Delicious Japanese street eats

A love letter to Japanese street food, the comprehensive and appealing English language debut from Tokyo native Kié serves triple duty as a recipe collection, travel guide, and cultural history. Kié offers classic takes and regional variations on street food staples, including ramen, onigiri (rice balls), and takoyaki (octopus dumplings). Detailed instructions for several styles of sushi are accompanied by a guide to buying the best tuna in Tokyo, including a stop at Tsukiji Market's daily auction. Recipes often reference each other, necessitating a fair bit of page-flipping. To make the katsu sandwich, for example, one must first make tonkatsu, breaded and fried pork cutlet, instructions for which appear four pages later. But this is only a minor inconvenience, because vibrant photography and charming illustrations make paging through the collection a joy. Kié recommends restaurants across Japan and hosts a whirlwind tour of the country's culinary quirks, with sidebars on depachika, or luxury food halls in department store basements; vending machines, including the one atop Mt. Fuji; and the history of cup noodles. Desserts and drinks round things out, including a melon-shaped brioche and a matcha highball, the likes of which, Kié notes, might be enjoyed at a tachinomi, or tapas-style standing bar. Japanophiles--especially those planning a trip--will be thrilled. (Dec.)