Review of 'The Smallest Restaurant in Paris' by Rachel Khoo
Review of 'The Smallest Restaurant in Paris' by Rachel Khoo
Release date: Sept 1, 2026
Publisher: Ultimo Press
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REVIEW
It takes a talented person to turn a 1.5 square metre kitchen with a tiny toaster oven, two gas ring hob and two seats with a little table into a restaurant. This became The Smallest Restaurant in Paris. In a tiny confined space, Rachel Khoo created her food masterpieces. She turned her dreams into scrumptious delights.
It has been ten years since that experience when she left London and went to Paris to cultivate her dream. And her memoir is an honest and compelling read of what she encountered and how she overcame her obstacles. It includes the people she met and the unique experiences she had during this passage of time. She tells us this book is not a ‘highlight reel’ but ‘the actual thing’ – everything that happened. The ups and downs and what living in Paris was like and what it has done for her.
Since her Paris experience, she has released a number of cookbooks and hosted many international TV series. She even was guest judge on Australia’s Bake Off. I probably am one of the few people who had not seen her television series before but after reading her memoir, I was so impressed I watched her Little Paris Kitchen show. Her passion for preparing simple yet elegant food dishes was evident. I was mesmerised by her down-to-earth cooking demonstrations and creative spins on French food. The tv series is a wonderful companion to the book so I highly recommend watching it. Other resources on the internet (her Insta, YouTube, Facebook and website) contain a wealth of information, too. These led me to have an immense amount of respect for this lady, her talent and all her well-deserved accomplishments.
Each chapter of the book ends with a recipe that will make your mouth water and urge you to try them. There are also some lovely lines throughout such as: “Sometimes a small gesture of kindness softened the harsh reality of being an outsider in a city often celebrated for its love.” This tender truth kisses the heart with understanding. We all know how hard it is to move to a place where you do not have the support of family or friends—and language barriers can make it even harder. Her dream for French cooking, took her far from home. And although she had many exciting moments, loneliness crept in, too. A feeling many immigrants know. But it was a blip on the road to success. For eventually she found people who helped and inspired her. And they fuelled her dream even more.
But during that challenging journey, she took on many roles to support herself. And although it was hard juggling time and energy, she found later the experiences taught her some valuable lessons. These prepared her for the cooking world success she eventually harvested. In one of her heart to heart passages, she speaks of a chef’s vulnerability. It reminded me so much of being a writer. She explains chefs like to stay in the safety of their kitchens. (Like authors in their writing space.) Why? When you have spent hours trying to perfect your special dishes and then must send them out for people to judge, there’s a vulnerability in that action. She says ‘watching someone react to your food can feel like offering up your beating heart on a plate.’ What if the plate comes back with food barely touched? It would feel like a rejection. This is similar to being an author where you have spent months and years creating and editing your story. Pouring your heart and soul onto every page. Then the day comes and you must send it out into the world. It is scary because you do not know what the response will be. Rachel nails this feeling in her description about her food preparation, finished product and its delivery to guests or customers. In her case, thankfully the response has been positive. People love her food! This gives her immense joy to know that friends, family members and others are responding with a gleam in their eyes, a cleaned off plate and praise from their lips.
London born Rachel Khoo is not only a creative cook but also an inspiring story teller. She delivers her memoir with such natural ease and weaves the magic of food in her text so skilfully that the end product is a beautiful creation. She provides her own delicious and unique spins on French recipes that inspire us to try them, too, for she makes it look so simple! Fortunately, a number of these recipes are in her latest memoir The Smallest Restaurant in Paris.
This memoir is a literary jewel that shines with its heart-warming stories of innovation and determination. Her story of how she moved to Paris to cook and study is uplifting—especially knowing the results. She had to learn the French language, live and work in a tiny flat and cook in a tiny kitchen. Yet she did it with fervour and success. I loved this book and its naked honesty. Her passionate view of life and food is catching. And as she says: ‘It was indeed a truth that from tiny oats grow great mueslis.’ She had a dream, she sewed those seeds of hope and magnificent things came from small beginnings. A great story from a great heart. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Huge thanks to Ultimo Press for providing the review copy.
