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gracefullypunk's review against another edition
4.0
A tad repetitious at times, but overall a thoughtful reflection on both high-end dining and how he got to that place at the table.
hiya_ac's review against another edition
3.0
A fine, fun, and frivolous read. Nothing too substantial, and definitely the higher end of cuisine. I didn't know half of the ingredients involved in the dishes, nor the names of chefs or restaurants included in the politics of the industry. However, it was a good read that I sped through.
anitaofplaybooktag's review against another edition
4.0
This book wasn't actually tagged travel, but Mr. Rayner, an established British restaurant critic, traveled to London, Vegas, Paris, NYC, and more in search of the perfect meal.
The reason I read this book is because Jay Rayner is a judge on a favorite show of mine - - Top Chef Masters (BRAVO). He is extremely witty on the show, so I thought he might be in the book as well.
I was right.
The book is part memoir, but mostly is dedicated to telling the tale of Jay's fine dining experiences around the world. Some are interesting. Some are hysterical. Some are neither. But Rayner's wit shines through without, and if you like reading snarky blogs, this book is not dissimilar.
You do need to be "into" food . . .as there are many descriptions of it throughout. I am. I was often hungry while reading :[. Not so hot for my diet. Hence the four stars ;)
The reason I read this book is because Jay Rayner is a judge on a favorite show of mine - - Top Chef Masters (BRAVO). He is extremely witty on the show, so I thought he might be in the book as well.
I was right.
The book is part memoir, but mostly is dedicated to telling the tale of Jay's fine dining experiences around the world. Some are interesting. Some are hysterical. Some are neither. But Rayner's wit shines through without, and if you like reading snarky blogs, this book is not dissimilar.
You do need to be "into" food . . .as there are many descriptions of it throughout. I am. I was often hungry while reading :[. Not so hot for my diet. Hence the four stars ;)
captainfez's review against another edition
5.0
A great book. Rayner's tone is just right for the subject-matter - ludicrously expensive (and occasionally awesome) dining. Not as acerbic as AA Gill, there's still enough barbs in here to keep any lover of reviews-as-bloodsport happy.
Recommended.
Recommended.
lmcintosh08's review against another edition
2.0
I appreciated the description of the different meals all over the world but the gluttony and excess just made it a hard book to enjoy.
jazzab1971's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
travelseatsreads's review
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This is 100% hands down a love it or hate it book. There is no middle ground with this one, and I absolutely head over heels fell in love with it. And maybe Jay Rayner just a little bit.
First of all if you're not a "foodie" and the idea of throwing €€€ repeatedly at your lunch or dinner bill makes your eyes roll or makes you feel slightly ill, please do us all a favour and don't read this book because you will be in the hate camp.
There's no doubt about it, Jay Rayner is a bit of a snarky bollox who is lavished with opportunities that the majority of us could only begin to dream about. However, he is fully aware of and honest about this. He explicitly says throughout what he's wangled for free/under expenses and what has come out of his own pocket.
The book is broken down into cities on Jay's journey in search of the perfect dinner. While in these cities he visits a variety of high class restaurants and has a whole wide range of experiences. What I absolutely loved was his brutal honesty through it all. When talking about the food, he didn't just run along with the crowd and say every 3 star was the most amazing food he's ever had. He really showed that not all 3 star restaurants are equal and certainly not all are worth the money. A lesson we learnt in Barcelona visiting Disfrutar one day leaving in a bubble of excitement to then leaving Tickets devastated the following day almost in tears at forking out the same money for both experiences.
As well as detailing his meals he also looks at the food industry as a whole and within the cities he visits. He throws plenty of not so pretty glances at the food world, blogging, review, some chefs and even at times the ingredients.
What I loved most about the book was that despite having essentially the whole culinary world at his feet, there's no airs and graces about him. If it's mind-blowing, it's mind-blowing. If it tastes like actual crap or even mold as in one case, he says this. He also looked quite openly at his often disinterest or boredom when he questions has he had enough of this world.
Lastly, I listened to this on Audible and honestly think it's probably the best way to appreciate his snarky yet lovable character. Looking forward to moving on to the rest of his stuff shortly.
First of all if you're not a "foodie" and the idea of throwing €€€ repeatedly at your lunch or dinner bill makes your eyes roll or makes you feel slightly ill, please do us all a favour and don't read this book because you will be in the hate camp.
There's no doubt about it, Jay Rayner is a bit of a snarky bollox who is lavished with opportunities that the majority of us could only begin to dream about. However, he is fully aware of and honest about this. He explicitly says throughout what he's wangled for free/under expenses and what has come out of his own pocket.
The book is broken down into cities on Jay's journey in search of the perfect dinner. While in these cities he visits a variety of high class restaurants and has a whole wide range of experiences. What I absolutely loved was his brutal honesty through it all. When talking about the food, he didn't just run along with the crowd and say every 3 star was the most amazing food he's ever had. He really showed that not all 3 star restaurants are equal and certainly not all are worth the money. A lesson we learnt in Barcelona visiting Disfrutar one day leaving in a bubble of excitement to then leaving Tickets devastated the following day almost in tears at forking out the same money for both experiences.
As well as detailing his meals he also looks at the food industry as a whole and within the cities he visits. He throws plenty of not so pretty glances at the food world, blogging, review, some chefs and even at times the ingredients.
What I loved most about the book was that despite having essentially the whole culinary world at his feet, there's no airs and graces about him. If it's mind-blowing, it's mind-blowing. If it tastes like actual crap or even mold as in one case, he says this. He also looked quite openly at his often disinterest or boredom when he questions has he had enough of this world.
Lastly, I listened to this on Audible and honestly think it's probably the best way to appreciate his snarky yet lovable character. Looking forward to moving on to the rest of his stuff shortly.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death and Cursing
reallifereading's review
4.0
Boy is he snarky but that's what makes this book so entertaining. I listened to the audiobook and Rayner narrates it himself. It's a really fun listen
lorink's review
3.0
This is overall an entertaining look at high-end food around the world. It begins in an extremely funny way, and though it is less so by the end--I'm less interested in his soul-searching about the value of expensive restaurants than in his glee at eating in them--it's highly readable and fascinating throughout.
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