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Australia Food Guide, Greatly Terrific Food Outing

Greatly Terrific Food Outing: Flower Child Cafe, Chatswood

November 12, 2018 Talyssa 12 Comments

The Verdict

Setting & Atmosphere
Food
Service
Value For Money

OVERALL SUMMARY

For lovers of Victorian antiquity!

A garden oasis in the middle of a shopping centre…that serves food? Welcome to Flower Child, a Victorian Conservatory styled cafe that’s sure to create a memorable dining experience, even in a shopping centre!

Setting And Atmosphere

If I have to be honest, I’m not too fond of cafe’s that reside in shopping centres…I don’t know, I find them slightly claustrophobic, the artificial light gives off a sterile vibe that I don’t like eating my food under, and I miss the fresh air and natural sunlight of open windows…In saying this, I have to admit Flower Child managed to change my mind.

Hidden amongst Westfield Chatswood’s bustling shopping centre, there’s a secret garden oasis perfect for any introvert to carve out a little piece of tranquility and quiet. Styled with the antiquity of a Victorian conservatory, a rustic blue interior is complimented with distressed wooden accents and a myriad of hanging plants. It’s beautifully inviting and instantly calms the senses. In fact, where can I get one?

The seating area is perfectly situated in front of a glass windowed wall, ensuring full sunlight filters through. It was lovely to sit under. In fact the only negatives were that our table, along with a few others were particularly wobbly, making the dining experience a little dubious – no one wants a cup of coffee spilled all over them because of an unsteady table!

Food

The food at Flower Child is wholesome, rustic, beautifully presented and delicious. Each dish is filled with natural, well balanced flavours that work well together.

For brunch I had the Prosciutto and Asparagus Soldiers, because I am a mad fan of prosciutto and always get a little bit excited when I see it on a brunch menu. Served with a poached egg covered in burnt butter hollandaise, buffalo mozzarella, tomato dust and a freshly baked croissant, my first thought was…”it looks a little dry and flavourless…doesn’t it?” Regardless, I ushered a spoonful in my mouth and was pleasantly surprised. This dish wasn’t nearly as dry as it looked and the flavours complimented each other well. It was simple, yet tasty.

Next on the brunch menu was The Vegan Bowl..and boy was this dish a winner. Presentation, tick. Tastiness, tick. An excellent serving size, tick, tick, tick!!! The saltiness of the haloumi (added for $4 extra but totally worth it if you’re not vegan) in this scrumptious dish suited the sweetness of the beetroot hummus perfectly and these two elements alone made the dish a winner. Perfectly tender roast dutch carrots, moist falafel balls, avocado, cherry tomatoes and sweet potatoes accompanied the haloumi and beetroot hummus on a bed of quinoa. The dish was garnished with toasted almonds and crispy chickpeas, providing the perfect amount of crunch. Overall The Vegan Bowl was delicious, fulfilling and healthy! I’d go back just for this!

The drink menu was also great – the lychee and mint shake caught my eye and it was delicious. For coffee lovers, Flower Child proudly serves The Grounds Coffee.

Review: Flower Child Chatswood - The Vegan Bowl — The Vegan Bowl (v), (gf) – House made falafel, quinoa, avocado, truss tomato, baby spinach, sweet potato, crispy chickpeas, roasted Dutch carrots, toasted almonds, beetroot hummus, radish, sesame seeds | $19 ( add haloumi +4 / egg +3 )

Review: Flower Child Chatswood - Prosciutto and Asparagus Soldiers — Prosciutto and Asparagus Soldiers – Poached egg covered in burnt butter hollandaise with shaved prosciutto, charred asparagus, buffalo mozzarella and tomato dust served with a freshly baked croissant | $20

Review: Flower Child Chatswood - Cappuccino — Regular Cappuccino | $4 Lychee & Mint Shake (not pictured) | $8.5

Service

Flower Child doesn’t take bookings, so when we arrived, there was a waiting list. Turn over was fast however and the owner/floor manager was really friendly and took care of us while we waited. He seemed to really care about his customers.

Value for Money

In Sydney, I’d have to say a brunch for $20 is average, if not slightly erring to the expensive side of things. In saying this, the serving sizes at Flower Child were really decent and we left the cafe feeling full, which is always a bonus. Overall the food was delicious and we had a lovely brunch experience, so it was worth the price.

