Review: Interstellar Megachef by Lavanya Lakshminarayan

Blurb:

Masterchef in Space! A fun, satirical, thought-provoking novel by the critically-acclaimed author of The Ten-Percent Thief

Looking for your one shot to rise to the “top of the pots” in the cutthroat world of interstellar cuisine? Look no further—you might have what it takes to be an Interstellar MegaChef!

Stepping off a long-haul star freighter from Earth, Saras Kaveri has one bag of clothes, her little flying robot Kili… and an invitation to compete in the galaxy’s most watched, most prestigious cooking show. Interstellar MegaChef is the showcase of the planet Primus’s austere, carefully synthesised cuisine. Until now, no-one from Earth—where they’re so incredibly primitive they still cook with fire—has ever graced its flowmetal cookstations before, or smiled awkwardly for its buzzing drone-cams.

Corporate prodigy Serenity Ko, inventor of the smash-hit sim SoundSpace, has just got messily drunk at a floating bar, narrowly escaped an angry mob and been put on two weeks’ mandatory leave to rest and get her work-life balance back. Perfect time to start a new project! And she’s got just the idea: a sim for food. Now she just needs someone to teach her how to cook.

A chance meeting in the back of a flying cab has Saras and Serenity Ko working together on a new technology that could change the future of food—and both their lives—forever…

Review:

I discovered this book on Twitter when the author shared the cover reveal. Seeing it available on NetGalley, I quickly submitted a request. Food, sci-fi, and an interstellar culinary show… a recipe for perfect entertainment if you ask me. But, did the book live up to its hype? 

What I liked:

Right off the bat, you meet Saras, short for Saraswati Kaveri. She’s your typical protagonist, the intergalactic equivalent of a small-town girl who comes to the big city (Primus, a planet with a more advanced and abundant society) to pursue her dreams. She’s talented, but she’s also naïve and starry-eyed with seemingly not enough awareness of how Primian culture functions. However, Saras never gives up, powering through each challenge with the drive and ferocity of a person with dreams. 

Saras was a huge part of why I loved Interstellar Megachef. The story throws everything at her, from passive discrimination to outright xenophobic hate, to failure and constant letdowns; Saras never baulks under all that weight. Yes, she breaks down as would anyone in her position. But she always finds it in her to get up. Even when her past catches up to her, and we are made aware of the far-reaching consequences of Saras’ actions—and potential discovery—she stays true to herself and keeps striving to move forward.

The second, and larger, reason for why I loved Interstellar Megachef was the food. Not all of it was familiar. In fact, a lot of the culinary scenes included Primian cuisine and a strangely hyper-scientific approach to cooking. Yet, the author makes it work like magic. The philosophy behind how Primians perceive food really tells a larger story of humanity and excess. Primian culture follows what Earth desperately needs—not just in the story, but also in real life. Earth, ironically follows what Primian culture has easy access to, yet chooses not to for ideological reasons. The parallels between first-world countries/rich classes and Primus are subtle, yet evident. It’s easy to look down on someone because of their culture, but very hard to really empathize with why that culture is the way it is. It’s easy to self-impose moderation when you have access to excess.

Lavanya Lakshminarayan uses food and the culinary world to explore a lot more than just culture. Coming from a country where even diet has been politicized in the last decade—if you’re Indian, you know what I’m talking about—this one hit close to home. Some cooking techniques are rejected on the basis of ideology, while some food items are banned because they might offend new allies; the people’s opinion means squat, as long as the party in power are satisfied. History, culture, philosophy, politics, Interstellar Megachef doesn’t hold back in its exploration of food through the many lenses of human identity. 

This last bit is particularly important because the other story arc—Serenity Ko’s—takes everything and cranks it up quite a few notches. I won’t spoil it for you, because discovering it along the read was a fantastic experience. I will tell you this though—food has evolved with humanity and its technological advancements. The dominant norm on Primus is moderation and ras-based cuisine. But, what could be the next step? What connotations could it attract, and what consequences could follow it? Interstellar Megachef has some ideas, and they are as thought-provoking as they are divisive. Definitely worth pondering over. 

What I didn’t like:

I will say this—and this is my personal opinion—the blurb and the marketing for this book have done some disservice to the author and the book. While the “British Bake Off in Space” aspect of the book is an integral part of the narrative, it’s not as big a focus. In fact, [SPOILER!] Saras gets kicked out of the show in round one and only returns for one special round in the end. The rest of the book is mostly her trying to survive as an immigrant/refugee whilst proving her culinary skills in a fine-dine restaurant, a xenophobic society, and a corporate-sponsored food-based tech project. Food remains the key element here, with the author’s love for food shining through each chapter and each scene. However, if you’re expecting a dramatized bake-off tournament, you might be disappointed. 

Another thing I didn’t particularly like were the B, C & D plotlines. Saras was great, but I had a hard time connecting with Ko. I will admit, her change of heart and upliftment were impressive, and I almost had a soft corner for her by the end, but my feelings towards her remain mixed. Maybe that’ll change in the sequel, but I did find myself wanting to skim through her chapters in this one. And I’m saying that despite loving her story. 

The political plot with Optimism Mahd’vi and the Khurshid twins were nice touches to build the world, but the characters themselves felt a little underdeveloped. Interesting additions no doubt, ones that complicate the politics and power dynamics of the larger world, but something felt wanting. 

Lastly, and this is purely my bias, [SPOILER] I did not like the sudden Saras-Ko romance. I mean, I knew it was coming, I just didn’t like the way it happened. I’m not a fan of romance, so don’t take my word for it. Honestly, I just feel that both these characters have a lot to offer individually than as a couple. Their dynamic in the book also didn’t work for me all that well. 

Conclusion:

Interstellar Megachef is being marketed as “The Great British Bake Off in Space”, but it is so much more than that. If you ask me, Interstellar Megachef is the author’s love letter to food, the culinary arts, and the deeply important space food holds within the larger blanket of human experiences. 

It is a fun-loving cooking competition sci-fi, culinary drama, but it is also a thought-provoking and reflective piece of writing that poses some very important questions, not just about food, but also about human society and identity. 

TL;DR:

WHAT I LIKED: Food and how the author has used it to explore aspects of human society and personal experiences. Also loved hte world-building and politics.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: Some characters didn’t work for me, the “cooking show tournament” wasn’t as big a part of the story as I had expected.