Book excerpt: There is a Japanese saying that goes, "Hana yori dango," or "dumplings over flowers." And no one is more of an advocate of this adage than mangaka Y-naga, a woman whose life revolves around her intense work and equally intense sleep schedule. The only thing that can rouse her out of this infernal cycle of deadlines and being dead to the world? Food. As Y-naga and her friends visit restaurants around Tokyo to satisfy their appetites, their individual approaches to food add an extra dimension to their witty and comical interactions. Friendships are explored and lifestyle choices revealed, all over exquisite culinary creations that prove that variety on an empty and open-minded stomach is, indeed, the spice of life. Acclaimed mangaka and Eisner Award nominee Fumi Yoshinaga (Antique Bakery, Ooku) brings a quirky cast of characters and a delectable assortment of actual Tokyo restaurants to life in this homage to two of the greatest things life has to offer: friendship and food!