The Details

Where:

Westfield Shopping Centre Chatswood, Shop 391, 1 Anderson St Chatswood.

Contact:

lisa.k@flowerchildcafe.com.au

Opening Hours:

MONDAY – SUNDAY: 8AM – 5PM

( Kitchen closes at 3PM Weekdays, 3:30PM Weekends )

OPEN LATE THURSDAY: 8AM – 8PM

Walk ins only

Find Them Here:

Greatly Terrific Food Outing, Japan, Japan Food Guide

Greatly Terrific Food Outing: Pokémon Cafe

October 12, 2018 Siree 27 Comments

The Verdict

Setting & Atmosphere
Food
Service
Value For Money

3.4

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!

pokemon cafe food

Greedy Pikachu Plate – A mixed plate of tomato spaghetti, hamburg patty, Pikachu themed omurice and salad | 1,706 yen

pokemon cafe food

Energetic Pikachu Curry – Pikachu turmeric flavoured rice with star-shaped vegetables and meat curry sauce | 1,598 yen

pokemon cafe food

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

pokemon cafe food

Eevee Burger – A teriyaki chicken burger with bitter chocolate nachos ears served with minestrone soup and chips | 1,706 yen

pokemon cafe food

Gengar’s Suspicious-Looking Light Smoothie – A creamy grape frozen smoothie with a glowing red ice cube | 864 yen

pokemon cafe food

L to R: Float Drink (Jolteon Version) | 918 yen, Gengar’s Suspicious-Looking Light Smoothie | 864 yen, Iced Oolong Tea

pokemon cafe food

Pokemon Cafe Fruit Pancake (Eevee Limited Edition) – A Pokemon Cafe original pancake served with fruit and whipped cream | 1,706 yen

pokemon cafe food

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.

Australia Food Guide, Greatly Terrific Food Outing

Greatly Terrific Food Outing: Indigo

October 7, 2018 Talyssa 26 Comments

THE VERDICT

Setting & Atmosphere
Food
Service
Value For Money

OVERALL SUMMARY

Slightly more special than your regular lunch!

It’s always a sure bet that any place that blends Modern Australian with a little bit of European cuisine is going to be good. Plus, since Indigo is touted as Double Bay’s best-kept secret, we knew we were in for a treat! Boasting the ultimate dining experience, Indigo seeks to blend the best of both cultures when it comes to serving the finest quality food, coffee and service…well let’s just hope the service is a little more Australian than European…if you’ve been to Europe, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about ;)

Setting and Atmosphere

Nothing gets more European than alfresco dining does it? There’s just something really nice about sitting outside along the street, while eating a delicious meal and ~~silently judging~~ watching people pass you by. If you’re listening to this and wishing about being whisked away to Europe, then you’ll be happy to know you can get your own slice of alfresco dining right here. Indigo has a really beautiful outdoor set up in the heart of Double Bay, perfect for the warmer months. Think sunshine, trees, a great meal, fresh air and the gorgeous Australian weather.

However, if the outdoors are not really your thing, you can choose to dine inside. Indigo’s interior is modern, topped off with marble tables – yaaaassss, I love when my food is served with a side of extra!

And would you really expect anything less of Double Bay? Indigo is effortlessly chic and stylish and so too is the crowd it draws. Speaking of crowds, this place is always packed. Every day. So I’d say “Double Bay’s best kept secret” is out of the bag and has been for a while now. Sorry Guys!

Review: Indigo Double Bay - Alfresco Dining — Image from Concrete Playground

Food

Indigo’s menu has an extensive selection of breakfast and lunch time dishes, which really makes it the ULTIMATE brunch destination. I found myself wanting to try everything on the menu…including the numerous Asian inspired dishes? Not that I’m complaining, I love Asian food, but it wasn’t what I was expecting from a Modern Australian and European menu.

The dish that immediately caught my eye was the King Prawn Bruschetta. I’d never seen a similar dish offered in any Sydney cafe’s I’ve been to so far and I am a mega prawn lover.

Served on a slice of garlic Levain Bread, topped with avo mash, cucumber, tomato, onion, king prawns and a dollop of dill aioli, the flavour combinations were absolutely delicious. This has got to be one of the best brunch dishes I’ve tried; it was unique, delicious and very impressive to look at. I’m super judgey when it comes to prawns and I feel like 90% of restaurants can’t get them right. The result: rubbery prawns. But not here! These were succulent and perfectly cooked!!!

