(This book review will be in English and Indonesian, so it's longer than usual. Review buku ini dalam bahasa Inggris dan bahasa Indonesia, sehingga lebih panjang dari biasanya.)
Gimana kalau foodie romance dieksekusi ala manga jadul favorit kamu? Dari sekian banyak buku di rak fiksi perpustakaan, Cooking with You langsung menarik perhatian aku, bukan karena namanya, tapi karena covernya yang terlihat lezat dan beda dari novel lain di sekitarnya. Ternyata ini foodie romance karya penulis Indonesia, dan jujur aja, aku jarang banget baca novel romance lokal. Setiap kali mencoba, pengalaman bacaku sering kali berujung kecewa (seperti yang pernah aku bahas di Baca 2 Buku Romance Penulis Indonesia di iKaltara). Tapi blurb buku ini terasa berbeda, jadi aku pikir, kenapa nggak kasih kesempatan? Apalagi ini buku pinjaman, nothing to lose.
Ceritanya tentang Zuri, seorang cewek jago masak yang baru patah hati, yang nggak sengaja ketemu Errol, peselancar asal Jepang yang juga hobi makan dan masak, dan entah bagaimana, bisa lancar berbahasa Indonesia. Mereka bertemu di pantai Nembrala dan mulai nyambung gara-gara makanan. Tapi nggak cuma soal kuliner, ternyata mereka juga sama-sama menyimpan kesedihan karena ditinggalkan orang tercinta, dan secara tak terduga, duka mereka ini justru menghubungkan mereka lebih dalam.
(What if a foodie romance was written like your favorite old-school manga? Out of all the books on the library’s fiction shelf, Cooking with You immediately caught my eye—not because of the title, but because of the cover. It looked delicious and totally different from the other novels around it. Turns out, it’s a foodie romance by an Indonesian author. And honestly? I almost never read local romance novels. Every time I try, I usually end up disappointed (like I talked about in Baca 2 Buku Romance Penulis Indonesia di iKaltara). But something about this book’s blurb felt different, so I thought, why not give it a shot? Plus, I borrowed it, so there’s nothing to lose.
The story follows Zuri, a girl who’s great at cooking but just got her heart broken. She randomly meets Errol, a Japanese surfer who’s also into food and cooking—and somehow speaks fluent Indonesian. They meet on Nembrala Beach and instantly connect over their shared love for food. But it’s not just about cooking. Turns out, they both carry the pain of losing someone they loved, and in a way, their grief ends up bringing them even closer together.)
Peringatan: Membaca novel ini dalam keadaan lapar dapat menyebabkan keinginan tak terkendali untuk memesan makanan atau spontan membuka kulkas di tengah malam!
BOOK INFORMATION
Title : Cooking with You
Author : Yoana Dianika
Publisher : Bentang Pustaka
Length : 345 pages
Published : March 2014
Read : June 11-14, 2023
GR Rating : 3.45
My Rating : 3.00
PHYSICAL BOOK CHECKLIST
✅ Cover pastel merah muda dengan ilustrasi bahan masakan cartoonish
✅ Kesan visual: delicious dan inviting, langsung bikin ingin pegang!
✅ Ilustrasi full-page celemek chef tiap awal bagian
✅ Ikon-ikon lucu: Topi koki di awal bab, Alat masak cute di akhir cerita
✅ Pola kotak-kotak di setiap halaman (esthetic banget!)
✅ Kertas lumayan tipis (hati-hati: tidak tahan highlighter, bisa bleber!)
