Review by Karl Verhoven

The appealing romantic comedy of Chef’s Kiss was a surprise hit in 2022, resulting in a hardcover Deluxe Edition being issued two years later.

Because it was so neatly self-contained, the fear is of a sequel with nothing more to say, a fear Jarrett Melendez highlights via leading man Ben whose publisher wants him to provide a sequel to his article about starting his chef’s career. Ben has no idea what to write about, and although he pulls things together eventually, that’s also the impression given by Melendez.

Much of Chef’s Kiss was about Ben’s learning the ropes under a fearsome chef, but now he’s qualified life moves on, and Melendez’s solution to avoiding repetition is to add to an already large cast. The newcomers are problematical due to a concerted effort to make them exotic, and for so long the cookery background that worked so well before is sidelined in favour of Ben’s constant concerns. First there are the preparations for a drag show, which makes for eye-catching visuals, but lacks any great emotional resonance unless you’re completely captivated by Ben’s unfounded anxieties about his relationship with Liam. It’s followed by worries about what to wear for a staff photo session.

Because Danica Brice so thoroughly and gorgeously defined the cast in the first volume, there may be concerns about Irena Flores replacing her. They’re misplaced. Flores has an equally appealing naturalistic style, transmitting feelings well. The only slight downside is the occasional lapse into manga-style miniaturisation as seen on the sample page. Thankfully it’s a very occasional stylistic quirk.

With the Thanksgiving dinner out of the way Melendez phases cooking back in via Liam being promoted to temporary head chef while Chef Davis takes a holiday. The storytelling devices also become more interesting, such as Ben and Liam each having separate, but simultaneous conversations with others. “But what if I say the wrong thing?” is the theme.

Melendez and Flores give a good indication of the pressures a chef’s kitchen is under, not just when the restaurant is open, but also the preparations beforehand, while the marketing required for the introduction of a new menu is noted. The whimsy of Watson the pig having to test all new dishes is also incorporated well. Less convincing are the concerns about Ben and Liam’s relationship, which can transmit as contrived. It’s puzzling as more meaningful worries could have been generated by the stress Liam’s under when running the kitchen, which only supplies a few sharp comments almost immediately followed by apologies.

Overall Chef’s Kiss Again is a good romantic drama that misses the target on occasion, so not matching the first outing. Those recipes in the back, though, sure look enticing, and anything requiring the soaking of cashew nuts in vegetable stock for two hours as part of the preparation is surely the real deal.