Back around Y2K, we found this quaint place, a Japanese restaurant in a rather seedy strip plaza in an area of Scarborough that you wouldn’t want to drive through at night never mind stop & stay for dinner.
That place was Zen Japanese Restaurant own by Seiichi Kashiwabara and we were hooked and became regulars. My wife’s mother (who’s since passed) would most always come along and he’d always treat her with respect & accommodation. Respect in Japanese culture is a matter of course, but with Seiichi-san, it was always done with heart. He meant it.
But that’s not the speech. Rather, it’s his unassuming impact to Japanese cuisine in Toronto & GTA. His protégé Jackie Lin opened up Shoushin that just earned one-star Michelin; another protégé Li Qiang Zhang opened Cho San. Seiichi-san himself introduced high end Udon to Toronto with Zen Sanuki Udon. And just recently he’s teaming with Takeshi Sato to introduce Toronto Kappo cuisine with Kappo Sato.
That’s major impact. Much has been written of Toronto restaurant entrepreneurs like Mark McEwan, Charles Khabouth, Susur Lee and others. Seiichi Kashiwabara has been no less impactful but done in quiet fashion. Japanese cuisine in Toronto would not be what it is today without Seiichi Kashiwabara. He is the Father of Japanese cuisine in Toronto, in particular at the high-end.
I enjoyed one visit to Zen when it was located in Scarborough. 10 years ago, I was driving to Scarborough, as well as Richmond Hill and Markham, for meals. I still did it occasionally in 2018.
Around 2019, I stopped travelling great distances for restaurants.
I’m curious why you mentioned Khabouth. He’s a restaurateur and night club owner, but I don’t think he’s ever been a chef. I have been to a handful of his restaurants and nightclubs over the years, but tend to give other restaurants my business when it’s my choice. The last meal I had at one of his restaurants was at Sara in 2019.
I also avoid MacEwan’s establishments. Horrid treatment at ByMark, and very bad service at the Italian restaurant at the Shops at Don Mills, a mediocre brunch at One.
Thank you for writing this Stevey. Someone should tell this story in full form. I don’t know of a journalist who could do it. The original Zen never did get much press coverage. I doubt anyone has the in-depth knowledge needed.