✅ Font nyaman dibaca lama
✅ Jilidan floppy enak dibuka-buka
✅ Bonus lampiran resep-resep dari cerita di bagian akhir buku
✅ Karena buku pinjaman jadi kurang tahu ada bookmarknya atau tidak
BOOK REVIEW
Buku ini dibuka dengan potongan adegan yang langsung bikin penasaran kayak cuplikan drama yang nyelip di FYP, yang ngasih hint soal patah hati dan kehilangan. Dari awal, aku udah kepancing buat tahu kelanjutannya. Eh, ternyata ini kisah insta-love ala anime/manga jadul yang nge-blend dunia masak dan surfing. Dan yang paling bikin aku nostalgia, buku ini sangat mengingatkanku ke manga favorit zaman SMP, Kitchen Princess oleh Natsumi Ando! Kalau kamu dulu juga baca, pasti langsung ngeh deh, tokoh utama yang jago masak karena terinspirasi dari orang tua mereka, terus desain bukunya yang Kitchen Princess banget. Ada gingham pattern di sudut halaman, ada ilustrasi peralatan masak yang lucu, terus ada resep makanan di akhir bukunya. Serius, rasanya kayak balik ke masa-masa pulang sekolah rebahan baca komik di kamar sambil ngebayangin, "Suatu hari aku juga bisa jadi chef hebat! Hahahaha 🔥."
Tapi, meskipun vibe-nya bikin nostalgia ke bacaan lama yang pernah aku suka, pengalaman membacanya punya rasa yang sedikit beda. Kayak makan hidangan yang kelihatannya familiar, tapi pas dicoba ada twist yang bikin nggak persis sama. Ada bagian yang bikin wow karena ada pengetahuan baru, ada yang bikin agak cringe, dan ada juga yang bikin mikir, “Hmm, kalau bagian ini digarap lebih dalam, pasti bakal lebih ngena.” Jadi, meskipun nggak bisa dibilang langsung jadi favorit, tetap ada hal-hal menarik yang bikin aku penasaran sampai akhir.
Salah satu hal yang bikin buku ini terasa beda adalah caranya mengangkat dunia kuliner. Masakan di sini bukan jadi latar belakang yang cuma lewat, tapi bagian penting yang membentuk cerita dan karakter-karakternya. Baca buku ini rasanya kayak lagi ngobrol sama orang yang jatuh cinta banget sama dunia masak, bukan cuma sekadar tahu resep, tapi juga tahu cerita di baliknya. Dari sup ubi yang mungkin bisa jadi comfort food baru sampai aroma smoky khas daging se’i, buku ini ngenalin aku ke makanan-makanan tradisional Indonesia yang sebelumnya asing di telinga, dan juga beberapa hidangan internasional kayak tiramisu dan scones. Detailnya nggak main-main sih, buku ini ngomongin asal-usul, sejarah, cara masak, sampai tips yang bisa dipraktikkan di dapur. Jadi kalau kamu suka cerita yang bikin perut keroncongan dan tangan gatel pengin masak pesen gofood, buku ini mungkin bisa jadi teman bacaan yang asik.
Tapi, nggak cuma soal masakan, buku ini juga menyelipkan tentang dunia selancar, yang jujur aja lumayan menarik buat dibahas. Karena Errol adalah seorang peselancar, kita diajak ngintip sedikit tentang teknik, kompetisi, sampai gaya hidup para wave chasers. Ini kayak tambahan bumbu yang bikin ceritanya nggak hambar dan ngasih sesuatu yang beda selain soal cinta-cintaan dan masak-memasak. Apalagi deskripsi tempatnya cukup detail, kita bisa ngebayangin gimana rasanya berdiri di pinggir pantai Nembrala, mencium aroma laut, atau sekadar ngelihat rumah tradisional Bali yang khas. Buat kamu yang suka jalan-jalan lewat buku, ini bisa jadi cara seru buat ‘liburan’ tanpa perlu packing, cukup duduk santai dengan teh atau kopi favoritmu.
