The Curious Kitten at Chibineko Kitchen is a set of four vignettes, interconnected by the relations to the main character of the first one: Kotoko. People head to Chibineko Kitchen to have a remembrance meal with a departed loved one. It was a short and sweet read that falls into the Japanese magical realism category. It’s a great book to pick up for an afternoon if you want to cozy up with some lost souls who find a little happiness.
This type of story has possibly been over done, and better, but I still found it fast enough to not be annoying and enjoyed the connection between food and loved ones, plus the recipes so you can make things at home, if you choose. Food can be such a powerful binding factor, and this book held on to that idea and made it something enjoyable to consume.

I feel like this story has been told before. Reminded me a lot of The Kamogawa Food Detectives where a special meal is prepared reminding you of a loved one. In this book Kai cooks remembrance meals and while the food is hot and the steam is rising the loved one will appear. This is really four short stories connected by the Kitchen. They were sweet and magical and easy to read. Definitely comforting.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin Viking for providing me with a digital copy.

Come for the adorable art and title, stay for the touching tales about humanity and loving those who are no longer with us. I really enjoyed this book. To call it a delight, wouldn't be quite right because it is a bit sad and made me cry multiple times, but it was a wonderful story about the human condition. As an American without much religious/spiritual tradition, I am always drawn to other cultures treatment and interactions with their dead. I knew going in that this was a book about death, but I didn't expect myself to be crying during my lunch break—it was a beautiful representation of the human condition, managing to be cozy and cute, while still dealing with a tough topic.

This book was both heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time and I say that with the best intentions! It was a beautiful story about grief and the hope we can have alongside it. This story was a gentle way to look at grief and I’d recommend to just about anyone. Loved it!

A sweet story translated from Japanese about grief and hope.

The Chibineko Kitchen (chibineko means ‘little cat’ or kitten in Japanese) has a reputation for helping those that have lost someone close to them deal with their grief. Typically, they are served a remembrance meal which connects them to the person (something that person frequently made for them or a meal they shared with them) and then they’re able to talk to the person in a mystical mist.

I enjoyed this book. It’s very different from the typical Western novels, but similar to other books I’ve read translated from Japanese – delicate, slow, gentle, and a bit other worldly but lovely. And there’s lots of references to food.

Highly, highly recommended. I received a copy of this from NetGallley.com that I voluntarily reviewed.

"The Chibineko Kitchen" is a heartwarming and devastating tale set in a picturesque seaside restaurant. Takahashi masterfully crafts a cozy atmosphere while exploring themes of grief, love, and loss as patrons are given the chance to reconnect with deceased loved ones. This beautiful story expertly balances heartbreak with hope, leaving you emotionally moved and ultimately uplifted. A perfect read for anyone seeking a cathartic cry, a renewed sense of hope, or a poignant reflection on the enduring power of love in the face of sorrow.

Twenty-year-old Kotoko Niki visits the seaside town of Uchibo to have a "remembrance meal" at the Chibineko Kitchen. Kotoko feels responsible for the untimely death of her older brother who had risked his life saving her from a car accident on the street.

The Chibineko Kitchen meal comes with added incentive - the spirit of the deceased being remembered could be seen and heard for the brief moment the food stays warm on the table. Kotoko feels this meal is a way to apologize to her brother.

There are a few other people whose interactions with their deceased loved ones at the remembrance meals are told. Chibineko means "little kitten" in Japanese, and there is a little cat at the restaurant that is often present before and after the meals. When Kai, the son of the restaurant's owner, wants to close the kitchen after his ailing mother passes away, Kotoko seems to find purpose in helping Kai decide whether or not to keep the kitchen open and continue the remembrance meals.

A very cute story of death, loss, the afterlife, and remembrance. With a little magical cat in attendance.

I’ve been watching the k-drama Hotel Del Luna and I really wanted something similar in book form. I stumbled across this gem and instantly fell in love. The story follows four different characters who travel to the Chibineko Kitchen, which specializes in remembrance meals. When someone visits this restaurant and indulges in a remembrance meal, he or she may have the opportunity to communicate with a deceased loved one. At first, I thought that all of the stories were going to be independent but I really enjoyed that all of the stories are interconnected, which made the story that much more enjoyable. It is a cozy, feel-good read (even though I did cry at one point…which means it really touches your heart). I honestly can’t wait to read more stories by this author!

A brother and sister, two classmates, a husband and wife, and a mother and son. Kai and Chibi greet guests of the Chibineko Kitchen and help run the remembrance meal restaurant where loved ones can have a meal and might even seen their deceased loved one for one last time.

This novel has a cozy feel while navigating heavier topics like losing loved ones to illness and accidents. For those that enjoyed the time travel element of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and personalized meal stories of The Kamogawa Food Detectives, I think you will likely enjoy this one. Similar to the other novels I've mentioned, chapters tend to center around one character's story with the restaurant as a through line and each chapter ending in a recipe.

