From cheesy poutine to maple salmon, a newly opened Canadian restaurant in Japan is putting our cuisine on the map.
Located in a mostly residential area of Osaka, the small cornflower blue building by a busy road seems like an unlikely place to stop for maple whisky or ice wine. But if you’re a tourist or an expat from Canada stepping inside Ride On!, you’re likely to find a slice of home away from home.
If you’re in Sikai in Osaka, you can’t miss the cafe and bar — just keep an eye out for the giant Canadian flag by the entrance. Inside are more Canadian flags strung along the ceiling of the cozy cafe that transforms into a bar with live music at night.
“I want [guests] to feel like they are in Canada,” explained owner Aya. “It’s obviously in Japan, but the inside of the cafe looks like a lodge. And I put a wall sticker of lakes and the Rocky Mountains. My Canadian customers and people who’ve been to Canada say it’s nostalgic.”
A Canadian dream
Supplied
It all started with Avril Lavigne.
Aya has long been into motorcycles; she even appeared on TV shows and in magazines about them. But her next great love is music, and the singer-songwriter has even written songs about riding. She said that one of her favourite artists is Avril Lavigne.
“Before I started to learn about Canada, my image of Canada was Avril Lavigne. I love her!” she said. “But honestly, other Japanese people don’t have anything to say about Canadians unless they’ve been there.”
Then in 2017, she met a band from Canada and they quickly became friends. So Aya said she started studying English before visiting the group in Vancouver. After her travels, she knew it was time for a change.
“Visiting Canada changed my life,” she shared. “Four years later, I got a visa to live and work in Canada temporarily, and I moved.”
Aya with her band in Canada (Supplied)
While living in Vancouver, she worked as a server, formed a band named Ayasen Canada, bought a motorcycle, and travelled across Canada. She recalled visiting Calgary, seeing the Rocky Mountains, and trying poutine at La Banquise in Montreal.
“I think Canadian food is one of my favourites. I love lobster, salmon, poutine, etc.,” said Aya. “What surprised me was the quantity of cheese in the poutine!”
However, living in Canada proved challenging with Vancouver’s sky-high rent. Aya found herself living in a house shared with 12 housemates from Japan, and she was surprised that the rent was even higher than in Tokyo.
Supplied
Despite that, she has fond memories of living in Canada, where she met people from Korea, the Philippines, Mexico, Italy, and fellow Japanese travellers. She also noticed several cultural differences between Canada and Japan.
“For example, we don’t talk to strangers that much, so I enjoyed greetings with neighbours, people in a bus, and people even gave me compliments on my fashion,” she explained. “Only old people do that in Japan, but I think it’s one of the nice cultures of Canada.”
But after several years in the Great White North, Aya said her visa expired, and she finally returned to Japan in April 2024.
“It was very sad,” she said.
A new opportunity
@canadiancafe.rideon/Instagram
Leaving Canada wasn’t easy for Aya, but back in her hometown of Osaka, life offered her a fresh start — a cafe owner that she knew was closing his business and was looking for someone to take over.
“I got so excited about what would happen if I owned a restaurant to introduce Canadian food,” she recalled. “It’s, of course, rare and Japanese people don’t know what Canadian food is like. But like how Italian food became common, I thought it’s possible to make it more familiar to Japanese people.”
She pointed out that while it was easy to find Japanese food while living in Canada, the same can’t be said for Canadian food in Japan. She also decided to name her cafe and bar after one of her songs, “Ride On!”
@canadiancafe.rideon/Instagram
In addition to her experience in the Canadian restaurant industry, Aya said she used to help sell takoyaki at her grandfather’s takeout shop. Finally, in February, she opened her restaurant with a menu filled with Canadian comfort food and classics.
“We serve maple salmon, rosemary chicken grill, roast beef steak, fish and chips, chicken wings, and poutine,” she said. “Some foods are not Canadian food, but still, those are common foods in Canada.”
And behind the bar at Ride On! are fully stocked shelves.
@canadiancafe.rideon/Instagram
“We serve maple whisky, Canadian whisky, Empress Gin, ice wine, and other liquor and beer,” added Aya.
And for sweet treats, Aya has sold butter tarts and maple cookies. Sourcing cheese curds for poutine has been a challenge, though, so instead, the restaurant uses mozzarella. But if you simply must have cheese curds, you can opt for the real deal for an extra charge. Canadians looking for a taste of home will certainly find it at Ride On!
However, sharing Canadian cuisine and culture with locals has come with some hurdles.
@canadiancafe.rideon/Instagram
“Some people say, ‘What’s the difference between Americans?’ I’m sorry, I know it’s an uncomfortable question for Canadians,” shared Aya. “So I explain that these are different countries and they have different cultures.”
She also found that younger Japanese are more willing to try Canadian food, while older customers stick to more familiar dishes like roast beef.
“I’m struggling with whether I should make food more Canadian or more Japanese for business,” she said. “It’s challenging.”
Poutine served at Ride On! (@canadiancafe.rideon/Instagram)
But Canadians and those who’ve been to Canada have embraced the restaurant wholeheartedly.
“Even if you haven’t been to Canada, you can feel like you’re in a different world from the Japanese environment,” said Aya. “They said thank you to me for having a Canadian theme. And they even came back again! I was so happy to make Canadian people happy.”
@canadiancafe.rideon/Instagram
Despite initial misgivings, locals appear to have warmed to the restaurant’s Canadian concept, and one dish seems to unite diners regardless of their background.
“Poutine is the best seller,” Aya shared.
Although rare, Canadian restaurants have made their mark in different cities worldwide, such as a Vancouver-themed restaurant in London and a Canadian pub in Mexico.
AloJapan.com