a meal to remember

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.