Jamaican chef bringing authentic island vibes to Tokyo

TOKYO – 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. (Jamaicaobserver)