The Verdict
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Setting & Atmosphere
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Food
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Service
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Value For Money
OVERALL SUMMARY
Pokéfood ironically isn’t the very best… ( ♪ like no one ever was…)
Eager to dine inside one of the world’s most beloved animes in real life?
If you were (or still are) excited about how great Pokémon Go was, Tokyo’s new Pokémon Cafe now gives you the opportunity to transform those childhood dreams into reality. Hey, a Pokémon trainer has got to eat somewhere amirite? With a menu that is both fun and eye-catching these Pokéfood creations are sure to win over hearts, but, can it prove super effective on the tastebuds? Let’s step in to find out!
SETTING AND ATMOSPHERE
okémon’s story is all about adventure in the great outdoors and so, it seems only fitting to create an interior that simulates the same kind of environment – a woodland-inspired scheme with cozy wooden furnishings, pockets of shrubbery to mimic being amongst nature and lots of space. Who would have known a real-life Pokémon Centre would look this chic!
The thing I appreciated the most during the dining experience was that the staff
encouraged customers to walk around and explore freely, letting us take as many photos as we wanted. Especially since in Japan, some theme restaurants discourage photography.
With lots of different seating options, photo spots with prop toys, TV screens playing and merchandise areas to enjoy, it’s a calm, friendly, and lively environment with excited customers old and young. Like a small theme park, the restaurant is combined with a Pokemon Center Store right next door!
Food
hile the food was terribly cute to look at, the taste was definitely more suited to a kid’s palate. On the menu expect simple burger and fries combos, a limited variety of veggies and plenty of carbs and meat – the kind of things we all know kids love.
With no descriptions on the menu, you will need to ask the staff what is inside each dish should you have any dietary needs. Something I also noticed was that the food wasn’t served very hot and gets cold quickly if you leave it for more than a few minutes (most likely for little stomachs and mouths to handle). My Eevee Burger bun wasn’t even toasted! A burger with no toasted bun? What child-safe hell is this?! Due to the lackluster flavour of most dishes, I would only recommend the curry rice or
carbonara for mains if you care for at least a decent dinner.
Dessert, unfortunately, didn’t get any better. The Jigglypuff Cheesecake had no real cheese taste and had that “rubbery” gelatine texture you find when eating cheap cheesecake or pudding in Japan. The Eevee Pancakes were dry, at room temperature, and lacked any sort of taste alone or with the accompanying toppings. Imagine a store-bought pikelet, served untoasted with no jam or syrup to liven it up. This is what they tasted like and it was as sad as it sounds.
The only saving grace it seemed was the drink menu, which had a decent number of winners. Gengar’s “Suspicious-Looking Light Smoothie” was an absolute must-try. It was so creamy and the grape flavour tasted out of this world!
Greedy Pikachu Plate – A mixed plate of tomato spaghetti, hamburg patty, Pikachu themed omurice and salad | 1,706 yen
Energetic Pikachu Curry – Pikachu turmeric flavoured rice with star-shaped vegetables and meat curry sauce | 1,598 yen
Hide and Seek Pikachu Carbonara – Pikachu’s “butt” peeking out of a salad bush haha! It’s an omelette covering a creamy carbonara pasta underneath | 1,598 yen
Eevee Burger – A teriyaki chicken burger with bitter chocolate nachos ears served with minestrone soup and chips | 1,706 yen
Gengar’s Suspicious-Looking Light Smoothie – A creamy grape frozen smoothie with a glowing red ice cube | 864 yen
L to R: Float Drink (Jolteon Version) | 918 yen, Gengar’s Suspicious-Looking Light Smoothie | 864 yen, Iced Oolong Tea
Pokemon Cafe Fruit Pancake (Eevee Limited Edition) – A Pokemon Cafe original pancake served with fruit and whipped cream | 1,706 yen
Jigglypuff Sings Cheesecake – A strawberry rare cheesecake shaped like Jigglypuff | 1,166 yen
SERVICE
he experience of being at the Pokemon Cafe really shines because of the staff. I found that all the staff were friendly and extremely smiley even for the last session of the evening. The majority of the waiters are bilingual and always ask if you need language assistance while they serve you.
Since the staff help guide you through the experience of being there, it was nice to feel like you were being taken care of during your stay. An example of this is the bonus “mini-games” you get to play with your waiter. When you are seated at your table, the staff will treat you to a little game to reveal your lucky character placemat which you get to take home as a souvenir. Should you want a specific character or
another placemat you can buy another one for a small charge.
Another fun activity is all guests who order a drink get to play a roulette game to win a special character coaster. None of these mini-games are advertised on the menu so it’s a nice touch to commemorate your time there.