Thank you to Penguin Group Viking Penguin for an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book was published on 2/4/25.

This was the perfect cozy read for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and similar fantasy series set in cafes, restaurants, and bookstores. Thanks to Penguin Books for the opportunity to read this advance digital galley!

My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for an eARC of this title. A popular series in Japan (it appears this is the first of 9 volumes in the series), in a popular new genre. Pets, food, feel good, problems solved. It feels like it is written for the YA market, and written by IA.
If you want something that is sweet and cute and does not require you to engage your brain in any activity, this is it.
1 of 5.

Sweet collection of interconnected stories. In a small seaside town in Japan is a restaurant which serves remembrance meals. A special meal to have one last chance to talk to a love who has pasted on. Loved it.

I like these wholesome stories of going back in time to meet someone you missed. This one is form of a restaurant popping up. I need these stories as a palate cleanser and remind myself that there is still room for hope and dreams.

You will be lured into a restaurant by someone you thought you know only to be served by Chibi, the resident kitten of the restaurant taking you back to your loved ones who passed away. You will be moved into a different timeline to have one more chance. Kotoko was pulled into this restaurant by her deceased brother and she was served the meal he used to prepare for her. Time seemed to stop when she took that first bite and she was somewhere else completely.

If you are into Before Coffee Gets Cold and like whimsical Japanese literature, here is the starter of another series to feed your appetite.

The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen is a tale on working through grief. Kotoko has recently lost her brother, who died saving her life. After a recommendation to visit the kitchen in order to hopefully talk to her brother one last time, she finds her path crossed with Kai. This is a really heartfelt story that almost made me cry at multiple points. I think this is a perfect example of this type of Japanese literature. It's somehow cozy and hopeful while still talking about very hard to deal with topics.

This book was so great, i finished it in no time. I found myself going back to read more at every opportunity. Its so cozy, and comfortable, and brings me to a place of serenity and comfort that nothing else but a beautifully written book could. I love how it all ties together in the end. This is going in my five-star, need to own a physical copy folder.
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Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the chance to read this book!!!

(3.75)
i know that the trope of cafe/restaurant and food/coffee helping people heal is a trend that’s very very popular right now, particularly in japanese literature.

however

there’s a reason for that! these cozy books are quiet reminders to me to hold my loved ones close, but also a powerful testament to the ways in which food and sustenance is so deeply intertwined with our memories, people, and both physical and mental well - being.

i really enjoy how this book helped a diverse range of people from various backgrounds and age find closure from sharing their final words and meals with the deceased, but also how they healed their relationships with the living -- themselves, and the people they meet through these safe and restorative encounters at these mysterious restaurants. speaking to the range of experiences, it was really beautiful to see how these occurrences differed due to the differing stages of life each character was in. the beauty of the human experience was showcased in the nostalgiac heightened feelings from an adolescent crush, to a “see you soon” for the person you grew old with.

this book also included recipes at the end of each chapter which i really enjoyed.

i also love how cats are always apart of the story. so wholesome

thank you to penguin group and netgalley for my advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review and opinion! #TheCuriousKittenattheChibinekoKitchen #NetGalley

This is another of the cozy cat business books translated from Japanese. I wanted something cozy and happy and a little sad like the other books (When the Coffee Gets Cold, The Kamogawa Food Detectives, etc.). So I knew I would end up liking this book. However, I was skeptical that the stories would be compelling because I figured it would be like the others that I have read.
I was wrong. The stories and characters are rather compelling. I was pleasantly surprised with the remembrance meals. I also really liked the way that Kotoko was involved in the various stories.
So if you like Japanese cozy cat books, you will like this one. It does stand out because we focus more on Kotoko who experienced the remembrance meal and then wants to help others instead of the owners of the restaurant.

There was something powerful about each meal that the characters in the book enjoyed. While it was a short read, we experienced many beautiful emotions as the characters went through their grieving process. It made me wonder what I would do if I got the opportunity to have one last chat with a loved one who had passed away while sharing a meal.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the arc~

Grief. Fat Greenling. Peanuts. Plums. Beef. Curious kitten. Loved ones passed on. Oh, an ache in my heart. A rare gem of a book. This, this is beautifully written, saying so much in short order. Never wanted to stop reading, though also desired slowing down and savoring each section. How does one grapple with feelings of guilt over a loved one leaving? If you could speak to your loved one again, what would you say? Please, please read this. So incredibly good. And recipes to boot!

What a touching book! yet still about cafe and cat, idk why j-lit kinda obsessed with these two topics like i am kinda done for it.

Thank you Penguin Books and NetGalley for the ARC as an exchange for honest review.