Sayang banget, menurutku buku ini punya banyak bahan mentah yang bisa diolah jadi hidangan istimewa, tapi akhirnya cuma jadi masakan everyone can make, tetep bisa dimakan tapi kurang memorable. Ada banyak hal yang sebenarnya bisa digali lebih dalam, tapi akhirnya cuma ditampilkan di permukaan aja. Contohnya, baik Zuri maupun Errol sama-sama kehilangan orang terkasih, tapi dampaknya ke mereka kurang dieksplor dengan dalam kayak gimana mereka menghadapinya, gimana itu membentuk karakter mereka, semua terasa cuma lewat. Begitu juga dengan Zuri yang nggak pernah benar-benar mengungkapkan perasaannya ke Errol, bahkan ke pembaca. Ini sebenarnya bisa jadi elemen yang emosional dan membumbui cerita, tapi eksekusinya kurang se-satisfying yang aku harapkan. Mungkin karena fokus utama buku ini memang lebih ke makanan dan budaya, jadi inner struggle karakternya nggak terlalu diprioritaskan.
Entah kenapa, aku juga jadi nggak bisa benar-benar relate sama karakter utamanya, terutama di luar adegan makan dan masak. Apakah karena Zuri anak orang kaya? Hmm, rasanya bukan itu masalahnya karena Emma Woodhouse dan Selma Karamy juga dari keluarga kaya, tapi aku tetap bisa relate ke mereka. Apa karena gaya penceritaannya pakai third-person omniscient POV? Bisa jadi, tapi The Girl Who Drank the Moon juga pakai POV yang sama, dan itu malah jadi salah satu buku favoritku. Sejujurnya, aku sendiri nggak tahu pasti kenapa. Apakah ada yang udah baca buku ini dan bisa menemukan jawabannya? Kalau iya, bagi-bagi pendapat dong!
(This book opens with a scene that immediately grabs your attention, kind of like a random drama clip popping up on your FYP that hints at heartbreak and loss. Right from the start, I was curious to see where it would go. Turns out, it’s an insta-love story with major old-school anime/manga vibes which blends cooking and surfing. And the nostalgia hit immediately, this book reminded me of my favorite middle school manga, Kitchen Princess by Natsumi Ando! If you’ve read it, you’ll totally get what I mean. The main character cooks because they were inspired by their parents, and even the book design screams Kitchen Princess. There’s a gingham pattern on the page corners, cute little kitchen tool illustrations, and actual recipes at the end. Seriously, reading this felt like being back in my room after school, lying on my bed, flipping through manga, and thinking, "One day, I’ll be a great chef too! Hahaha 🔥."
But even though the vibes brought me back to an old favorite, the reading experience had a slightly different taste. Like eating a dish that looks super familiar, but once you take a bite, there’s a twist that makes it not quite the same. Some parts made me go “Oh wow, that’s actually really cool,” while others felt kinda cringe, and there were moments where I thought, "Man, if they had gone deeper with this part, it would’ve been way better." So while this book didn’t immediately become a favorite, it still had enough interesting elements to keep me reading till the end.
One thing that stood out was how it handled the food theme. Cooking isn’t just a background detail here, it actively shapes the story and the characters. Reading this book felt like talking to someone who’s obsessed with food, not just because they know recipes, but because they understand the history and emotions behind each dish. From sup ubi that might just become your new comfort food to the smoky aroma of daging se’i, this book introduced me to Indonesian traditional dishes I’d never heard of before, along with international ones like tiramisu and scones. The details go all out, covering origins, history, cooking techniques, and even tips you could actually use in the kitchen. So if you’re into stories that make you hungry and maybe even inspire you to cook order takeout, this book might be a fun read for you.
But it’s not just about food, this book also slips in the world of surfing, which was honestly pretty cool to read about. Since Errol is a surfer, we get a little peek into techniques, competitions, and the whole wave-chaser lifestyle. It’s like an extra seasoning that keeps the story from feeling bland, something fresh beyond just romance and cooking. And, the setting descriptions are detailed enough that you can almost picture yourself standing on the shores of Nembrala Beach, smelling the salty air, or admiring the traditional Balinese houses. If you love traveling through books, this could be a fun way to take a little vacation without packing a single bag, just grab a cup of tea or coffee and vibe.
