Happiness is addictive. Whether in a person or place, it draws us in. Basho Café, a tiny new establishment in the burgeoning East Village (think Hastings and Victoria), has major pull.
This 16-seat café and bakery is run by a family of industry veterans, Miju and Hiroshi Kawai, along with their daughter Moeno. The pair ran Kokoro Japanese Restaurant in North Vancouver and Hiroshi’s Sushi Creations in Vancouver, before opening the café with their daughter.
“Basho” means “place” in Japanese, and much of the magic here has to do with the space. Bright, clean and warm with hand-carved wood, everything here was designed and built by the family, from the small display case on the counter that shows off the daily treats to the colourful bunting, made from triangles of vintage fabric, that are draped across the ceiling. A back table shows off some of the colourful fabric wares made by Miju and Moeno, along with a box of vinyl that rotates over the sound system. Soup is served in deep bowls with wooden spoons, and everything comes on its own wooden tray or plate, even the refreshing house-mixed soda, an effervescent lemon concoction that’s very popular in Japan.
Lest you think it’s all about the place, know that the food is mighty fine and addictive all on its own. The menu is miniscule, just three mains – tuna tataki, teriyaki pulled pork and veggie – that can be ordered as rice bowls or salads ($7.50-$9). Throw in an extra three dollars to make it a lunch set with soup, tea and a plate of baked treats. The tuna is delectable, with a perfect, paper-thin searing that leaves the interior of each slice rare and silky. The light drizzle of ponzu, laced with ginger, brings out the flavour without drowning the dish in sauce. I had this with the surprisingly good salad, decorated with grated carrot, cucumber and daikon, and dressed with miso vinaigrette. Pulled, shredded pork over rice was another pleaser. Despite the “teri” listed on the menu board, this isn’t overly sweet or saucy, just aromatic and earthy, with caramelized onions and small slices of sweet potato. The size is generous, and when paired with the daily soup, makes for a meal that will best even hearty eaters.
The real stars here, though, are the tiny and many-varied Japanese-influenced treats that are baked daily. The soda came with a tiny goma-miso cookie, which led me to the yuzu madeleines, kabocha muffins, mochi-mochi matcha cookies, cocoa-almond cookies and the vegan mochi brownies. At around 50 cents to a dollar a-piece, it’s easy to try several each time with a lovely cup of locally-roasted Handworks coffee ($2.75), brewed by hand by Moeno. Cappuccinos, macchiatos and other brewed beverages are available, as is looseleaf tea, but I would recommend the house chai latte, a vanilla-spice concoction that paired perfectly with the delicate flavour of the cookies and madeleines.
Basho is made for lingering, lounging and savouring both physical and spiritual refreshments. If this is the face of addiction, I’m hooked.
All ratings out of five stars.
Food: ★★★★
Service: ★★★★
Ambiance: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★
Open Wednesday-Friday 9am-5pm; Saturday-Sunday 9am-4pm.
Basho | 2007 E. Hastings | 604-428-6276 | BashoCafe.com | Twitter @BashoCafe
Anya Levykh has been writing about all things ingestible for more than 10 years. Hear her every Monday on CBC Radio One’s On the Coast and find her on Twitter @foodgirlfriday and Facebook.com/FoodGirlFriday. FoodGirlFriday.com
