This is such a beautiful and heartwarming read. It reminded me a lot of the Before The Coffee Gets Cold series, where characters can visit briefly with loved ones, once, which allows them to heal a part of themselves.
Where I think the Chibineko Kitchen shines, is through the interconnected stories, through featuring adorable cats, and through vivid descriptions of meals with recipes provided to the reader.

I found myself tearing up while reading this book and I was invested in the budding romance between the two main characters. As a vegan, I wasn’t interested in the specific recipes written about and provided, but I could appreciate the addition of them and how including the recipes allows the readers to be able to experience the story through taste as well as sight (or hearing if you’re listening to the book).

I think this is a must-read for translated Japanese fiction readers. My thanks to Viking Books and NetGalley for allowing me an e-copy to review! The book released February 4th and you can get a copy right Meow! 😸

The Chibineko Kitchen is a seaside restaurant where people can order remembrance meals, and sometimes, the dead may appear.

I keep joking that I am in my Asian lit era, but really, I am. At first, it was the cats on the covers that made me look, but I have fallen in love with these quiet and beautiful tales. As with many of the other books I have read, The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen is episodic in structure focusing on four people who were grieving the loss of a loved one. Each meal was a time for the person to remember their dearly departed, and I got to learn about the person who died and some of the best memories the diner had of them. I also eagerly awaited the meal where the person would have the opportunity to see their loved one again.

These stories were all rather touching, and they were emotional too. The story of the husband and wife and the son and his parents slayed me. They were so moving they had me splashing in a puddle of tears. There is just something really lovely about stories of healing and love that get to me. This book pushed me into a reflective mood while also leaving me quite happy. I found myself overwhelmed with feelings but in a good way.

I loved the concept, too. These meaningful meals (which all sounded amazing) gave the diner an opportunity to remember someone who was important to them, who they loved very much, who they missed. But as separate as this interactions seemed, Taahashi connected them, and I thought that was done well. It added a little something above and beyond, and I suppose, it also set the book up for sequels.

Overall, The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen was a heartwarming book which nourished me in many ways. It filled my heart with warmth and joy while also gently reminding me to be more mindful and find my passion while living life to its fullest.

In Japan, by the sea, there is a small restaurant where individuals come to grieve. It is peaceful, and the food is delicious. It’s not crowded, but there is a resident kitten who likes to curl up in the rocking chair and take naps as diners eat. And if you call ahead and order the remembrance meal, then the dishes put before you can bring back sweet memories of the person you lost. Sometimes, you can even have one last conversation before the food gets cold. This is the Chibineko Kitchen.

Kotoko felt like she lived her life in her brother’s shadow. Yuito was a good brother to her, teaching her and looking out for her. But he was also the firstborn son, so she felt like their parents loved him better. He had done well at school and gotten into a good university, but he decided to drop out and become an actor. He was good too. He even got a role on a television show. Sometimes Kotoko went to the theater with him, and on occasion she was pulled up on stage to help out.

But when they were out together, a car was racing towards Kotoko, and she couldn’t move. At the last minute, she felt herself shoved out of the way, but Yuito rescuing her meant that he got hit by the car instead. Kotoko was inconsolable for months, feeling like she shouldn’t have been the one to survive. Her parents were also very sad. The entire family got stuck in their grief and couldn’t move forward. That’s when she heard about the Chibineko Kitchen. She called and ordered the remembrance meal, and then she made her way to the coast.

She followed the white shell path to the small restaurant and met Chibi, the kitten who resided there. The cook, Kai, invited her in and sat her at the table while he cooked for her. He made her a fish dish that her brother had made for her in the past. And as she sat in front of the food, taking in the smells and marveling at how perfect it all was, everything started to change. Sounds stopped as a white fog rolled in, and Chibi woke up and wandered to the meow at the door. Kotoko could hardly believe her eyes as her brother walked in. He sat and she got to talk to him one more time, apologizing for being the one who lived. But Yuito wasn’t upset about that. He just asked his sister for one thing, to try acting again. He thought she had a gift, and he wanted her to share it.

Her time with her brother was short, just the few moments until the food cooled, but it was enough for Kotoko to start to heal. And in the weeks and months that followed, she continued her journey and encouraged others to go to the Chibineko Kitchen and try the food. Her journey from grief spurred others to follow and start to make their own peace with loss.

The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen is a lovely, warming journey through grief told in vignettes about food, family, crying, and moving on. The gentleness of the kitten and the warmth of the food help to bring hope to anyone dealing with loss. Each chapter comes with a recipe from the remembrance meal as well as an unburdening of sorrows for those who partake.

