The story follows Lila, who returns to her hometown after breaking up with her boyfriend and helps her aunt in the restaurant. A cliché, isn’t it? But Lila is well aware of it, and it’s mentioned in a humorous way. In the course of the story, a food critic dies after a meal in the restaurant and of course Lila is suspected. As the story progresses, you learn more about Lila, her past and her friends. Typical Filipino customs and traditions are mentioned with humor, classic dishes of the culture and idioms (which are immediately translated with perfect context). Since my partner’s family is Filipino, I had a clear home field advantage and understanding was easier for me than someone who may not have as much exposure to the language (Tagalog). Nonetheless, it was a very amusing book and I’m already looking forward to the next volumes. (It’s the first book in a series!)
At the end of the book, the recipes of the dishes mentioned in the story are listed.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
