rags to riches story of an Indian family - and in particular the son who loves cooking - who were forced to leave Mumbai during the... Read more
Published 3 months ago by BML
4.0 out of 5 stars
Really niceread
Very nice book _ easy read happy with a different story I am really pleased I read it great for the train
Published 3 months ago by shaw
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delicously entertaining
I was born on Napean Sea Road in Bombay; that's where the book starts! So, for obvious reasons I loved it right from the get go! It's enjoyable and wonderfully visual. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Litzie
3.0 out of 5 stars
Starts off okay goes downhill I am afraid
I was very excited about this book to start with. It was a book club choice and we were all planning on bringing food to the book club as it was making us hungry. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Jazzy Art
5.0 out of 5 stars
Never disappointed
Couldn't wasit to read this book, not disappointed. Definately recommend to anyone who likes food....
Recommended by You magazine, very good choice.
Recommended by You magazine, very good choice.
Published 19 months ago by K. Jacobs
1.0 out of 5 stars
Merde!
I was going to try to write a detailed and clever review setting out the many reasons why you should not read/buy this book. Read more
Published 19 months ago by C. Harrington
3.0 out of 5 stars
An uneventful journey
The Hundred Foot Journey reads like an autobiographical account of a young Indian chef's entry into the world of haute cuisine and his subsequent triumph in the field, the telling... Read more
Published 20 months ago by champagnesliv
3.0 out of 5 stars
Halfway surprising
At first it was difficult to get through the story, it needs some warming up to it. Later on, halfway, it got interesting and easier to appreciate the writer's style. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Lady Sephira
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting and funny tale that doesn't quite go the distance
I really enjoyed the beginning of this book as our hero has a rather amusing way of describing events and his family - he being Hassan a Muslim in India when that was not the ideal... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Elizabeth Taylor
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delicious
My passions in life are books and food, so foodie-lit is a great favourite of mine. I'm pleased to say that Richard C Morais' novel is a joy to read, a story to savour and lose... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Lincs Reader
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