This short book packs a lot of emotion in its healing pages. The cats who inhabit these pages seem to know what the humans need, and the food soothes not just the appetite but the soul. While I think most of us could do well to find a place like the Chibineko Kitchen, we can at least bring our grief to the page and find words that feed our souls and bring us hope for tomorrow. At least, that was my experience of The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen. And while it was sad, it was also healing, so I would recommend this book for anyone seeking help. Just keep tissues nearby. And maybe a nice cup of tea.

Egalleys for The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen were provided by Penguin Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

In the tumult and chaos of my daily life enters the peaceful and wonderfully wrought THE CURIOUS KITTEN AT THE CHIBINEKO KITCHEN by Yuta Takahashi. In this story, guests are offered the chance to revisit their past through favorite meals alongside Chibi, the resident kitten. I was charmed and whisked away like the diners at this out-of-the-ordinary restaurant. Deftly written, this story is the very respite I crave. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

A quick cozy read!

This book is the perfect mixture of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and The Kamogawa Food Detectives.

Though a quick read, the book allows plenty of breathing room, that makes the story feel airy and soft. I love the seaside setting and the fun additions of the recipes between the chapters. I'm looking forward to reading more from this series!

Thank you Penguin Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

If I had a nickel for everytime I read a Japanese book that featured a shop with magic and a cat for a mascot, I would have two nickels, which isn't a lot but it's *great* that it's happened twice!

I really love books that share themes of grief and how to process longing. Emotions are high with this story and it's so beautifully written. I really enjoyed my time experiencing this magical read. If you're in the mood for a beautifully crafted story, with themes of high emotions, nostalgia, grief and a dash of magic, this one is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin publishing group for this eARC!

this was such a good read!! I loved all the 3 chps! 😊💗 thankyou to the author, publisher and netgalley for this arc!! rtc later this month!

A Beautiful, Bittersweet Journey Through Grief and Healing!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for providing me with an ARC of this exquisite book.

Grief suspends us between the past and present, leaving us longing for just one more moment with those we’ve lost. The Chibineko Kitchen captures that longing with remarkable tenderness, offering readers a quiet, deeply moving meditation on love, loss, and the unexpected ways healing finds us.

Nestled in a remote seaside town, there is a small restaurant where the air is thick with the scent of simmering fish and miso soup - a place where a single meal can bridge the gap between the living and the dead. When Kotoko learns of this hidden gem, she dares to hope that she might see her late brother again. And sure enough, the past reaches out to her, offering a bittersweet chance to say what was left unsaid. Through her journey, and those of the other visitors, we witness grief in all its forms: the quiet ache of absence, the weight of lingering regrets, and the fragile hope of moving forward.

This novel is a delicate, profoundly human exploration of loss, told through the lens of food and memory. The writing is warm and immersive, filling the senses with the comforting details of each meal, each gentle moment of connection. While the story follows a somewhat predictable structure, it never feels repetitive - instead, it reinforces the novel’s themes, reminding us that grief is universal, but so is the desire for closure.

Kotoko and Kai are beautifully crafted characters, their pain and resilience making them achingly real. And then there’s Chibi, the tiny resident kitten - not just an adorable presence, but a quiet guardian of the restaurant’s magic, watching over each visitor with knowing eyes.

There’s something profoundly soothing about this book. It doesn’t seek to erase grief or offer easy answers, but it does provide solace - the reminder that love lingers, even in absence, and that sometimes, healing begins with something as simple as a shared meal in memory of those we’ve lost.

As someone who has lost my biological father, a brother, a sister, and a stepfather, The Chibineko Kitchen made me feel deeply seen. My grief, my healing - it was all reflected in these pages. Kotoko and Kai’s story gave me a kind of peace I never expected to find.

A tender, bittersweet read that will stay with you long after the final page. If Before the Coffee Gets Cold or The Midnight Library resonated with you, then The Chibineko Kitchen is a book you’ll want to savor.

Final thought? If such a place truly existed, I think we’d all long for a seat at the table.

As of today, the curious kitten at The Chibineko Kitchen is ready to welcome you - this unforgettable story is now available at all major retailers.

Why is it that books about mortality often seem to feature a cat? I can't explain why, but I can tell you about the most recent one I read: The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen.

The book is a short novel divided in to four interconnected stories. Each story revolves around a "remembrance meal," or kagezen. As the book explains, a kagezen is a meal prepared for a deceased family member. Here, each character has experienced a recent loss. They visit the Chibineko Kitchen where they have a meal "with" their dearly departed. And here, they also get to have one final conversation with that person, and express their final regret.