Keeping with the bruschetta theme, we also ordered the Mushroom Bruschetta from the “Specials” menu. Served with mixed mushrooms, garlic, truffle oil, Parmesan, basil and poached eggs on grilled Levain bread, this dish just missed the mark for an equally great dish – or maybe I’m just biased towards my King Prawn Bruschetta. In terms of flavours, there was something missing that I couldn’t quite put my finger on and overall I wish the dish had a little more of the truffle and garlic flavours shine through.

Because we couldn’t resist, we also ordered the Korean Pork Belly sliders – they sounded amazing with pressed and fried confit pork belly, pickled cucumber and ssamjang glaze. Unfortunately they were a little disappointing and didn’t really bring out the Korean flavours I was looking for. Maybe some Kimchi or Korean plum syrup mixed with gochujjang would have helped to give a more authentic Korean flavour.

Finally, we washed it all down with some freshly squeezed juices.

Review: Indigo Double Bay - King Prawn Bruschetta — King Prawn Bruschetta – Avo mash, cucumber, red capsicum, truss tomatoes, garlic butter, red onion with red vein leaf & dill aioli, served on garlic Levain bread | $27

Review: Indigo Double Bay - Korean Pork Belly Sliders — Korean Pork Belly Sliders – Confit pork belly pressed and fried, picked cucumber, ssamjang glaze & baby spinach on brioche buns | $18

Review: Indigo Double Bay - Mushroom Bruschetta — Mushroom Bruschetta – Mixed mushrooms, garlic, parsley, truffle oil, Parmesan, baby basil & poached eggs with grilled Levain bread | $21

SERVICE

Service here was very friendly and reasonably quick considering how busy the place was!

VALUE FOR MONEY

This is Double Bay, so expect Double Bay pricing. My King Prawn Bruschetta set me back $27 for one slice of bread. Yes I was still hungry after….but man it tasted good. Otherwise, majority of the dishes on the menu are around standard brunch prices ($15 – $20) with the lunch items costing a bit more $25 – $30. Definitely great for a ‘slightly more special’ than your regular lunch!

THE DETAILS

Where: 6/15 Cross Street Double Bay NSW 2028

Contact: (02) 9363 5966

info@indigodoublebay.com

Opening Hours:

Mon – Sat: 7AM – 4:30PM

Sun: 8AM – 4:30PM

Find Them Here:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Australia Food Guide, Greatly Terrific Food Outing, Sponsored

Greatly Terrific Food Outing: Spice Theory, Turramurra

July 28, 2018 Talyssa 6 Comments

THE VERDICT

Setting & Atmosphere
Food
Service
Value For Money

3.9

OVERALL SUMMARY

Modern Indian Cuisine

With no other cuisine using more spices than the Indian cuisine, it’s quite fitting that Turramuurra’s new kid on the block Indian restaurant is named “Spice Theory”. So what can you expect from Spice Theory? A sensory experience that celebrates Indian culture, flavours and hospitality. The exotic menu aims to showcase the very best of Modern Indian Cuisine, so let’s see how the experience was!

SETTING AND ATMOSPHERE

Stepping inside Spice Theory, the first thing I noticed is how incredibly modern and chic it is – very sleek and minimalist in style. The restaurant is relaxed, cosy and not too loud, making it perfect for an intimate dinner for two and some good conversation!

To add to the cultural experience I would have loved to see a little more culture in the decor!

FOOD

Spice Theory’s menu is extensive and exotic filled with traditional dishes I’d never heard of, to fan favourites (like butter chicken mmm!) all with notes of modern twists. Not knowing where to start, Kailash happily suggested some of the restaurants signature dishes. I had brought my boyfriend with me – who is vegetarian – and we were very impressed with the variety of vegetarian options on offer.

To start we were served the Dahi Poori Chaat, the Mini Masala Dosa and the Mini Keema Dosa. Living up to ‘providing a sensory experience’ the dishes were a treat to the eye as much as they were to the tastebuds. The presentation of dishes at Spice Theory is one of the best I’ve seen amongst the Indian restaurants I’ve been to and all three dishes were flavoursome. The Dosa’s were perfectly crisp with a flavoursome filling and the accompanying chutney’s really made the flavours sing.

