The Hundred-Foot Journey: A Novel

¿That skinny Indian teenager has that mysterious something that comes along once a generation. He is one of those rare chefs who is simply born. He is an artist.¿

And so begins the rise of Hassan Haji, the unlikely gourmand who recounts his life¿s journey in this charming novel. Lively and brimming with the colors, flavors, and scents of the kitchen, The Hundred-Foot Journey is a succulent treat about family, nationality, and the mysteries of good taste.

Born above his grandfather¿s modest restaurant in Mumbai, Hassan first experienced life through intoxicating whiffs of spicy fish curry, trips to the local markets, and gourmet outings with his mother. But when tragedy pushes the family out of India, they console themselves by eating their way around the world, eventually settling in Lumière, a small village in the French Alps.

The boisterous Haji family takes Lumière by storm. They open an inexpensive Indian café opposite an esteemed French restaurant¿that of the famous chef Madame Mallory¿and infuse the sleepy town with the spices of India, transforming the lives of its eccentric villagers and infuriating their celebrated neighbor. Only after Madame Mallory wages culinary war with the immigrant family does she finally agree to mentor young Hassan, leading him to Paris, the launch of his own restaurant, and a slew of new adventures.

The Hundred-Foot Journey is about how the hundred-foot distance between a new Indian kitchen and a traditional French one can represent the gulf between different cultures and desires. A testament to the inevitability of destiny, this is a fable for the ages¿charming, endearing, and compulsively readable.

1100366856
The Hundred-Foot Journey: A Novel

¿That skinny Indian teenager has that mysterious something that comes along once a generation. He is one of those rare chefs who is simply born. He is an artist.¿

And so begins the rise of Hassan Haji, the unlikely gourmand who recounts his life¿s journey in this charming novel. Lively and brimming with the colors, flavors, and scents of the kitchen, The Hundred-Foot Journey is a succulent treat about family, nationality, and the mysteries of good taste.

Born above his grandfather¿s modest restaurant in Mumbai, Hassan first experienced life through intoxicating whiffs of spicy fish curry, trips to the local markets, and gourmet outings with his mother. But when tragedy pushes the family out of India, they console themselves by eating their way around the world, eventually settling in Lumière, a small village in the French Alps.

The boisterous Haji family takes Lumière by storm. They open an inexpensive Indian café opposite an esteemed French restaurant¿that of the famous chef Madame Mallory¿and infuse the sleepy town with the spices of India, transforming the lives of its eccentric villagers and infuriating their celebrated neighbor. Only after Madame Mallory wages culinary war with the immigrant family does she finally agree to mentor young Hassan, leading him to Paris, the launch of his own restaurant, and a slew of new adventures.

The Hundred-Foot Journey is about how the hundred-foot distance between a new Indian kitchen and a traditional French one can represent the gulf between different cultures and desires. A testament to the inevitability of destiny, this is a fable for the ages¿charming, endearing, and compulsively readable.

Out Of Stock
The Hundred-Foot Journey: A Novel

The Hundred-Foot Journey: A Novel

by Richard C. Morais
The Hundred-Foot Journey: A Novel

The Hundred-Foot Journey: A Novel

by Richard C. Morais

 


Listen on the free Barnes & Noble NOOK app


Related collections and offers


Overview

¿That skinny Indian teenager has that mysterious something that comes along once a generation. He is one of those rare chefs who is simply born. He is an artist.¿

And so begins the rise of Hassan Haji, the unlikely gourmand who recounts his life¿s journey in this charming novel. Lively and brimming with the colors, flavors, and scents of the kitchen, The Hundred-Foot Journey is a succulent treat about family, nationality, and the mysteries of good taste.

Born above his grandfather¿s modest restaurant in Mumbai, Hassan first experienced life through intoxicating whiffs of spicy fish curry, trips to the local markets, and gourmet outings with his mother. But when tragedy pushes the family out of India, they console themselves by eating their way around the world, eventually settling in Lumière, a small village in the French Alps.

The boisterous Haji family takes Lumière by storm. They open an inexpensive Indian café opposite an esteemed French restaurant¿that of the famous chef Madame Mallory¿and infuse the sleepy town with the spices of India, transforming the lives of its eccentric villagers and infuriating their celebrated neighbor. Only after Madame Mallory wages culinary war with the immigrant family does she finally agree to mentor young Hassan, leading him to Paris, the launch of his own restaurant, and a slew of new adventures.

The Hundred-Foot Journey is about how the hundred-foot distance between a new Indian kitchen and a traditional French one can represent the gulf between different cultures and desires. A testament to the inevitability of destiny, this is a fable for the ages¿charming, endearing, and compulsively readable.


Editorial Reviews

Booklist

This novel, of mythic proportions yet told with truly heartfelt realism, is a stunning tribute to the devotion of family and food, in that order.

Anthony Bourdain

Outstanding! Easily the best novel ever set in the world of cooking.

NPR.org

"A delicious fairy-tale-like read."

author of Chocolat - Joanne Harris

"The Hundred-Foot Journey has great charm and is colorfully written, sensual and evocative.

New York Times Book Review

The novel’s charm lies in its improbability: it’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ meets ‘Ratatouille.’

Washington Post Book Review

Serious foodies will swoon. Morais throws himself into the kind of descriptive writing that makes reading a gastronomic event.

From the Publisher

Hassan Haji’s tone of voice is something of a masterpiece, cosmopolitan but not entirely European either. And the quest for the Michelin stars is a real cliff-hanger. For anyone who loves food, and who cares for character, the book’s a banquet. Lovely stuff. What a superb Merchant Ivory Production movie it would have made.”

Simon Callow, actor (Four Weddings And A Funeral) and author ofOrson Welles: The Road To Xanadu.

"This novel, of mythic proportions yet told with truly heartfelt realism, is a stunning tribute to the devotion of family and food. Bound to please anyone who has ever been happily coaxed to eat beyond the point of fullness, overwhelmed by the magnetism of 'just one more bite.'"

—Booklist (Starred Review)

Product Details

BN ID: 2940169665215
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date: 09/07/2012
Edition description: Unabridged
From the B&N Reads Blog