Thank you Netgalley for the free ARC in return for an honest review.

Mourning the loss of her brother, Kotoko finds her way to the seaside and a cozy restaurant that her brother spoke highly of. Wanting to be close to something that was special to him, she visits the Chibineko Kitchen. The chef makes the meal her brother would cook for her and while she eats it she is reunited with him, able to heal her sorrow and find happiness once again.

This is a feel good novella with a bit of magical realism that takes place in Japan.

The concept is similar to Before the Coffee Gets Cold series. Chibineko Kitchen is a restaurant that serves remembrance meal that give the customer a chance to talk with the ghost of someone they knew.

Bruh I’ve had enough of Japanese magical realism😩 they all follow certain pattern with no originality anymore at this point. This the story was just okay, mainly about regret or missed chance. Just like that famous series.

The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen is the sweetest little story—tender, a bit sad, but deeply comforting. It’s short enough to read in one cozy sitting, and it left me feeling wistful. There's something cathartic in the way it explores grief through food, memory, and a magical little kitten named Chibi.

If you're coming off a heavy read or just need something soothing to the soul, this is a lovely palate cleanser. It’s heartfelt, redemptive, and quietly beautiful. I’ll definitely be picking up the rest of the series when I need a soft reset.

One of my favorite pieces of Japanese literature. I love the story of Kai and Kotoko. And how food connects us to people and memories, it’s so heartwarming.

Magical realism is one of my favorite genres. The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen does a great job at bringing magical realism to life. The idea that loved ones could get closure and reunite with the deceased is heart warming.

This is one of those books I have a feeling I will think of often. This book felt like a warm, bittersweet last hug, and left me crying into my blankets. This book is broken up into four short stories that are all connected to each other in some way. The story didn't try pack too much in the short page length it has, which I appreciate. It is a fairly simple, yet beautiful story that is perfect for a cozy read. While the story is short, the impact from it is long lasting.
I can't wait to read more in this series as they are translated.

This gentle story warmed my heart and quietly tugged at my emotions. The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen isn’t just a cozy tale—it’s also a tender exploration of grief, memory, and the longing to reconnect with those we’ve lost. It made me reflect deeply: what would I say if I had just one more chance to speak with a loved one?

Much like Before the Coffee Gets Cold, the book uses a warm, comforting setting to frame emotional goodbyes. The rule about the meal needing to stay hot added a quiet tension that made those moments feel even more fleeting and precious. I did find myself wondering about the role of the café cat—was it simply there for whimsy, or was it something more, maybe a bridge between the living and the dead?

While not every detail is fully explained, the story still left me with a full heart and a lot to think about. It’s a cozy read with emotional depth—perfect for a quiet, reflective afternoon.

If a warm bowl of sukiyaki and a heartfelt goodbye had a love child, it would be Chibineko Kitchen. This little book is like slipping into a dream you didn’t know you needed—where grief simmers gently on the back burner, and every meal is a love letter to the ones we’ve lost.

We meet Kotoko, hat-chasing and heart-heavy, who stumbles into a seaside restaurant that serves kagezen—traditional remembrance meals that might just reconnect you with your dearly departed. Enter Kai, the quiet, kind chef (and 10/10 hat retriever), and Chibi, the resident kitten who is clearly the emotional support animal we all deserve. What follows is a magical, melancholic, and mouthwatering journey that somehow feels like therapy served with pickled plum jam.

Now, full transparency: I loved this cozy read. It’s tender, food-forward, and full of that misty, slightly surreal vibe that hits just right on a rainy afternoon. That said, the writing didn’t always blow me away. A few passages felt a little clunky—noticeable, but not deal-breaking. Like when the rice is a little overcooked, but the flavors still make you go, “Mmm, yes. More, please.”

Final thoughts? Chibineko Kitchen is comfort lit with a side of tears and a garnish of kitten cuteness. Highly recommend if you enjoy magical realism, emotional closure, and stories where food means something. Just maybe eat first. Trust me.

Kotoko Niki is a young woman who recently lost her beloved brother. He pushed her forward to save her life when a car was racing at high speed towards her at a crossroad, instead of her, the car hit him, and he died instantly. Kotoko learns of a restaurant, the Chibineko Kitchen in the remote seaside town of the Chiba prefecture not far from Tokyo, where rememberance dinners are served, to memorize someone you love who passed away. Not knowing that the secret of the restaurant is that the passed loved one will appear for one last time to the mourning person, to talks things over one last time. What also is magical about the place is that the restaurant owner, a charming man named Kai, exactly knows what the passed one used to cook or eat with the person left behind. The restaurant also has an adorable kitten, who doesn't have a major part but just walks throigh the storyand accompanies the guests. Chibineko means actually tiny kitten.
Dining at the Chibineko Kitchen for this rememberance dinner works good for Kotoko, as she is relieved of the burden of the deep mourning and give it a place in her life, as her brother dreamed of becoming an actor, he now passed the dream on to her.