The Dahi Poori Chaat was definitely a highlight. It was a really unique dish and reminded me of a traditional Indian streetfood I’ve had. It was great to see how Spice Theory transformed this traditional Indian streetfood into a modern, restaurant-worthy dish.

For main, the vegetarian curry Paneer Saag was definitely a highlight and I absolutely loved Kailash’s suggestion to pair it with a Peshwari Naan – something I wouldn’t have tried otherwise. The sweetness of the Naan worked with the vegetarian curry beautifully and I am a definite fan of this combo! We were also served the Chicken Tikka Masala, which was missing the ‘wow’ factor for me in terms of taste, but I appreciated that Spice Theory did not hold back on the heat for this curry! (And for non chilli fans, don’t worry, you can ask for your curries to be non spicy).

Too cool the palette we finished with two deserts; the Rose Panna Cotta and the Payasam. These deserts were the perfect way to finish the meal being tasty and light for our already full bellies. The Panna Cotta was perfectly creamy with a light rose fragrance and the Payasam was subtly spiced. Both beautifully presented and delicious!

I would also like to make a special note about the house wine – I’m not a huge wine fan and I loved this one!!

Review: Spice Theory Turramurra - Dahi Poori Chaat — Dahi Poori Chaat (V) – Small crispy puffed bread mixed with boiled potato, chickpeas and topped with chilled yoghurt and various chutneys | $10.90

Review: Spice Theory Turramurra - Mini Masala Dosa — Mini Masala Dosa (V) – Crispy pancake filled with a traditional potato masala served with lentil broth, fresh coconut chutney and tomato chutney | $11.90

Review: Spice Theory Turramurra - Mini Keema Dosa — Mini Keema Dosa – Crispy pancake filled with minced masala lamb served with lentil broth, fresh coconut chutney and tomato chutney | $12.90

Review: Spice Theory Turramurra - Main Dishes — Peshwari Naan (back) – Desiccated coconut, sugar and sultanas | $4.00 Garlic and Cheese Naan | $4.50 House Wine – Bud Burst Barossa Valley

Review: Spice Theory Turramurra - Paneer Saag Curry — Paneer Saag (V) – Cubes of Paneer in purée of English Spinach | $16.90

Review: Spice Theory Turramurra - Chicken Tikka Masala — Chicken Tikka Masala – Tender morsels of boneless chicken marinated in a blend of freshly ground herbs, baked over charcoal, then cooked in the chef’s special masala sauce | $19.50

Review: Spice Theory Turramurra - Rose Panna Cotta — Rose Panna Cotta – Rose-infused panna cotta | $6.00

Review: Spice Theory Turramurra - Payasam — Payasam (V) – Traditional south Indian rice pudding | $8.00

Service

The staff at Spice Theory were extremely welcoming. The floor manager in particular (I’m sorry his name has escaped me! ), was wonderful, if not one of the best floor managers I’ve come across. He instinctively knew the delicate balance between being attentive without being too attentive. He was extremely friendly, polite and provided excellent service. He knew who I was straight away when he welcomed me in to the restaurant and was really passionate about educating me on the menu and the restaurant. For this alone I would have rated the service 5/5 stars!

However…

One thing that made the night a little uncomfortable for me was that one member of staff asked multiple times about whether I would be writing a review, where I would post the review and if it would be published in the Newspaper as well. Asking multiple times throughout my dinner left me feeling like the experience became less about showcasing what the restaurant had to offer and more about what I would be writing in my review.

When invited as a guest, the best experiences are when the chefs and staff can’t wait to talk about how they came up with the idea for a particular dish and their mind is on their food and service so much that they completely forget about me writing a review.

As a suggestion, the PR agency should inform the restaurant who is coming, the style of reviews they write – for example I’ve never written for a newspaper – and also what they can expect from the blogger prior to their arrival. This will mean the restaurant can focus on their service and the passion behind their menu, which is what I really want to see!

VALUE FOR MONEY

Spice Theory is excellent value for money. The prices are really reasonable and the food is delicious overall. I would visit again!

THE DETAILS

Where:

1-3/1259 Pacific Highway, Turramurra NSW 2074

Contact:

(02) 99884242

Opening Hours:

Open 7 days: 5PM til late

Find Them Here:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Please note that this was an invited food tasting

Greatly Terrific Food Outing, Japan, Japan Food Guide

Greatly Terrific Food Outing: Kawaii Monster Cafe Harajuku

October 7, 2016 Siree 9 Comments

The Kawaii Monster Cafe Harajuku is now closed.

