Burnaby residents wishing to travel to Japan will find a slice of home on the south shores of the island nation.
With Mt. Fuji on the horizon from across Sagami Bay, Robinson Harvey and his wife, Hiroko, are serving up comfort food and pouring pints at the Little Burnaby Café.
The Canadian-themed diner is three months from celebrating its one-year anniversary in the beach town of Hayama — roughly 60 km south of Tokyo.
Harvey opened the business in January 2023, three years after he and his wife packed up their bags and moved from Forest Grove to the Far East.
They decided to open Little Burnaby Café on the ground floor of the house they bought, and has said to be a hit with the locals.
Surfers, sailers, scuba divers and beach-goers are regular visitors to the business that includes Dageraad Brewery at its bar.
Robinson's father David Harvey told the NOW that Hiroko missed the B.C. craft beers she came to love in Canada.
And when Dageraad saw what was coming to fruition, they decided to step in.
"This led Dageraad to advise Robinson that there is an importer who brings Dageraad's brew and beers of other B.C. craft breweries to Japan," said David Harvey.
"And that led to Dageraad's flagship 'Burnabarian' Belgian style 'table beer' becoming a top seller at the Little Burnaby Café."
He added ex-pat Canadians living in Japan have also made visits to the café, bringing comfort to those missing their hometowns.
"The whole vibe is conducive to dropping into the café after a day on the water to grab some good food and a great Burnaby beer."
The menu includes pizza toast, specialty grilled cheese sandwiches, spicy potato fries and spicy chicken karaage (a Japanese-style fried chicken).
You can visit the Little Burnaby Café's Facebook and Instagram pages to learn more.
Address: 1572-10 Nagae, Hayama, Miura District, Kanagawa 240-0113, Japan
