Multicultural Magic of Cafe Japon

About the Book

Imagine a restaurant where everything is made from scratch, drawing on diverse cultures from around the world. Now, add the dimension of freshly baked baguettes, croissants, and other baked treats. The vision in your imagination would now be approaching a small, unique restaurant in Ann Arbor, Michigan – called Café Japon – which operated from 2006 through 2011. Café Japon developed a cult-like following among those who knew and appreciated the results of this difficult approach to restaurant food preparation. The magic of this restaurant ran so deep in its followers that, even now in 2021, they are asking when Café Japon will re-open. This cookbook provides a bridge between the present reality, and the fond memories people have of eating at Café Japon, by providing “how to” recipes and instructions for the preparation of many of the dishes formerly served at the restaurant. This cookbook is called “Multicultural Magic of Café Japon” to acknowledge how deeply this unique approach to restaurant food resonated with devoted customers.

About the Author

Miyoko Honma grew up in Tokyo, enjoying tastes from around the world while attending school in a fashionable area of Tokyo. Her mother owned a restaurant and liked to innovate with food. Miyoko inherited this innovative spirit and was continuously encouraged by her mother to experience the diversity and quality of food that was available to her. This experience immigrated to the United States along with Miyoko in the late 1970s. Although she pursued a daytime career as a manager in the automotive industry, she maintained an enthusiasm for tasting great food, along with a curiosity about how to properly prepare it. When she had the opportunity to retire from the automotive industry, she immediately went to the French Culinary Institute in New York (currently known as the International Culinary Center) to accelerate her learning about higher levels of food preparation, based upon the French foundations of baking. When she later opened Café Japon, she applied her rich family history, as well as her newly acquired knowledge about higher levels of food preparation, to devise a unique approach for the restaurant. From the start, she insisted upon everything being made from scratch, and upon providing an extensive menu selection derived from the many different cultures that she had experienced and enjoyed. Now, she has decided to share this knowledge and experience in this cookbook.