Also, before the end of your session, a cute Pokemon mascot will come out to greet guests for photos before your time comes to an end. The character changes but we were lucky to see the very new Eevee mascot for the soon to be released “Pokemon Let’s Go!” games which was fun to see and touch its fluffy fur!
VALUE FOR MONEY
lthough I think the drinks are decently priced, the food is expensive AF!
Seriously that pancake cost 1,706 yen and I felt I could make a better version with maple syrup and more fruit for less.
Not to mention the portion sizes of the food were more suited for lunchtime rather
than dinner. You might find you’ll have to order more dishes to satisfy your hunger if you’re feeling particularly hungry when you visit.
It’s definitely a once in a lifetime experience but somewhere you wouldn’t want to visit without a good reason to blow all that cash for a sub-par meal.
Pokémon Café – Tokyo
Tokyo, Chūō, Nihonbashi, 2 Chome−11−2
Nihonbashi Takashimaya S.C. East Building Level 5
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Need a place to stay in Tokyo? Use our handy widget to find the perfect accommodation:
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My 12 year old self would have loved this! Sike, I woud love it now lol. Looks like a fun restaurant.
Britt Mont | The Otherside of 25
Thanks for stopping by Britt!
Totally agree! Even though I still enjoy Pokemon as an adult, I think my younger self would have absolutely *no* chill if this existed way back then haha
Xx
Siree
This is too cute! Too bad the food was a let down. Some places just bank on them being Insta-worthy I guess..
http://www.jeannieinabottleblog.com
Thanks for reading my review Jeanne!
Yeah it’s definitely one of those places in my opinion which is so sad :(
Xx
Siree
It’s a shame that the food didn’t taste as good as it looks as it seems like such a fun dining experience otherwise!
Hope that you are having a lovely weekend! It’s really rainy here so we have another day of indoor activities planned!
Away From The Blue Blog
Thanks Mica!
Yes, it’s raining on most days here in Tokyo too! Hopefully, the sun will come out soon *fingers crossed*
Enjoy your indoor plans!
Xx
Siree
Looks like a fun restaurant.
XX
https://www.elblogdebarbaracrespo.com/2018/10/python-print-dress/
Yes it was! Thanks for stopping by Bárbara :)
Xx
Siree
That looks so funny!
xx
Mónica Sors
MES VOYAGES À PARIS
NEW POST: CARDIGAN + SKIRT + BOOTS
Thanks for commenting Monica! Yes I never had so many foods “look” at me before haha
Xx
Siree
Wow what a cool cafe my boys would totally love this!
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Thanks Lovely! Definitely, it’s very family friendly ;)
Xx
Siree
Omg, how fun is this?! I love it!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Hi Ashley! Yes it was a lot of fun haha :D
Xx
Siree
Why can’t we have this by our door?! It must be so muuuch fun :D We loved pokemons since we’re kids and having a cafe like this as adults is the ultimate dream!
Thanks for sharing your experience with us :)
With love and light ☾
Patricia & Miguel
http://www.freeoversea.com
Hi Patricia and Miguel! I totally understand. I felt like a kid again dining here :)
Xx
Siree
The place looks really cute (and yes – I do love Pokémon hahaha – but psst) but too bad that the food wasn’t that good, Especially when it comes for a specific price point, I’d also expect better quality.
But amazing instagrammable food anyways ;) ♥
xxx
Tina
https://styleappetite.com
Thanks Tina! Yes I know it’s such a bummer! Well at least the photos are amazing haha
Xx
Siree
The food looks cute! So sad that it doesn’t taste the way it looks.
http://www.fashionradi.com
Thanks Radi! I wished the food tasted better too~ :(
Xx
Siree
Sounds like they invest more time in fanfare than producing decent quality food. I agree with you, it very much resembles something you’d think a child would be served. But the atmosphere looks fun, I guess not all is lost hahahaha!
Sxx
daringcoco.com
Hi Sonia! Yes I definitely agree with you here!
Xx
Siree
I love the presentation of the food here!
Nistha
https://www.fashionistha.com/basking-in-the-beauty-of-bali/
Thanks Nistha! I feel like they definitely tried to make the faces look as close to the characters as possible haha :)
Xx
Siree
Oh wow – I absolutely love this and I would definitely like to visit, looks like so much fun! I loved Evie and Pikachu when I was younger haha!
Layla x
https://www.sprinklesofstyle.co.uk
Hi Layla! Yes they were my favourite Pokemon too! Especially Eevee, I wanted to get all the evolutions for my team when I was younger haha :)
Xx
Siree
This café looks fun and chill! I would go there for the drinks too, refreshingly cute and reasonably priced. One more reason to visit Tokyo!
http://www.busyandfab.com