Café Ohayo: A Japanese Café Gem on Mont-Royal

Café Ohayo, located on Avenue Mont-Royal, offers delicious Japanese small plates and excellent coffee in a modern, bright setting.

Hiroshi Kitano was born in Japan, where he began cooking at the age of 17. After spending a few years in New York, he ended up in Montreal and immediately fell in love with the city. The self-taught chef opened three restaurants in quick succession with his former partner, Hanhak Kim: Otto Yakitori, Bistro Otto, and Bar Otto. After the opening of the latter, Hiroshi decided to return to his roots and separate from the Otto group. Bistro Otto then became Kitano Shokudo, which is now one of our favorite Japanese restaurants in Montreal. It was here that the chef formed a friendship with Samath Mom, who manages the dining room while Hiroshi handles the kitchen.

When the neighboring space, formerly occupied by La Panthère Verte, became available, the opportunity was too good to pass up for Hiroshi and Samath. “I’ve always wanted to own a café. I love coffee! The location next door was perfect: it’s right beside our spot, it’s a corner space with large windows that let in beautiful light—ideal for what we wanted to create!” says the chef.

Named Ohayo (meaning simply “Good Morning” in Japanese), this charming café offers delicious Japanese small plates, including several vegetarian and vegan options.

The space was designed by Samantha Lapierre and Hiroshi. The décor is simple, modern, and bright. Customers place their orders at a large wooden counter that separates the dining area from the kitchen, where beautiful small dishes are prepared and served.

Japan Meets the West

The Café Ohayo menu is a tribute to yōshoku, Western-inspired dishes with a Japanese twist—a genre very popular in Japanese cuisine. The menu may be short, but everything is delicious. The keema curry, made with ground beef and pork, is flavorful. Special mention goes to the spicy vegan tantan ramen with its sublime white miso and sesame broth (one of our favorite ramen dishes in Montreal!), as well as the Ebi burger—a generous fried shrimp patty coated in panko, served on a brioche bun with yuzu mayo.

There’s also a hearty fried chicken burger, a tamago sando (egg salad toast), seasonal specials like an egg and fish roe sando or chicken karaage, and excellent thick-cut, wavy fries served with a choice of garlic or yuzu mayo. “I love potatoes!” the chef laughs. In short, everything is fantastic.

To drink, they serve Monogram Coffee from Alberta, soon to be replaced by Yamabiko coffee from Sutton. They also offer teas, sodas, and fresh house-made juices. A selection of takeaway sake will soon be added to the menu.

Enjoy the discovery!Haut du formulaire

Written by Jean-Philippe Tastet
Photography by Alison Slattery

Last update: October 15, 2024

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