For the reader, it's an extended metaphor of dealing with grief and figuring out how to move on. The book is sad, contemplative, and comforting. Also, each section includes a recipe of the kagezen the characters share.

I liked the structure of the book, and how the stories built on each other. Although each story was basically the same thing (grieving character visits Chibineko Kitchen, eats kagezen with loved one, leaves comforted and with new zeal for life) they didn't feel repetitive. This is a soothing read that still engages the reader with a difficult topic.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin. I'm voluntarily leaving a review, and all opinions are my own.

Genre: Feel-Good Fiction, Cozy Fiction, Women's Fiction, Japanese Literature

THE CURIOUS KITTEN AT THE CHIBINEKO KITCHEN is a warm hug of a book. The stories of the characters interweave in a lovely and organic way. The main subject is about healing, moving forward, and growing up. Characters come to the restaurant to have a remembrance meal and have the opportunity to talk with a passed loved one—it's a moment where the living character finds resolution and sometimes purpose.

This is a fast and easy read. If you have wanted to find an easy way as an English-speaking person to dip your toe into Japanese fiction, you'll want to read this book—it has all the elements found in cozies from Japan.

Happy reading!

A visit to a seaside restaurant gives grieving characters the chance for one more goodbye with their loved ones. A sweet story about connection and sorrow, and not leaving things unsaid until it’s too late. Maybe shouldn’t have finished this book right before heading out for work, feeling a bit fragile, but we all make choices in life. This perfect for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold-will definitely be picking up more books by this author.

The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen
Meals to Remember at the Chibineko Kitchen Series - Book 1
Disclaimer - This is Not a Romance Genre Book
By Yuta Takahashi, Translated by Cat Anderson

Penguin Books - February 2025 (US English)

Fiction


Kotoko Niki was heartbroken at the loss of her brother. He had died saving her life, but she was now only going through the motions of living. Then, she had learned of the Chibineko Kitchen. There, they would serve a remembrance meal. But not like any she had heard of before. This was one where the deceased might come back for a visit.

So she made a booking at the restaurant. After the meal was served, and she took a bite, time stopped, sounds became echoes, and something amazing happened. Life changing. She would go on to share the experience, and healing, with others.

The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen is a story of loving and healing. It is broken in to four sections, but they are linked together as we see Kotoko's journey. Due to the nature of loss for these characters, the stories are sometimes heart wrenchingly sad, so keep a tissue handy. But the remembrance meal is a chance for them to find peace and closure. I am happy to know that this is the beginning of a series, and am interested to see the next chapter for the Chibineko Kitchen.




Kathy Andrico - KathysReviewCorner.com

The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen by Yuta Takahashi will be published February 4, 2025.

Heartbreaking short stories (all interconnected) of loss, grief and love. A delicious meal and the resident cat will bring you back in time to have one last meal and chat with a passed loved one. Kotoko loses her brother in a tragic way and she is told of a restaurant by the sea with a promised reunion that seems to good to be true.

I loved reading each chapter, their heartfelt encounters and their journey towards healing. As a Filipino, the act of offering food to lost loved ones is a familiar tradition so this was a comforting read in some ways. I particularly loved that there was a recipe shared at the end of each story.

Very reminiscent of stories from ‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold’ by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. If you’re fan, I would recommend this book for you.

I received a copy from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchanged for an honest review. All thought and opinions are my own.

Description
Your table awaits at the Chibineko Kitchen, where a soul-nourishing meal in the company of the resident kitten will transport you back in time to reunite with departed loved ones—for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and The Midnight Library.

In a remote seaside town outside of Tokyo, Kotoko makes her way along a seashell path, lured by whispers of an enigmatic restaurant whose kagezen, or traditional meals offered in remembrance of loved ones, promise a reunion with the departed. When a gust of wind lifts off her hat, she sees running after it a young man who looks like her recently deceased brother. But it’s not her brother; it’s Kai, the restaurant’s young chef, who returns her hat and brings her to the tiny establishment, where he introduces her to Chibi, the resident kitten, and serves her steaming bowls of simmered fish, rice, and miso soup—the exact meal her brother used to cook for her. As she takes her first delicious bite, the gulls outside fall silent, the air grows hazy, and Kotoko begins a magical journey of last chances and new beginnings.

