The first word that come to mind for me when it comes to The Curious Kitten at Chibineko Kitchen is charming. This book follows those who come to the Chibineko Kitchen, a restaurant that serves meals that can allow people to talk to the dead for as long as the food is warm. The chapters are structured such that they read episodically with each chapter having a new person coming to the restaurant for a remembrance meal. The tone is generally cozy while also exploring grief. The translation at times felt a little chunky to me, in that I felt I could see the places where the translation was happening as opposed to it flowing smoothly. That said, I enjoyed each of the characters’ stories and believe that I will read the next book in this series. Overall, if you’re looking for a quick read that feels like a nice warm meal this is the one for you.

I am a sucker for a book with a cat on it. This book was both sad and uplifting. The concept of the remembrance meals is great, with your loved one joining you for one last meal.

In this fascinating new novel, readers spend time in a small seaside town outside Tokyo where Kotoko is grieving her brother. Having heard of a restaurant whose kagezen (traditional meals offered in remembrance for loved ones) reunites eaters with the departed, Kotoko is desperate for a meal and literally runs into Kai, the young chef and caretaker of Chibi (the kitten in residence) whose meals remind her of her brother. As she embarks on a magical journey about grief, love, new beginnings, and last chances, Kotoko discovers life after the loss of a loved one with the help of Kai and Chibi. With its whimsical premise and beautiful location, readers will love the fascinatingly immersive nature of the Chibineko kitchen and the detailed descriptions of the food and the healing process. The characters are well-written and relatable, and their growing relationships with other characters and themselves add a lot to the story and their character arcs. The magical nature of the book is detailed and descriptive, and the tangible nature of this magic system makes the setting and premise more relatable. Immersive, emotional, and powerful, readers looking to emotionally connect with a book and its characters will love this brilliant new release and the start to a new series.

Unique and beautiful work of fiction. Set by the seaside, the tale is one of loss and memory. Enjoyed it.

Such a sweet book, I enjoyed all of the food descriptions as well as the recipes! I liked all of the mini stories (4) about death & relationships. It’s such an interesting concept of being able to share one more meal with a loved one, what would you say to them.

Outside Tokyo, in a small town on the Japanese coast, there is a special restaurant called the Chibineko Kitchen. When people make a reservation for a remembrance meal, they all are offered the opportunity to have one last conversation with the ghost of their lost loved ones. While the meals are bittersweet, everyone leaves the experience with a sense of healing and the ability to move forward. In the spectrum of cozy translated fiction, this was enjoyable. We've got the mainstay plotlines of food and cats that are kept from being too cutesy by the emotional heft of mourning someone's loss. There is some repetition during the meals at the restaurant (the ghosts explain the rules to every customer) but I didn't mind as the episodic nature felt comforting. Overall, a cozy and sweet read that doesn't demand too much of its readers.

I have a small collection of Japanese books with cats in the cover, so this was an immediate must read to me. Following the tradition of the remembrance meals (kagezen), which allows the person eating it a few more minutes with a loved one who has passed away. I could not help but think the entire time, if given the opportunity, who would I have this meal with?
This book will make you meditate about life, mortality, forgiveness. It will break your heart and put it back together. It will also give you the recipes in the book and make you hungry. All with a sweet meow here and there. Yoshio's story was my favorite one, so sweet.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Books for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own!

I'd say this falls under the category of "healing fiction"/magical realism, with similar vibes to Before the Coffee Gets Cold -- somewhat bittersweet considering the subject matter, but overall a feel-good read and leaves you feeling hopeful.

I enjoyed the way the author explored how different characters coped with grief, regret, and loss, and the recipes at the end of the chapters made me want to try making them to eat while reading to truly immerse myself into this world, just for a while.

The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen is a soothing blend of magical realism and culinary comfort. It delivers a warm, authentic exploration of grief—anchored by food, memory, and the quiet companionship of a curious kitten.

A sweet, heartwarming read!

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

For fans of The Kamagawa Food Detectives and Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this book is a warm cup of tea and a cozy blanket. The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen tells the story of a small restaurant with a cat mascot that is able to prepare dishes that connect people to the loved ones they've lost. While the mystery of the book is very gentle, it keeps the pace of the book quite well. It has comfort, mystery, and even a love story. I can't wait to read more of this fantastic world.

That’s what makes The Chibineko Kitchen such a beautiful and comforting read. This cozy story is about a unique restaurant that serves remembrance meals, or kagazen. While it offers regular dishes, the restaurant has a magical twist—its warm, fragrant steam can bring back the spirits of loved ones, giving grieving customers a chance to say all the things they couldn’t before.

I enjoyed this story.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

I picked this book up wanting to ease back into Japanese lit with a short book but wound up unfortunately picking it up right after a few deaths in the family so shelved this for a while until the time was right. It could certainly be the time in my life or my own ability to relate to the characters in the novel, but this was a lovely, cathartic story that handles the struggles of loss in a way that is fantastical yet relatable. Customers of the Chibineko Kitchen are able to enjoy a final remembrance meal with a loved one and converse with them for a short time. It begins with Kotoko's struggling with the loss of her brother and was initially a weak start to the story. But as the vignettes intertwined with the characters for each progressive story, I began to enjoy the book more and more. There's even a recipe at the end of each chapter to recreate the remembrance meal mentioned.