That being said, I feel like this book had all the right ingredients to be something amazing, but in the end, it turned out more like an average home-cooked meal everyone can make, still enjoyable, but not exactly unforgettable. There were so many elements that could’ve been explored deeper, but they mostly stayed on the surface. For example, both Zuri and Errol have experienced the loss of a loved one, but the emotional depth of that loss isn’t really fleshed out. We don’t get to see much of how it shaped them, how they processed it, it’s just there. Same with Zuri’s feelings for Errol, she never really expresses them, not to him and not even to the reader. That could’ve been such a strong emotional hook, but the execution just was as impactful as I wanted. Maybe it’s because the book puts more focus on food and culture rather than deep character introspection.
For some reason, I also had a hard time fully relate to the main character outside of the food scenes. Was it because Zuri comes from a rich family? I don’t think so, Emma Woodhouse and Selma Karamy were both wealthy, and I still found them relatable. Was it because of the third-person omniscient POV? Maybe, but The Girl Who Drank the Moon used the same perspective, and that’s actually one of my favorite books. Honestly, I don’t even know why. Maybe someone who’s read this can help me figure it out? If you have any thoughts, let me know, I’d love to hear what you think!)
THINGS I LOVE
■ Baca buku ini rasanya kayak baca manga atau nonton anime jadul yang udah diterjemahkan ke dalam wujud novel. Dari cara karakternya ngomong, gerak-gerik mereka, sampai gimana third-person omniscient POV-nya menyorot kejadian di buku, semuanya bikin aku sampe kebayang kalau ini difilmkan, pasti ada sparkling effect tiap adegan masak dan makannya ala Cooking Master Boy.
■Buku fisiknya punya detail yang cute! Tiap bab dibuka sama gambar topi koki mini, terus ada ikon panci/wajan lucu buat tandain pergantian scene. Ada ilustrasi yang jadi tanda tiap chapter, sampai pola gingham di pojok halaman yang bikin desainnya makin mirip Kitchen Princess. Chef's kiss! 👌
■Bagian kompetisi masaknya lumayan seru karena bisa lihat ide-ide menarik dari karakter lain. Jujur, ini berasa banget kayak MasterChef! Sampai-sampai aku kepikiran, "Mana Chef Juna di antara para juri ini ya?"
■Bukunya floppy! Bisa lay flat di meja tanpa perlu ditahan, jadi nggak bikin tangan pegal pas baca. Baca sambil makan mie pun aman!
■ Karena ini buku pinjaman dari perpustakaan dan udah cukup lama diterbitkan alias berumur, halamannya mulai menguning dan baunya tuh almost ancient yang unexpectedly cozy! Suka banget! Suara kertas keriputnya pas dibalik jadi ASMR buat para bookworm! Rasanya kayak lagi baca kitab tua peninggalan Sun Go Kong.
■Deskripsinya super detail, terutama soal makanan, proses memasak, dan setting cerita. Kalau kamu suka cerita yang benar-benar ngajak ngerasain atmosfer tempat dan makanan, ini bakal jadi poin yang menarik.
■ Romance ala first love di buku ini kerasa light. Kalau aku baca ini pas masih lebih muda, kayaknya bakal cocok banget karena cukup aman dan nggak terlalu berat. Kalau kamu generasi 90-an/yang pernah demam manga shoujo, prepare for major throwback!
(■ Reading this book felt like flipping through an old-school manga or watching a classic anime that got turned into a novel. From the way the characters talk and move to how the third-person omniscient POV zooms in on moments, I could totally picture this as an anime adaptation with sparkling effects in every cooking scene, the Cooking Master Boy style.
