There are more and more theme and concept cafés popping up in Japan all the time these days, especially now that the borders have opened to tourism again. For otaku, this is a dream come true. And while thePokémonCafe is always around in Tokyo, anotherPokemon-themed restaurant is going to open for a limited time. This one will be entirely centered on Pikachu, and be an afternoon tea set.
The Strings Hotel in Tokyo’s high fashion neighborhood of Omotesando will be hosting the Pikachu Afternoon Tea. Typically, concept and theme cafés are in Tokyo’s otaku neighborhoods, or in shopping malls and other complexes. Pikachu Afternoon Tea is pulling out all the stops to create a reallymemorable experience. Afternoon tea sets may be common at Tokyo’s high class hotels, but they aren’t usually anime or video game-themed. That’s what makes the Pikachu Afternoon Tea so special.
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The menu is quite large, and really thoughtfully themed. The food and drinks are all clearly based on Pikachu, but they still manage to look classy. The savory options include mini hamburgers with yellow buns, quiché with pepper powder meant to remind you of Pikachu’s electricity when you eat it, and a beautiful salad with nuts. The sweet side of things is even better, including yellow macaroons with Pikachu’s stripes on them, muffins with Pikachu’s ears, Pikachu lollipops, mango pudding with Pikachu on the top, and fruit tarts with Pokeball decorations.
It wouldn’t be afternoon tea without drinks, and even these are themed. The three special ones are a Pikachu fruit mocktail using lemons for his ears and cherries for his red cheeks, a yellow passion fruit juice with yellow ice cream, and Pikachu-printed café latte. All the drinks are served with aPokeballcoaster, too, to really complete the chance to take a great photo.
The food and drinks are all going to be available in different sets, which become more and more elaborate the more money you are willing to pay. The basic afternoon tea set costs ¥5,800 ($43 USD) per person and includes a pot of tea and a selection of sweet and savory food. Adding a special drink takes the price up to ¥6,500 ($49 USD). Finally, you can also add on the Pikachu Specialty Dessert, which is a chocolate dome you pour yellow fruit sauce over for ¥7,800 ($58 USD) per person.
Finally, the last special part of the Pikachu Afternoon Tea is that the Strings Hotel has a nicely decorated, Pikachu-themed terrace to enjoy your meal on. The terrace has comfortable sofas, glass tables decorated with Pikachu motifs andPokeballs, and Pikachu-themed wall art. The whole experience is very aesthetic, and perfect for people who love to take photos of their food and drinks. There are no details spared.
While considerably more expensive than youraverage anime or video game café, the Pikachu Afternoon Tea is a different and special kind of experience. The official website is already accepting reservations for the different sets, and in the first months, will likely be very popular. It’s not every day that otaku culture meets something so high class, and Pikachu Afternoon Tea is set to be an unforgettable, fun experience.
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Pikachu Afternoon Tea will be available from April 24th to July 3rd, 2023, and is currently accepting reservations.
