WHEN his dream of opening a restaurant in Jamaica didn’t materialise, Chef Richardo Boreland moved to Japan with his wife and daughter and opened what he says is the only restaurant in Tokyo with Jamaican cuisine prepared by a native of the Caribbean country.

The son of a chef, Boreland shared that he grew up in the kitchen and always loved to create dishes that would make people smile. He said his father also owned a restaurant in the United States, and he dreamt of one day creating something similar, but never imagined his restaurant would be in East Asia.

He told the Jamaica Observer that his life took a dramatic turn when he met his Japanese wife Natsumi, while working as a chef at Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in Kingston. They fell in love during her many visits to the restaurant and eventually got married. The chef then made the bold decision to relocate his family to Japan in 2011.

The first order of business when they got there was to find a job in the restaurant industry, since Boreland was eager to get back in the kitchen. His wife introduced him to a Japanese native who was interested in opening a Jamaican restaurant, and he jumped at the opportunity to be the head chef.

“They didn’t know anything about Jamaican food. We started that restaurant, and it got very popular. We had a lot of customers… [who] would come because I was there cooking Jamaican food, so I was getting popular,” he told the Sunday Observer.

He shared that he immersed himself in Japan’s culture and took classes so that he could learn their language and speak with customers.

However, as the years went by, Boreland said his desire to open his own restaurant grew, and he started to feel homesick. So, he quit his job and moved his family back to Jamaica in 2017, and went in search of a location for his restaurant.

“I [went] from downtown [Kingston] right up to Liguanea, Half-Way-Tree, Cross Roads — everywhere. I was there for like a year and a half, and I couldn’t find anywhere to do the restaurant.

“Living in Japan for such a while and to go back home, things were kind of a bit difficult. I was [just thinking], if I’m searching for a place to do a restaurant for a year and a half and I can’t find it, I was [thinking] if I go back to Japan, it would be much easier,” he reasoned.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he and his family moved back to Japan. While it was not the ideal time to open a restaurant since businesses globally were shutting down due to the effects of the pandemic, Boreland said he knew things would eventually return to normal.

Determined to make his dream a reality, he got a job to pay his bills and began saving for his restaurant. Four years later, he found a location in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, and began to design his restaurant — One Love Jamaican Kitchen — which he opened in July last year.

“I was just thinking that I want something that really stands out [and] when you come there, you can you can feel almost like you’re in Jamaica. That’s why I put these types of colours and I paint those pictures on the wall, because I wanted someone to feel like when they come inside my restaurant they’re not in Japan,” he explained.

The restaurant’s design features paintings of Jamaican icons Bob Marley and Usain Bolt. Black, green, and gold furniture or fixtures can also be seen throughout the space — a representation of the colours of Jamaica’s flag, which also hangs in the restaurant.

Boreland shared that Japanese people hold great love and admiration for Jamaican culture. As the only Jamaican chef operating a Jamaican restaurant in Tokyo, with other Jamaican restaurants operated by Japanese chefs, he said customers are often drawn to his establishment because of its authenticity.

“When they eat the food, they would be like, ‘Oh, it’s much better than I expected,’ because some of the times when they are thinking about Jamaican food they are thinking that this gonna be very spicy with a lot of pepper. They also think that maybe it’s going to be difficult for them to digest [it], but after they eat it… the impression was different and they love it,” he told the Sunday Observer.

He added that sometimes all they want to do is talk.

“A lot of them are elderly. They have some Jamaican experience already, with some of the old-time bands from Jamaica that used to travel to Japan, and they just want to talk to Jamaicans about their experience,” Boreland said.

He’s also received huge support from Jamaicans in Japan, who often travel two to three hours to get to his restaurant to enjoy a taste of home.

“Recently, I started to make [beef] patties. I saw a Jamaican girl come here yesterday, and when she got the patty she got emotional like she wanted to cry. She said she hadn’t had a patty for so long, so it’s a great feeling to just have a restaurant and see Jamaican people come there to eat Jamaican food.

“A lot of them will tell you they haven’t had Jamaican food in a long time, and you would be surprised to see the effort that people really put [out] to come here. They are coming from really far,” said Boreland, adding that he is overwhelmed by the level of support he’s received.

Jamaican Ambassador to Japan Shorna-Kay Richards, who has visited the restaurant on multiple occasions, described Boreland as a humble and warm individual who unofficially serves as a culinary ambassador for Jamaica.

“The décor, the vibrancy of the place, and the music in the background, it just really captures your five senses as well as the good vibes and energy. It just represents Jamaica in all her cultural aspects,” said Richards.

She shared that often, people in Japan will ask her where they can get authentic Jamaican cuisine in the country and she is happy that she can now direct them to One Love Jamaican Kitchen.

“Since this restaurant opened last year, I have been telling everybody. We have the leaflets at the embassy [in Japan], and when we have functions, we take the brochures there, and we promote it,” said the ambassador.

Richards noted that Japan has a large food culture, and its residents love Jamaican cuisine. She added that the restaurant also provides a place where more than 1,000 Jamaicans living in Japan can get a taste of home, and she is proud to see Boreland represent the culture well.

Meanwhile, Boreland shared that he has big plans for his business and hopes to have multiple locations across Japan.

“I feel really great about representing Jamaica. When the ambassador told me I’m an ambassador, too, I wasn’t even thinking about it, but I was happy to hear it. It’s a good feeling. I really feel proud about it. I love Jamaica with all my heart,” said Boreland.