Update: April 2022

THE VERDICT

Setting & Atmosphere
Food
Service
Value For Money

OVERALL SUMMARY

Not just Insta-worthy – it’s tasty as well!

With its dripping liquid walls and psychedelic colour scheme, The KAWAII MONSTER CAFE plays perfect homage to the flamboyant, the sweetest of sugary treats and the oh-so fun nature that is the Harajuku district and the signature world that is the creative mind of Sebastian Masuda. Don’t expect a simple dine-out experience here! As the “Monster Girls” navigate you to your table, let’s see what this Alice in Wonderland has to offer.

Setting and Atmosphere

ver the top and sinfully fun. The interior of the KAWAII MONSTER CAFE feels like a shrine to Harajuku’s crazy and excessive nature in fashion and style, but what if I told you it was actually the stomach of the restaurant’s mascot, “Mr. Ten thousand chopsticks” or simply “Choppy” for short? Bet you would have never guessed, right?

Before entering the discotheque labyrinth that is this monster’s “belly,” you have a selection of 4 rooms or “zones” to choose from: MUSHROOM DISCO, MILK STAND, Bar

Experiment, and Mel-Tea ROOM. Since I arrived pretty late that night the MUSHROOM DISCO zone was only available but turned out to be a blessing in disguise since it was right in the middle near the restaurant’s most entertaining features: the “SWEETS GO ROUND” carousel and the area where the DJ was playing.

Each zone’s aesthetic matched well to its theme with plenty of photo opportunities for patrons to freely enjoy taking photos but the details don’t just stop there. The restrooms were also worth a photo visit too! Check out the photos:

20151227_212408_hdr

The “SWEETS GO ROUND” carousel

20151227_211207-copy

Table Setting

20151227_211649

The “MUSHROOM DISCO” zone

20151227_211924

The “MILK STAND” zone

20151227_212335

melty

The “Mel-Tea ROOM” zone

20151227_215815

The “Bar Experiment” zone

bar

20151227_215939

The Restroom

Food

dmittedly, I must confess that when I saw the food menu my first thought was, “Is this really gonna taste good or be some kind of mediocre mush?” because the food seriously looked like it came from a Play-Doh set rather than something you should eat and put in your mouth. But oh, how wrong I was!

The first dish was the “Painter” version of their Colorful Rainbow Pasta dish and the dish does live up to its name. The rainbow spaghetti arrived on a painter palette shaped dish with the “paint” being an assortment of different sauces to cover your spaghetti in.

What amazed me the most was that each sauce had its own unique flavour from basil pesto to a garlic kind, offering many different taste variations to choose from. The garlic sauce was bomb and was my favourite!

The final dish I ordered was called the “TOKYO fusion style MEAT MEAT MEAT,” and it was literally a meat bag – a variety of different meats of your choice tossed in a sauce and mixed in a big ass bag for your inner carnivore. The meat was well-cooked to juicy perfection in the Cajun sauce but it also came with an assortment of side sauces to level up your taste buds. Life is too short to have just one sauce – variety is the spice of life!

Colorful Rainbow Pasta (Painter) | Kawaii Monster Cafe Harajuku

Colorful Rainbow Pasta (Painter) | 1,300 JPY

TOKYO fusion style MEAT MEAT MEAT | Kawaii Monster Cafe Harajuku

TOKYO fusion style MEAT MEAT MEAT with Cajun Sauce | 4,400~ JPY

Service

lthough the main icon girls “BABY”, “DOLLY”, “CANDY”, “NASTY” and “CRAZY” weren’t there when I went, the usual staff were also very nice and always smiling.

Super cheery and English friendly, the staff or “Monster Girls” really do enjoy helping you out with taking photos etc. It can’t be easy to try and take orders over loud music but they were super prompt and efficient.

Value for Money

eing a themed restaurant, you kind of have to compare this dining experience like going to an amusement park as most theme restaurants do require some kind of entry fee.

At KAWAII MONSTER CAFE it’s called a “Zone Charge” which is 500 yen per person (as of 2016). However, you do get a small free gift after your meal as a souvenir which I

think is a nice gesture (mine was a pair of chopsticks with my country’s flag printed).

Though it might not be a place you would go every weekend night, the price of the main dishes were reasonable for their volume and quality and would be a good choice for a fun night out or the occasional extravagant dinner experience.

