In July 2023, C’est Japon à Suisha will serve its last dinner service. No longer will Ottawans hear “Please watch your step” as they step over the threshold into the dining room. The owner, Masanori Arai, has no plans to re-open in the future.
To be honest, when I first heard rumours of its closing, I panicked. This was my go-to restaurant for 20 years, whether it was for a celebration, or if I needed a pick-me-up or if I just wanted to eat some damn good food. Without knowing it, this restaurant and its previous incarnation, Suisha Gardens, had become a central part of my life . . . heck, a lot of people's lives.
I had to document it before it closed down.
In March 2022, I walked up the steps of the restaurant to introduce myself to Arai-san and pitched a documentary project.
Amazingly enough, he agreed. And over the next 15 months, I would come back multiple times to explore and document the restaurant, its people and a small portion of its history.
I hope you’ll join me as I try to honour the legacy of a restaurant that has been part of the Ottawa community since 1974.
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