Smørrebrød · Frikadeller · A small Danish corner
A Danish cafe in Ontario. Hidden in a Laurelwood plaza.
The Java Garden is the cafe people who grew up Danish find by accident and never let go of. Smørrebrød on dense rye, frikadeller, imported Danish candy, and a tone of hospitality that takes its lead from Copenhagen rather than King Street.
What “Danish-inspired” actually means here
Five touches you will notice if you know what to look for.
Smørrebrød
Open-face, dense rye, careful hands.
Five rotating builds. Egg-and-shrimp is the classic. Frikadeller for the people raised on it. Sole for the people who recognise the gesture.
Frikadeller
Danish pork meatballs, gently pan-fried.
Served on rye for the open-face, or in the catering board for parties. We do not over-spice. The point is the meat and the texture.
The candy shelf
Imported Danish candy by the gram.
A rotating selection from Danish importers. Liquorice, gummies, hard candy. The shelf changes every few weeks. Gift baskets pull from here.
Hospitality
Hygge tucked into a plaza.
Quiet table, low light at the right hours, the same hands serving you each time. The Danish word is "hygge" and we will not over-translate it.
The cinnamon bun
Iced. Warm. Wide.
Sweeter than the Danish original, in fairness, but the technique came from there. The bun is the gateway for people who never knew Danish baking was a thing.
The pace
Slow lunch, on purpose.
We serve the smørrebrød to people who want to sit. The cafe is not a fast-casual line. Eat with a knife and fork. Take half an hour.
The five smørrebrød we make
A Danish lunch, one slice at a time.
Egg & tomato
The simplest. Sliced hard-boiled egg, sliced tomato, mayonnaise, dill, salt. The smørrebrød a kid in Aarhus eats after school.
Egg & shrimp
A classic on every Danish lunch counter. Cold shrimp, egg, lemon, dill. Eat it with the lemon squeezed at the last moment.
Frikadeller
Danish pork meatballs on rye with red cabbage and pickle. A little heartier, the lunch you order on the cold day.
Roast beef
Thin-sliced roast beef, fried onions, remoulade, capers. The Danish lunch crowd has fights about how much remoulade is correct.
Sole
Breaded sole with remoulade and lemon. The fishmonger smørrebrød. Quietly the favourite of people who grew up with it.
Find the cafe
In Waterloo, in Ontario.
The cafe is in the Laurelwood Plaza, on the north-west edge of Waterloo. Ten minutes from the University of Waterloo. An hour and a half from Toronto. A drive most Danish-Canadians in the region tell their friends to make.
- Is there a Danish cafe in Ontario?
- Yes. The Java Garden in Waterloo. We are Danish-inspired rather than strictly traditional, but the smørrebrød, frikadeller, imported candy, and hospitality come straight from the heritage side of the menu.
- What is smørrebrød?
- A Danish open-face sandwich. One slice of dense rye, butter, a protein layer, and a careful arrangement of fresh things on top. Eaten with a knife and fork, slowly. We offer egg-and-tomato, egg-and-shrimp, frikadeller, roast beef, and sole.
- What kind of Danish food do you serve?
- Smørrebrød, frikadeller (Danish pork meatballs), Danish-style cinnamon buns, imported Danish candy, and a rotating Danish-touch baked-goods selection. The signature soup is not strictly Danish, but the recipe was shaped by Danish frugality.
- Are you actually Danish-owned?
- Owner Dan Dudack runs the cafe and built the menu around the Danish-touch idea. We are family-run, not part of a chain or a franchise, and the Danish element is genuine rather than decorative.
- Do you import any candy directly from Denmark?
- Yes. A small rotating selection sits in the Danish corner near the front. Pop in to see what is on the shelf this week. We use these in gift baskets too.
- Is smørrebrød something to eat in or take out?
- Eat in. It is a quiet plate, best with a coffee or a tea, and best at a table where you can take ten minutes with it. We do platter it for catering, see /catering for the smørrebrød tasting board.
Velkommen
The Danish corner is open.
Smørrebrød most days, frikadeller when the catering oven has been on, a candy shelf that rotates more often than the regulars realise. Come on a Tuesday afternoon and ask Dan what he ate last time he was home.