The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen is a short but beautiful Japanese novel. It is cute and very moving, and altough it felt realistic there was this very good hint of magic into it, just perfectly dosed and not too much. I found the story of Kotoko very moving and beautifully portrayed. Altough the book is shortt and the characters don't have much depth and you don't really get to know them because it is such a short story, the author gives just the right depth to the glimpse of their life you read about in this short story. It was still moving and entertaining to read. This is a book that is perfect for fans of Japanese fiction, it is great that more and more fantastic Japanese novels are translated into English, and this one not to miss!

What an absolutely delightful surprise of a book. This book was such a warm hug. I immersively read this (followed along the ebook by listening to the audiobook) and highly the narrator and the story as a whole. This looks to be the first translated in a longer Japanese series and I will be reading them all as they are published in English. I will also be purchasing and recommending this book to just about everyone I know.

Heart warming & magical… a retreat for soul!
Yuta Takahashi transports readers to the Chibi Prefecture in Japan using long forgotten storytelling skills that immediately pull you into this three part tale.

I couldn’t put this book down. The characters are so real I felt like I was watching a movie. The stories so deep, beautiful and in some way healing.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

This book made its way into my life at a time when I needed it. I enjoyed the interconnection of the character stories, and the added depth made this novella feel like an experience you'd hear from a friend or neighbor. For fans of 'Before the Coffee Gets Cold' and 'The Kamogawa Food Detectives'.

**3.5 stars**

This was a sweet little book about grief, forgiveness, and loss. I love the idea of remembrance meals in general and I’d especially love one where I could see my lost loved one one more time, no matter how brief the visit might be.

I’d say this classifies as a Japanese”cozy fiction” book that seems very popular these days.

**Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**

Imagine getting one last meal with someone you’ve lost—just long enough to feel their presence again. The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen takes that bittersweet longing and wraps it in warmth, food, and a little magic. Set in a seaside town outside Tokyo, this book weaves four interconnected stories of grief, love, and closure—all guided by a charming cat named Chibi. Each chapter unfolds like a cozy mystery, blending emotions with beautifully described dishes (recipes included!). It’s tender without being heavy, nostalgic but hopeful, and honestly, I teared up more than once.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Publishing Group for the ARC.

A similar concept to Before the Coffee Gets Cold, but instead of going back in time, this café allows its diners to have one last conversation with a deceased loved one, partly guided by a cat. I liked the way it's handled here more, and I think it comes down to the characters. Many carry over into other customers' stories. They feel more like real people than just a walking morality tale for a single chapter. While I do love the cat, its presence may not be entirely necessary for the story. But I love cats, and this one was so cute and sassy, so I don't mind at all.

Kotoko's life has been upended by the sudden and tragic death of her brother, so when she hears of a restaurant that offers kagezen (a remembrance meal) and the possibility of seeing her brother one more time, she cannot resist. This is a sweet, touching, emotional book that features three intertwined stories about love and loss, and (of course) an enigmatic cat. With a bit of mystery and magic, the real story is about regrets and what it means to lose someone you love. The story is filled with hope and Japanese culture and even recipes. I was completely transported to this seaside town outside of Tokyo. It's a quick read with lots of possibilities for discussion, a great "book club" book.

This is a heartwarming story that blends mouthwatering foods, cats, loss, and life. I particularly appreciated how food was used as a way to remember loved ones. It’s true—food has a unique ability to transport us back to past times and memories. While the story felt a bit repetitive at times, it was ultimately a feel-good, short read.

The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen is very similar to another very popular translated Japanese novella series, but dare I say.... I liked this one better?

This word of mouth cafe in Chiba prefecture by the sea serves kagezen, or remembrance meals, a meal that will not only remind you of your passed love one... but give you one last chance to speak with them. This volume contains four interconnected stories, and if I didn't know from the intro it was a series I would have believed it was a standalone book. All four stories are intertwined and wrap around to make a coherent end.

The descriptions of the meals and what they meant to the visitors of the cafe were lush and draws the reader into the meal (I want sukiyakidon sooo bad now) and the flips to memories outside of current day weren't jarring or out of place. It's the type of little book you read when you want to feel something or connect with the feeling of loss or honoring someone you miss.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin | Penguin Books for the eARC! I really enjoyed this one.

The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen is a cozy, magical realism book, that does a good job at playing at the strings of your heart.

In the similar to other Japanese literature, this is a very straight forward plot of going to a specific eatery/cafe and order a specific meal/item to bring the patron to a point in time or a loved one of the past for a "one more time" type of event. This book involves a restaurant is on the seaside town outside of Tokyo, and it allows you time with a loved one. And of course, you need to have the cute animal, which in this case is Chibi, an orange cat. I also love all the recipes on the book it’s probably my favorite part of it all!

This book is a quick read and I enjoyed every moment of it!

Thank you Netgalley

The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen is a cozy, magical realism book, that does a good job at playing at the strings of your heart.

In the similar vein of other Japanese literature, this is a very straight forward plot of going to a specific eatery/cafe and order a specific meal/item to bring the patron to a point in time or a loved one of the past for a "one more time" type of event. This book involves a restaurant is on the seaside town outside of Tokyo, and it allows you time with a loved one. And of course, you need to have the cute animal, which in this case is Chibi, an orange cat.

This book is a quick read and I enjoyed every moment of it, even if it brought me to tears.

Thank you Netgalley, ENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin | Penguin Books, and the author for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

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