PRIDE ON THE LINE

Toronto's Japanese restaurants are finding it harder than ever to find qualified chefs. The reason? An unintended side effect of government policy

- NICHOLAS KEUNG

From the way he slices the raw fish to the ingredients he picks and the placement of utensils and teapots at his restaurant, chef Seiichi Kashiwabara is stubbornly meticulous in trying to give his patrons an authentic Japanese dining experience.

For four decades, beginning even before sushi and ramen became popular in Canada, the chef, now 65, has been dishing out traditional Japanese food to please Canadians' palates.

What's most gratifying is when his Canadian customers - and sometimes compatriots say his food tastes exactly like what they had in Japan.

"I came to Canada because I wanted to introduce sushi to Canada," said Kashiwabara, who arrived in 1984 to work in one of Toronto's first high-end sushi restaurants, which he later took over from the retiring owner and renamed Zen. It's now located in Markham.

Although there are more pressing issues than trying to whet Canadians' appetite for authentic Japanese cuisine, the chef says recent government immigration priorities have unexpectedly put his pride on the line. And it's an example of how recent immigration changes may have unintended consequences for people and businesses.

For years, Japanese restaurateurs here have relied on skilled chefs from back home to fill their labour needs, primarily because of their shared language, food culture and work ethic. Many of those chefs, initially here on work permits, would end up becoming permanent residents.

These days, Kashiwabara and other Japanese-owned restaurants say they are struggling to attract these chefs. And it's not because they're not interested in coming.

Recent changes in the immigration system, they say, have left  out highly skilled Japanese chefs, who can't get enough points for permanent residence because the cut-off scores are too high.