I love Cibi. I first visited Cibi in Japan, even though this Cibi in Melbourne was the first to open out of the two. Every time we visit Melbourne; we always plan to come here for breakfast. Always.
Cibi is all about serving food that we enjoy and that is good for us. It is simple, delicious, home cooked food with a focus on seasonal ingredients. Each dish is thoughtfully created to nourish “both the body and soul” as their menu states. That’s why we always come back. It succeeds in doing that. The menus are the perfect size, and that is by design. The Japanese have a proverb, hara-hachi-bun-me which means ‘eating until you are 80 per cent full is eating in moderation”. Having said that, I highly recommend you order the largest of the three breakfasts, the Ultimate. It isn’t overly large, but it gives you a chance to taste all the tasty bits and pieces that are included. You can thank me later. Oh, and if you are lucky enough to be 10 years old or under, the kids breakfast is really really good. I wish all restaurants offered this kind of high-quality option for kids.
Another reason we keep coming back to Cibi is that it is the gift that keeps on giving. After taking in the atmosphere and the food, move on to the store, filled with beautiful bits for the kitchen direct from Japan that you never realised you needed until this moment and now they become indispensable. We bought a vegetable peeler one year, for many, many times the price of our own, uninspiring vegetable peeler. At the time it seemed to be a silly purchase but since then it’s a joy to peel vegetables and the kids fight for the right to use the Japanese veggie peeler. It isn’t just a veggie peeler. It’s a vibe. Yes, I know this sounds strange, but buy something from the store and you will get what I’m saying.
The hot chocolate is quite nice. Not sure what it is, where it is from, where it has been and, frankly, I recommend ordering one of their green teas instead. But it is a nice hot chocolate. I’d love to see them offer a dark chocolate/matcha hot chocolate combination, or even yuzu, or even bring in some of the amazing bean to bar chocolate being made in Japan right now! So many options. I feel like I’ve said this before (I just checked, I said the same thing about CIBI Tokyo!!).
Cibi: 33-39 Keele St, Collingwood VIC 3066 Open daily 8am-4pm cibi.com.au
