The Lion's Den

Ah, what better way to kick off this blog than with a Japaribbean (Yes, that would be Japanese/Caribbean) breakfast joint. I was joined by my two friends, Kimmy and Rozalyn for this adventure. Expect them to pop up a fair bit in this blog.

Anywho, yes, The Lion's Den Cafe is located on Fraser and Kingsway (651 E. 15th Ave., to be exact), and actually just celebrated it's 10th anniversary in September. To top it off, yes, there is actually a real stuffed lion that hangs out on a shelf. His name is/was Junior, and he was donated by Ken's (the Jamaican owner) friend from Winnipeg that raised and lived with Junior all of his life. Ken told us the story personally, as it was our first time at the cafe.

When we entered the cafe, which is a small, cozy hole-in-the-wall, we were greeted by Ken, who was doing a little dance at that very moment. "It's cook your own meal day, guys!" he exclaimed. "You all know how to cook, right?"

"Actually, no. My friend here has managed to burn a house down while making a salad," I replied, pointing towards Kimmy. (No, she hasn't actually managed to do that... yet.) That ended with laughter, us choosing a spot and the menus coming out. It ranged from the standard eggs/meat/grits/toast special to jerk chicken to Japanese pizza. I opted for the breakfast special (scrambled eggs, bacon, pan fries and brown toast, with marmalade) and a Jamaican patty (mixed vegetable), as I was craving plain ol' breakfast with a twist. Kimmy chose a cheese/veggie omelette with pan fries and Rozalyn went with a sauteed veggie sub with a salad.

Considering that it's just Ken and his wife doing all of the work, the service was awesome. Nice, big mugs of coffee to start things off, along with my Jamaican patty. The coffee was perfect and the patty was warm, spicy and delicious. I've never had a Jamaican patty before, but if this is what they're always like, I'm sold.

The main course(s) came about 10 minutes later, and they were well-worth the wait. Kimmy's omelette was huge, Rozy's sandwich was mad-crazy big/tasty and my special was delightful. I could've used more bacon, but then again, I always need more bacon. The toast was THICK and covered in marmalade, which made my heart melt. My only qualm would be that the potatoes were a bit squishy, but hell, they still tasted amazing. There were self-serve coffee refills that were based on the Honour System, which is lovely in my books. All the while, Ken would stop by to see how things were and be just a generally jovial guy with us and the new guests that would come in. It really felt like home.

Overall, The Lion's Den is A+ in my books. (Both of my teammates agree) Great service, tasty food, good portions, friendly atmosphere and good prices. My meal (breakfast special, Jamaican patty and coffee) was $9.23 in total. I suggest this place to anyone and everyone, and yes, I will be returning.... hopefully for jerk chicken and Japanese pizza!

Stay sharp, kids.
Jesse