Greatly Terrific Food Outing, Japan, Japan Food Guide

V-Day Girl’s Day at the Alice in Wonderland Restaurant, Shibuya

February 18, 2016 Siree 2 Comments

You’re Late for Tea!

It seems that Valentine’s Day is a bit upside down here in Japan.

Rather than being all about the girls (let’s be honest), here, all the chocolate and hearts go to the fellows. If you happened to have walked around Shibuya on Sunday you might have spotted some lone hearted guys holding signs saying “Free Hugs” and “Chocolate please.”

Being in single town myself, I turned V Day into Galentine’s Day and went to the Alice in Wonderland theme restaurant for a girl’s day out. Girl Parties or 女子会/joshikai in Japanese is a pretty popular social gathering activity for gal pals here in Japan with hotels and venue restaurants offering lunch, dinner or dessert courses for some Sex and the City female bonding. But don’t worry boys! You have your own 男子会/danshikai version as well here!

Technically this restaurant chain is called Alice’s Fantasy Restaurant and each location has its own “version” on the Alice in Wonderland theme eg. Alice in a Labyrinth, Alice in a Fantasy Book and so on. The one in Shibuya is called Alice in a Dancing Land – 舞踏の国のアリス – and has a cute as hell carousel right in the middle of the restaurant where you can sit surrounded by lights and porcelain ornaments with a giant chandelier dangling from the center.

Pretty right?! Everywhere you looked each ceiling panel or even the fabric used for the chairs remind you of a character or page from Alice in Wonderland. Even the floor staff waitresses wore Alice’s signature blue dress with at least one girl wearing bunny ears for the March Hare and the waiter at the front wore an outfit similar to the Mad Hatter. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take any photos of the staff but if you visit their Facebook page, you can see some photos of their staff :D

But I digress, to the food!

To mark the special day the restaurant offered a special event course at ¥2500 (roughly $25) per person which includes 2x entrees, 2x mains, and dessert. Considering it was also an all-you-can-drink with unlimited juice, coffee and tea it was a great price!

Look at all these tea types! I tried to make it my personal mission to drink each and every one of these tea flavours but could only drink three: maple, chocolate, and grape kyoho black tea. Although at a lot of places these types of layouts usually mean lackluster and bad quality teas, all the ones I tasted were really delicious and tasted exactly as they said. I especially liked the maple flavoured tea!

The first course was a small amuse-bouche which was I believe some kind of cream cheese spread with “rose” shaped smoked ham and toast.

The waitress explained that the dish represented the scene where Alice finds the “eat me” cookies.

The next dish was a salad with a cute avocado face for the Caterpillar in his “garden” which was a Caesar Salad.

On to mains, the first was a pasta dish with a simple tomato style sauce with cute mozzarella cheese cut into a spade, club, diamond, and heart. The second was a consommé/nabe style soup filled with veggies, chicken, and sausage with some tasty bread and mustard for the sausage. I love the clock plate for the soup! It’s unfortunate that this restaurant doesn’t have a gift shop on site to buy souvenirs as I’m sure there will be many people who would love to buy some of the items here.

Finally, the last dish was these cute blueberry mousse tarts desserts shaped like bunnies! The taste was quite interesting as it was sweet but also a bit tart, I liked it a lot!

One of the girls has food allergies and we were unsure if she could eat the planned dessert so she ordered the Cheshire Cat Parfait off the menu which was equally adorable!

The main menu at this Alice in Wonderland is actually different from the food we ate off the planned course meal but the food quality was quite nice and somewhat affordable. I believe there is an entry fee of ¥500 or so which was included in our course price. If you do decide to come I recommend coming a bit earlier for lunch as the place can be quite busy but if you come after the rush hour after 2 PM, you’ll find it’s a bit quieter and you might get a better seat.

I definitely recommend coming here if you want to have a unique experience with your friends for afternoon tea.

The Details

Where: Zero gate B1, 16-9, Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0042

Opening Hours:

Monday – Sunday

Lunch 11:00am – 2:00pm (last order 3:30pm)

Dinner 4:00pm – 11:30pm (last order 11:00pm)

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Until Next Time!

Siree

Run by two travel and lifestyle bloggers, The Hidden Thimble focus’ on creating truthful and in-depth travel guides, food & beauty reviews. Enjoy drool-worthy photography from around the world!