The story is pretty barebones. Basically main girl Ryou lives by herself ever since her grandma died; her parents are off doing work stuff, and apparently Japan doesn't mind having 15-year-olds living by themselves. Due to circumstances, her relative Kirin transfers to the same weekend school as Ryou, so she stays at Ryou's house every weekend and they cook together. Other things happen, new characters are introduced, but that's the general gist of the story. There's not really any "plot" to speak of, and while there is a general continuity, each episode is fairly episodic.
Art is pretty typical for Shaft. Some of the same visual techniques they use in other shows (masked textures, abstract art, simple colors and gradients) are present here, although the art is much less abstract than their work in Monogatari. The food isn't quite as high quality as Shokugeki no Souma, but it's still pleasing to look at and well drawn and animated. Characters look nice and are well animated, though backgrounds are pretty detailed, all things considered.
The sound is fairly good. This is slice of life, so none of the background tracks really need to stand out. The OP and ED are pretty catchy, and both have gotten stuck in my head a few times.
The characters are fine for what the show is. Sure, they don't develop much, but how much development is expected from a show like this? That's not to say that there's no growth though. Ryou and some of the other characters do develop over the course of the show, as they grow older and think more about various topics. Tsuyuko is always a laugh in the scenes she's in, and Shiina is also pretty enjoyable. Kirin has a tendency to whine, but I didn't find it bothersome.
Unlike Shokugeki no Souma, which is mostly focused on the more professional side of cooking, Koufuku Graffiti's emphasis is on home cuisine. It doesn't have much in the way of technical explanations or advanced culinary techniques, though it does highlight a few home cooking tips every now and then. Instead, it focuses on the feelings and experience of eating the food itself. The central message of the show is that food tastes best when you eat it with people you love, so in a way Koufuku Graffiti is more about people than the food itself. That said, this show will likely make you hungry and might inspire you to try out some of the dishes shown.
