Kitoki Inn Is Serving up Blissful Japanese Cottagecore

Originally published in Sharp Magazine

There has been much talk about Kitoki Inn. Long before visiting the new Japanese ryokan-inspired retreat on Bowen Island — Nexwlélexm, in the Squamish language — I’d heard it was special. “Unique,” “elegant,” and “serene,” I was told by friends who were lucky enough to snag reservations after it opened late last summer, a gorgeous little slice of Kyoto nestled into a blue-green forest of cedar and fir. Now, having visited, I can confirm that Kitoki Inn is all those things: sophisticated, secluded, minimalist in the Japanese tradition. But I’ll also add that it’s the sexiest little getaway around.

If you need someplace to escape to for quality time with someone special — and after 20 months of pandemic stress, you probably do — Kitoki delivers. It’s scarcely a 40-minute journey from downtown Vancouver, and that’s including a short and scenic ferry ride into Snug Cove, which is sort of Bowen’s “main drag,” and is as cute as it sounds. A sharp right off the ferry sit a couple of dockside gems: Tell Your Friends café, which serves tasty coffees and breakfast sandwiches, and Branch on Bowen, which is one part taco and ice cream stand, one part charming shop filled with well-curated gifts like pottery and glassware, cookbooks, candles, and clothing.

Up the street, you can scope out dinner options for later: Barcelona offers Spanish tapas made with local ingredients, Tuscany serves wood- fired pizzas, and Rustique Bistro is French-ish with vegan options. You can also grab a spot by the outdoor patio fireplace at Doc Morgan’s, a gastropub serving oysters on the half-shell and Haida Gwaii halibut and chips. Pop into Copper Spirit Distillery for local vodka, rye, or gin, or drive a short distance to Riley’s Cidery, where over 1,000 varieties of apples grow, and select a cider to enjoy in your accommodations later on.

This story originally appeared in Sharp Magazine, December 2021. To read the full story, click here.