Sophia C. reviewed on 9/11/2010 + 289 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

The strangest part of The Ramen King and I is not any of the bizarre plot points—and there are plenty to choose from—but the fact that it is a memoir.
Andy Raskin is a American thirty-something fluent in Japanese whose chronic infidelity has caught up with him. Due to a number of strange coincidences, Momofuku Ando, the inventor of instant ramen noodles and founder of Nissin Foods, becomes the unlikely motivating force for his 12-step-esque recovery. Along the way, the reader is treated to amusing observations about Japanese food and culture. Even Haruki Murakami makes a cameo appearance, and some situations Andy finds himself in could have been from a Murakami novel. Although Raskin might have been a sex addict with a slight Asian fetish, he redeems himself through his funny, honest, self-depreciating style and actual effort to change. I might never be able to look at another Cup Noodle the same way again: did you know there's a Instant Ramen Museum in Osaka?

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