The Lion's Den Café

Ken and Junko Brooks’ one love is their restaurant, The Lion’s Den Café. It is the heart of the commercial strip where Fraser Street meets Kingsway and a dozen small businesses have opened and thrived. But long before the French bistro or the minimalist coffee shop, The Lion’s Den single-handedly served neighbourhood residents. It has since become an institution.

On September 9, 1999, at 9:09 am, Ken, a veteran of the service industry opened the restaurant and named it One Love. Originally from the Bahamas, Ken served home-style Caribbean food.

It was a hit from the very beginning. Friends, family and foodies would come across Vancouver to be in Ken’s famously friendly company. Less than three months later, he had to hire someone to help him in the kitchen. That’s how he met his future wife, Junko Tanabe. Junko’s work ethic and love for cooking made her a force in the kitchen. She’s cooked nearly every plate of food that’s left the kitchen ever since.

You’ll find Ken and Junko in the restaurant seven days a week. Ken greets all the customers like family, calling them “my sister from another mister” or “my brother from another mother.” “This is not a restaurant,” says Junko, “This is a mom-and-pop place. This is my dining room.”