If you enjoyed Before the Coffee Gets Cold or the Traveling Cat Chronicles, this may be a great read for you. Thanks to Penguin Books for the eARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen is a Japanese magical realism book that talks about grief, loss and hope in a healing way.
It includes four short stories about different people who are grieving a loss and visit the Chibineko Kitchen in hopes of sharing one last meal with their loved ones. Despite dealing with heavy themes, this book has a very cozy atmosphere and it's a really heart-warming, comforting read. It reminded me a lot of Before the Coffee Gets Cold.
I enjoyed seeing how all the stories were connected and the recipes were very nice additions! I also have to say Cat Anderson did a wonderful job translating this to English! I really look forward to reading the other books in the series.
～Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for the ARC!

i read this on my travel home from peru, between the flight from cusco, peru to bogota, colombia and the 7 hour layover in bogota. this was only 192 pages, but i was so tired so it took me a while to read. i did really enjoy this. it seems that many japanese books follow the same idea of food and the comfort food can bring. i really liked this take of it. it was fast-paced and fun. i liked how all the four stories were connected, which made it more enjoyable. also, i was reading this book while hungry and it was a little rough. thanks for the arc netgalley!

Very sweet and delicately written. Very cat focused which is a plus for some, haha. Wish the characters were linked more but I understand it representing the way people pass through others lives

I love cozy books like this so much!! I can't wait to see more from this author, I had a really enjoyable reading experience. 5/5 stars!

This was an absolutely lovely story about loss, grief, memories and food. The Chibineko Kitchen serves a "remembrance meal" which commemorates a lost loved one. But in a sweet twist of magical realism, many patrons actually get to share one last talk with the person who has passed on. The stories intertwined and were so sweet, the food sounded delicious, and I just loved this book.

3,5 stars

Thank you, Netgalley and Viking Penguin, for providing me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is perfect for readers who liked (and miss) Before the Coffee Gets Cold, but with its own twist. There is no time travelling exactly, but the intertwined themes of regret and grief are handled in a similar episodic way.

The premise is simple enough. The magic of the remembrance meals for the dead allows grieving family members or friends to have a final conversation with someone who has passed. This conversation will only last as long as the meal is warm, since the dead can only consume meals through the steam/smell of each dish. I thought this was very smart and made sense of the whole ritual too.

Personally, the last meal/conversation was the most emotional for me, and I actually could feel the threat of tears. I think what I liked a lot in Before the Coffee Gets Cold was how the cafe has a ton of lore and even personality with a found family element that made it all the cozier. This one has less of that, but does have a cute little cat!

Overall, this was a fast-paced but impactful read, so I would definitely recommend it. I just wish there had been more depth to the story at times.

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc!


The Curious Cat at the Chibinekko Kitchen follows the story of a restaurant where a miracle happens. You eat a remembrance meal for someone you care for and you just might see or hear them…

I absolutely LOVED this book! First up, the descriptions of the food alone had me salivating. It all sounded so delicious and I adored that they gave a how to cook it as well. I found myself earmarking the pages to go back to at a later date so I can make these dishes myself.


The story is perfectly paced and follows mainly 2 characters (plus a bonus one or two) They each have stories in their own right and they come together beautifully. I found myself crying on more than one occasion. Even though this is on the shorter side I connected with every single one of these people. I felt their pain, their disappointment, their regrets. Life has a way of sneaking up on you and reading this reminded me to enjoy every single second of it. Whether you live to be 80 or 25 or 10 life is a gift. And I so enjoyed re-learning that lesson.

I can’t wait to read more from this author and hopefully from this world. It felt like a warm hug and a must read if you’ve ever lost someone you cared about. Maybe make a remembrance meal for them. And think of Chibi while you eat. 5 stars.

The Chibineko Kitchen makes remembrance meals that just might bring your loved one back for the length of that meal. The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen is the story of this cafe and four persons who find solace in a remembrance meal. You start with Kotoko who has recently lost her brother when he saves her life from an oncoming car. While she is grieving a friend of his tells her about a cafe they used to go to, the Chibineko Kitchen. She is told that there is a rumor that a remembrance meal can bring their loved one back one last time. Kotoko then drives the rest of the novel by first telling a school boy who just found out about the death of a classmate he thought he hurt right before she disappears. Then Kotoko realizes that she did not met the woman who owns the cafe when she was there and is wondering what occured. She learns her story through the process of helping provide a remembrance meal for a family friend. Finally, Kotoko creates a meal for Kai, the son of the owner.

If you are familiar with Before the Coffee Gets Cold, then you are familiar with The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen. It is structurally the same with four supernatural scenes that revolve around a cafe and there are rules for the experience. This is an enjoyable book but feels so close to the others that there is no drama or strong pull to finish the book quickly. If you like these cozy stories then this one is enjoyable but I would not go out of my way and recommend it.