The Chibineko Kitchen

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 . . .

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

As warm and comforting as the meals it describes . . . Takahashi is skilled at creating cozy, tranquil scenes, with light-dappled, evocative descriptions. . . . The charming characters have moving narratives. The food, which is sensorially described, has a starring role as well, with regional and cultural exposition and recipes at the end of each chapter. Soul-nourishing Shelf Awareness
A warm hug of a novel . . . set at a snug seaside café near Tokyo, where the food offers customers a chance to see the people they've loved and lost AARP
Charming . . . Easy to read, this book will take readers on an emotional and nourishing journey Seattle Times
Heartwarming . . . If you enjoyed Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, you might enjoy this magical tale set in a seaside town outside of Tokyo Savvy Tokyo
Hanako Footman's narration is as warm and delicious as the meals at the Chibineko Kitchen . . . Footman's soft, calm tone and precise pronunciation of Japanese words and places create the perfect ambiance for this translated work steeped in Japanese culture, locations, traditions, and sensibilities. Keep a notepad handy if you plan to capture the recipe in each chapter's transcendent encounter AudioFile Magazine

Yuta Takahashi (1972-) was born in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, where the novel is set. He is the celebrated author of several series spanning historical and contemporary fiction.

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