The Chibineko Kitchen is a restaurant by the coast where people can order remembrance meals in hopes their loved ones may appear. If you read and enjoyed Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, you will enjoy this third person Japanese novel. This novel center grief and the loved ones left behind submerge in grief and mourning their loved ones.
I would like to thank the publisher PENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin | Penguin Books, and the author Yuta Takahashi, and NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Great for fans of Japanese translated fiction like "The Kamogawa Food Detectives", this was a sweet, fast-paced collection of interwoven storylines. Each character has lost someone and is looking for closure, and the magical nature of the remembrance meals at Chibineko Kitchen grants it to them. Like a cozy mystery, each chapter ends with a relevant recipe. Really appreciated this addition, as international dishes can be hard to imagine based on names alone and having a sense of the ingredients and preparation is helpful. There were also good explanations of Japanese mourning, burial, and remembrance traditions, which is helpful in understanding the nature of the Kitchen in the first place. The translation was well done, and - this is always the real question with translated Japanese fiction - YES, there is actually a cat!

CWs - Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Bullying, Infertility, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts

The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen is an incredibly cozy read that simultaneously deals with grief in a beautiful way. Reminiscent of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, guests of the Chibineko Kitchen are served a remembrance meal that connects them with the tribute that has moved on to the next world while the meal is still steaming.

I do wish the concept of the steam and warmth of the food was a little different than how the magic works in Before the Coffee Gets Cold, but I do think this story differs enough to be a great work on its own merit. The settings are described beautifully and puts you right into Tokyo and the prefectures included. I loved the character development we were a part of and this sets up the world for a great series.

I would recommend this quick read to anyone that love Japanese culture, slice of life stories, and anyone who needs comforting after someone important to them has passed.

Thank you to Viking Penguin for the advance copy for review!

The book is about the Chibineko Kitchen that serves remembrance meals. It is said that during a remembrance meal you may see or hear a deceased loved one. We start off following Tokoto who is grieving the loss of her brother. She is told by a brother’s friend to visit Chibineko Kitchen. There she sees her brother and decides to go into acting. We then follow Taiji who visits the Chibineko kitchen after finding out that his school friend has passed away. At the kitchen he speaks to the classmate and apologizes for treating her poorly. We then go back to Tokoto as she embarks on a journey to give Kai, the Chibineko Kitchen’s owners son a remembrance meal.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it. I loved the addition of the various cats in this novel and the idea of seeing your loved ones one last time.

Such a sweet book of stories that are quite touching and a reminder of how fleeting life really is. As a huge fan of “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” and “Midnight Library” I definitely want more!
Thanks to Viking Penguin and Goodreads for the advance copy for review!

Four sweet stories make up this whole book. Kotoko who lost her brother, Taiji who lost his friend, Yuito who lost his wife and Kai whose mother just passed away. Each experiences something special when they visit the cafe for a temperance meal.

This book was an interesting read with all of the characters impacted by grief - I was on the edge of tears multiple times. As the story moved along it was interesting to hear more of the history of the Kitchen.

I loved cozy, heartwarming read! If you’re a fan of Japanese fiction, cats, and a little touch of magic, this is definitely a book you need to pick up. I saw a review asking if we really need another Japanese translated book about cats. And to that, I say: Yes. Yes, we do. We need them all.

This book gave me similar vibes to Kamogawa Food Detectives and We Will Prescribe You a Cat, but it also manages to stand on its own with its unique charm. Set in Chiba, the Chibineko Kitchen is a restaurant that offers a very special service: personalized and meaningful remembrance meals for those looking to reconnect with loved ones who have passed. The restaurant’s adorable white and ginger kitten mascot, who always seems to understand exactly what’s going on, is a heartwarming touch.

Did I mention the book has recipes? As a foodie, this really delighted me. The recipes are authentic, delicious Japanese dishes that made me want to run to the kitchen and try them out myself.

The story is told through four interwoven tales, each focusing on different individuals coming to the restaurant for their own reasons. I loved how the ages of the characters vary...ranging from a high school student to an elderly man—reminding us that grief affects us all, no matter our stage in life. The episodic structure was a lot of fun, and I’m really hoping the developing romance between Kai and Kotoko continues in future installments.

On a personal note, this book hit me hard in the best way. Having lost my dad about eight years ago, I would give anything to have one last meal with him and be able to talk to him again. The theme of grief and remembering loved ones really resonated with me, and I think it’ll touch the hearts of anyone who’s experienced loss.

If the recipes don’t pull you in, the cozy, heartwarming vibes definitely will. This book was the escape I needed, and I can’t recommend it enough for anyone looking for something sweet, magical, and filled with heart.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.