■ The physical book itself has such cute little details! Each chapter starts with a tiny chef hat icon, and there are these adorable pot/pan symbols marking scene transitions. There are even chapter illustrations and a gingham pattern in the corners of the pages, making the whole design scream Kitchen Princess. Chef’s kiss! 👌
■The cooking competition scenes were actually pretty fun since we got to see creative dish ideas from different characters. Not gonna lie, it gave me serious MasterChef vibes. I even caught myself thinking, "Wait… where’s Chef Juna among these judges?"
■This book is floppy! It lays flat on the table without needing to be held down, which means no hand cramps while reading. You can even eat noodles while flipping through it, no struggle!
■Since this is a library book that’s been around for a while, the pages have started to yellow, and the scent? Almost ancient, but in an unexpectedly cozy way. Love it. The slightly crinkly sound when flipping the pages? Peak bookworm ASMR. Felt like I was reading some ancient scroll passed down by Sun Wukong or something.
■The descriptions are insanely detailed especially when it comes to food, cooking processes, and setting. If you love books that fully immerse you in their world, making you see, smell, and practically taste everything, this is definitely a highlight.
■ The romance is light and has that sweet first love energy. If I had read this when I was younger, I think I would’ve loved it, it’s not too heavy. If you’re a '90s kid or ever went through a shoujo manga phase, get ready for some major nostalgia!)
THINGS I DON'T LIKE
■ Percakapannya sering terasa nggak natural, ada yang terlalu maksa, ada yang terlalu dramatis kayak lagi baca puisi. Kadang metaforanya kebanyakan sampai bukannya enak dibaca, malah jadi cringey. Rasanya kayak nonton drama yang naskahnya terlalu scripted.
■ Aku memang bukan penggemar insta-love, tapi kalau eksekusinya bagus, aku masih bisa menikmati. Sayangnya, di buku ini, aku nggak bisa. Gimana bisa percaya sama orang asing yang baru ketemu di pantai with 0% hesitation? Too convenient, too unrealistic, too dangerous! Ini kan bisa aja Errol ternyata anggota sindikat perdagangan manusia yang pura-pura baik? Girl, where’s your survival instinct?
■ Zuri dan Errol berkali-kali bilang kalau masak itu harus from the heart, tapi selain ucapan mereka, nggak ada yang benar-benar menunjukkan filosofi ini dalam tindakan mereka. Jadi, bukannya terasa sebagai prinsip hidup yang kuat, malah lebih kayak slogan kosong aja.
■ Deskripsi fisik mereka terlalu repetitif. Zuri selalu digambarkan sebagai gadis rapuh dan kurus. Ooke dia kurus, tapi kenapa harus diulang-ulang? Apa dampaknya ke cerita? Terus warna mata mereka dan cara mereka saling memandang juga disebut terus-menerus, kayak nggak ada aspek lain dari mereka yang bisa di-highlight. Kenapa nggak deskripsikan preferensi cara ngopi mereka, atau kebiasaan unik kayak Errol suka nyemil sambal pas masak, maybe?
■ Aku biasanya gampang jatuh hati sama love interest yang ganteng dan jago masak, tapi Errol... hmm, ada yang kurang. Dia baik, dia punya masa lalu yang sedih, tapi yaudah, cuma itu. Karakternya terasa datar, kurang kompleks. Padahal, Chitato aja nggak flat, masa Errol THE SURFER malah flat?
■ Seperti yang aku sebutkan sebelumnya, buku ini kayak cuma menyentuh permukaan dari isu-isu yang sebenarnya bisa bikin ceritanya lebih dalam. Loss dan grief yang dialami Zuri dan Errol cuma disebut tanpa benar-benar dieksplorasi. Bahkan, hubungan Zuri sama bapaknya yang sering pergi pun nggak digali lebih dalam. Padahal, ada potensi besar buat bikin cerita ini lebih emosional.
■ Aku nggak anti sama third-person omniscient POV, tapi di buku ini, segalanya terasa terlalu eksplisit. Pembaca nggak dikasih kesempatan buat menginterpretasi sendiri, semuanya udah disuapin. Rasanya kayak buku ini nyuapin makanan ke pembaca tanpa ngasih tahu ini dibuat dari apa, masaknya gimana, dan kenapa harus masakan ini.
