Cibi: try the green tea muffins
Cibi is a cafe that thinks it’s a gallery. Actually, it is a gallery and regularly holds openings to launch the various (mainly kitchen) products it imports (mainly) from Japan.
Housed in a modern warehouse building on Keele St, the Cibi space features a large open kitchen and grunge cafe mixing found objects and mismatched tables and chairs with a minimalist feel – if that makes sense.
It’s the brainchild of former architecture nut Zenta Ganaka who has curated the collection of absolutely beautiful Japanese kitchen implements it sells. The range includes featherweight but tough glasses made from the same material as light bulbs, kettles, teapots, teacups, graters, bento boxes, pans and ladles.
It includes the Kobo Aizawa black cutlery – the black butter knives you may have seen at Cutler & Co – and I can reveal that Andrew McConnell’s new St Kilda project, Golden Fields, which is set to open in May is working with Ganaka.
But back to the cafe. The coffee (Romcaffe) is pretty good, the green teas excellent, and the food has a great Japanese spin. At weekends the Japanese breakfast featuring rice, great miso soup, salmon and potato salad. Personally, I love the frangipane tarts and muffins too. Especially the green tea ones (pictured up top) which have a layer of red bean paste inside.
And more than anything the place has heart. Cibi is sending money each week to support the Japanese earthquake victims. It’s worth a visit to help them help out if nothing else. Enjoy.
Pingback: Mac Forbes Cibi cellar door