In the previous book The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen that came out last year , the reader is introduced to the magical restaurant The Chibineko Kitchen, where customers who have lost a loved one can have one last remembrance meal with them as long as the meal is still steaming. In this new installment in this series, the setup is completely identical as in the previous book, be it with different main and side characters. In the first chapter we are introduced to Nagi, a young woman who has an illness and is told by her doctors she has only five years left to live. She recently has a new boyfriends, but she is struggling with the facts of her illness and that he wants to marry her, altough her future is unsure. She is in need of advice from her mom deceased mother, and during a magical remembrance meal at the Chibineko Kitchen, she gets the chance to talk with her mom for one last time. The other stories are about a man who lived inside his house for years, a theater director who hopes to revive his career after he experienced a tragic accident, and who wants to talk to his los son at the Chibineko Kitchen, and an elderly person who wants to talk to its partner who has passed away years ago. In the Chibineko Kitchen, which is run by chef Kai and restaurant worker Kotoko, and the restaurants Calico cat they Chibi, they all see their loved one for a last chat and meal. They all get new insights in life because of this meal, and are reminded what matters most in their life, which is their loved ones.
Just as the previous book (read my review of it here) the book is a short but beautifully written novel, orginally from Japan. It is also fun that the character of Kotoko returns in this book, as an employee of the restaurant where she pays a visit to in the first novel. And just as the previous book, the short stories of all the different characters that change in every chapter (except for the restaurant staff and cat) where all very moving, entertaing, and the remembrance meals they enjoyed at the restaurant with their lost loved ones, where beatifully portrayed, And just as in the previous novel, the magic in this book was dosed just right, not too much, just the right amount to make the stories a bit of fantasy, but also very believable and realistic on the other side, as all the characters are dealing with serious losses of family.
This is another fantastic new book in the Chibineko Kitchen series that is now available in English. Don't miss out on this brilliant new Japanese book!
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