■ Zuri yang emotionally constipated. Aku bisa terima kalau Zuri bukan karakter yang relatable buatku. Tapi yang bikin frustasi, dia nggak pernah benar-benar menyampaikan perasaannya, baik ke Errol maupun ke pembaca. Tahu-tahu dia merasa tersakiti. Girl, sakit hatimu datang dari mana, padahal Errol udah jelas-jelas bilang dia suka sama kamu?
■ Ada beberapa bagian dalam buku ini yang secara nggak langsung memperkuat gender bias dengan nge-list apa yang boleh dan nggak boleh dilakukan masing-masing gender. Ini terasa outdated dan kurang nyaman buat dibaca.
■ Oke, Errol tipe yang nggak ragu menunjukkan perasaannya. Tapi di bagian kedua, tindakannya mulai nggak masuk akal. Errol tetep ngeyel despite the strict rules. Pak, anda sudah dewasa, bukan anak SMA lagi, where's your professionalism, sir?
(■ The dialogue often felt unnatural, sometimes too forced, sometimes overly dramatic, like reading poetry. There were way too many metaphors, to the point where instead of sounding beautiful, they just felt cringe. It gave off that overly scripted drama kind of vibe.
■ I’m not a fan of insta-love, but if it’s done well, I can roll with it. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case here. How do you just trust a random stranger you meet on the beach with zero hesitation? Too convenient, too unrealistic, too dangerous! Like, what if Errol was actually part of a human trafficking ring just pretending to be a nice guy? Girl, where’s your survival instinct?
■ Zuri and Errol keep saying that cooking should come from the heart, but aside from just saying it, they never really show it through their actions. Instead of feeling like a core philosophy, it just comes off as an empty slogan.
■ The physical descriptions were way too repetitive. Zuri is always described as fragile and thin. Okay, we get it, she’s thin. But why keep repeating it? How does that add to the story? And don’t even get me started on the constant mentions of their eye colors and the way they look at each other. Surely, there are other things to highlight? Maybe describe how they take their coffee or give Errol a quirky habit like snacking on sambal while cooking or something?
■ Normally, I’m a sucker for a handsome love interest who can cook, but Errol… I don’t know, something was missing. He’s nice, he has a tragic past, but that’s it. His character felt flat, lacking complexity. Like, even Chitato chips aren’t flat, but Errol THE SURFER somehow is?
■ Like I mentioned before, this book barely scratches the surface of deeper issues that could’ve made the story so much more impactful. Zuri and Errol’s grief over their lost loved ones is mentioned but never really explored. Even Zuri’s relationship with her frequently absent father isn’t delved into. The potential for emotional depth was right there, but the book just didn’t go for it.
■ I don’t mind third-person omniscient POV, but in this book, everything felt too explicit. There was no room for readers to interpret things on their own, everything was spoon-fed. It’s like this book was serving the reader a dish without explaining what it’s made of, how it was cooked, or why this particular dish even matters.
■Zuri being emotionally constipated. I can accept that she’s not the most relatable character for me, but what’s frustrating is that she never really expresses her feelings, to Errol or to the reader. And then suddenly, boom, she’s heartbroken. Like… girl, where is this heartbreak even coming from?? Errol literally told you he likes you??
■ There were also moments in this book that reinforced gender stereotypes, by listing what each gender should and shouldn’t do. It felt outdated and kind of uncomfortable to read.
■ And okay, Errol is the type who doesn’t hesitate to show his feelings, which is great. But in the second half of the book, his actions start making zero sense. He keeps pushing back against very strict rules like it’s no big deal. Sir, you are a grown adult, not a rebellious high schooler. Where’s your professionalism?)
0 Comments
don't use this comment form, use the embedded disqus comment section. No spam!
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.