The Chibineko Kitchen

by Yuta Takahashi

Snappy Review

Just when you need something hopeful, something whimsical, and something beautifully written The Chibineko Kitchen arrives to warm your heart.

Book Synopsis

Follow the bank of the Koitogawa river until you reach the beach. From there a path of white seashells will lead you to the Chibineko Kitchen. Step inside, they’ll be expecting you.

These are the directions Kotoko has been given. She arrives at the tiny restaurant, perched right by the water, early in the morning. Still reeling from the sudden death of her brother, she’s been promised that the food served there will bring him back to her, for one last time.

Taking a seat in the small, wood-panelled room, she waits as Kai, the restaurant’s young chef, brings out steaming bowls of simmered fish, rice and miso soup. Though she hadn’t ordered anything, Kai had somehow known the exact dish her brother always used to cook for her. And as she takes her first delicious bite, the gulls outside fall silent and the air grows hazy . . .

If you could meet someone you’ve lost, one last time, what would you tell them?

Soul-nourishing and heart-warming, The Chibineko Kitchen will help you remember what matters most in life.