CIBI was established in July 2008 by Meg and Zenta Tanaka

Created as an expression of their way of living, CIBI is a concept that is a blend of their experience in food, wine, design and architecture. Japanese sensibilities and their evolving Australian lifestyles are combined to create a world that is warm and welcoming while being exciting and refreshing. Above all else, it should appeal to the three driving elements that drive CIBI; head, hands and heart.

Based loosely on the 3 key Japanese elements (衣食住) required for enjoying your personal environment and bringing happiness to daily life.

 

Head, Hands, Heart
Not just clever alliteration, CIBI products are designed and made to appeal to the head, hands and heart.

Whether food, design or architecture, CIBI aims to provide products and services that enrich the lives of all our customers, friends and family.

 

CIBI – A little one.

In Japanese, chibi means ‘a little one.’ There was a time when we were all chibi, enjoying that pure and innocent time in life when we could do whatever we liked. Cibi is always curious, looking and touching all sorts of things, exploring and playing with different objects in myriad and often unexpected ways. We treasured our favourite things with a natural sense of delight, cibi always fills a space with warmth.

CIBI celebrates those precious times and pleasurable moments, when everything was fresh and full of possibility, reaching out to touch the child in all of us. CIBI brings out your ‘little one’, to refresh your curiosity, encourage a sense of discovery and create the warm feeling of a special place.

 

CIBI Food philosophy - A celebration of local produce and culture

“I grew up in a small traditional Japanese town, living with my large family in a small neighbourhood. We always had relatives close by and everyone ate locally and seasonally. The growing, cooking and enjoyment of food were closely aligned with the changing seasons and deeply embedded in our lives.

Each season was known for its vegetables, fruit, river fish and seafood, starting with the sprouts of wild mountain vegetables in spring, through summer greens, to autumn pumpkins and the all-important rice harvest. Seafood and river fish had their own cycle of what is running and best eating throughout the seasons. Everyone had their own plots, so a flow of fresh produce and seafood was exchanged between family and friends throughout the year, with the excess preserved naturally and stored to add variety and ensure a healthy balance.

Today we treasure this approach to food, but as a cibi (little one) that’s just how it was. It came naturally to eat local and fresh because it was the best available and cheapest — as well as the tastiest because most of it went straight into the kitchen and never even got as far as the fridge. There were no packaged foods because everything we needed was accessible.

The art of presentation, from hearty winter one-pot dishes to elaborate New Year’s feasts also reflected local arts, crafts and manufacture in the selection of pottery, wood and metal dishes that we used. It is a growing cycle of cooking and eating culture that has evolved locally in towns and cities throughout Japan for many centuries. No wonder it came naturally!

Living in a big city you can easily forget how good the quality of simple, local living was. At CIBI, our cooking is a direct expression of the Japanese food culture I grew up with. Starting with quality rice as the base, we match a variety of ingredients from fresh vegetables, fish, and meats through to seaweeds and beans, to create simple, thoughtful and balanced meals.”

 Meg Tanaka - Co-Founder

 

CAFE

CIBI cafe - Welcome to simple heart-warming cooking

We all know how food can bring us together, warm our hearts and fill our stomachs at the same time. The CIBI café is the result of all our values, philosophies, loves and designs coming together to create a space that is warm and inviting.

With wholesome food, aromatic coffee, eclectic furniture, welcoming decor and warm conversation, CIBI is a space where people can gather and chat – enjoy food and inspire each other. Then take their discoveries and treasures home with them.

We serve Japanese breakfast plates inspired by Meg's grandmother’s home cooking. It’s a treat of Japanese home cooking that touches on childhood flavours and way of life.

 


EVENTS AND SPACES

CIBI kitchen - At the heart of special occasions

Beyond the CIBI kitchen, we enjoy bringing our food and eating philosophy to a small number of outside events. Our thoughtful menus, stylish dishes, and warm service can enhance the enjoyment of your special occasion.

We love to tailor the menu and service to each event, using cultural and seasonal cues to create a memorable presentation and meal. Each menu is born of the belief that the food we cherish every day is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We aim to excite and please our eyes, intellect, body and soul.

 

CIBI Design Store

The CIBI Design Store focuses on essential goods that you can treasure like a child. When searching for new items to carry, the CIBI team constantly looks for items that have a special appeal, attract the eye, stimulate curiosity, and will be a ‘keeper’. We take personal delight in our range of products that tick these boxes.

Japanese artisan ware.

Our fine pieces made by Japanese artisans are imbued with tradition, culture, and history. These select products are not only made with expertise but with the elusive notion of ‘iki’, a kind of ephemeral expression of simplicity, spontaneity and unselfconsciousness. These products are the result of an appeal to the head, hands and heart, giving them an essential quality and warmth you can treasure for life and feel a special attachment.

Our pieces offer an excellent value by combining production processes that provide large-scale consistency with the quality and attention of small, handcrafted lines.

 

CIBI original goods - Creating the things we’d love to have

When we can’t find exactly what we want, we make it. We create a range of original products from lifestyle and fashion to furniture and architecture. We believe designs should be simple, functional and efficient and at the same time warm, inviting and intriguing to elicit a response of joy and appreciation.