East Japanese brings Majestic Sushi & Grill to Villa Ronai

Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner Writer

My darlings, for those of you in the know, Kingston is one fabulous city. And like any great seductress, is full of many a beguiling secrets. But she never overpowers in a mad rush but in her own tantalising way, she first embraces before she seduces, not in a flurry of activity, but with a very slow hand as she bares her soul and her secrets.

Now the beauty of this approach is that the city of Kingston is never boring! Mind you, there are those who often complain that they do find living in this great city more than a trifle boring, at times. And mind you, it's this scribe's considered opinion that those who so complain take nothing to the table, not even curiosity, so they would find living in New York City, in the heyday of the inglorious carryings of 42nd Street, just as boring!

Anyway my dears, Kingston is not only the teeming cross-roads of the Caribbean and the region's melting pot, it has fast assumed the role of the region's international crossroads.

Now the truth be told, Kingston has always had the mystique and cachet of the chanteuse, the siren even, attracting the international adventurer, many of whom have even set roots here.

Many decades ago, Hungarian artist Anna Ronai, and her family acquired a near 10-acre property in St Andrew's salubrious neighbourhood of Old Stony Hill, then and still the preferred address of expats who wanted the tropical living experience without the hustle and bustle of city living.

Fantasy gardens

In acquiring the property, Ms Ronai set about transforming the already lush property into a fantasy gardens, as she added the Villa Ronai and infused the gardens with not only exotic plants, but also created an exotic family of animals such as reindeer, birds, and a few reptiles, which she strategically placed in therein. These enhanced the mystique and appeal of the property, already celebrated as an architectural wonderment due to her use of stones and pebbles in creating the property's main house and pool and entertainment deck, and the two guest cottages.

For years, Villa Ronai stayed a mystery behind well-fortified walls and gardens as the Ronais had emigrated to Brazil.

Years later enter Kingsley Cooper of Pulse, at the time in the '80s when he was in an expansionist mode. He set his eyes on the absolutely fab Villa Ronai with the view of making it the jewel in the Pulse's crown of fashion and beauty!

It was no easy doing as locating the Ronais in Brazil was akin to finding a needle in a haystack. But just when Cooper was at his wits' end, he ran into the visiting Mrs Ronai in Constant Spring and as they say, the rest is history!

But what a colourful history it has been as just when Cooper and Pulse were set to expand their empire, the financial meltdown of the '90s enveloped the country's productive and entrepreneurial sectors and the much-anticipated plans for the property's expansion and rehabilitation were put on hold.

Over the years, many have approached Cooper with a view of acquiring and/or leasing Villa Ronai to transform it into a theme-park or housing development. Cooper, however, was steadfast in his refusals as his vision for the property saw it maintaining as much of its natural look and aesthetic appeal as was practicable. So, despite all the entreaties, Villa Ronai remained a work in progress for many years as with his vision and eye for detail, Cooper opted to wait until the right mix and proposal came his way!

Well, enter Japanese national and renowned chef Taka of East Japanese restaurant fame. After a visit to Villa Ronai, he decided and was determined that the property, with its natural gardens and touch of the exotic, was the ideal location for expanding his restaurant business. With Taka's vision meeting Cooper's for Villa Ronai, dears, the synergy was complete!