Japanese Soul Food is all about punchy flavours and moreish comfort food. Think a bowl of ramen overflowing with toppings and texture and flavour, gyoza full of umami and spice, or the meltingly soft pork belly buns popularized by Momofuku in New York. Currently exploding on the UK scene by way of street-food, ramen bars and easy-going eateries, this is the antidote to typical Japanese restaurant cuisine. In Nanban, Tim Anderson brings us the best of Japanese Soul Food. From the Sasebo Burger to Japanese twists on Fried Chicken the book is full of unexpected treats. There are chapters on sauces, small dishes, large dishes, grilled items, ramen, desserts and drinks; Tim explains Japanese ingredients, how to get them, and how to substitute if you can’t; and he includes easy recipes for beginners as well as a couple of bigger projects for food geeks. Nanban means Southern Barbarian in Japanese and it is what they dubbed the first European settlers. It is a fitting title for Tim Anderson whose passion for taking risks and soulful food saw him win MasterChef with a burger recipe. Nanban also describes all that is good about the Soul Food recipes in this book: bold flavours, hearty dishes, and unrefined deliciousness.