Category Archives: Theme restaurants

A peculiar feast with Alice in Wonderland

by Bianca

Now this restaurant is one of those trippy, quirky and slightly insane things that only exists in Japan. And of course I just had to pay this restaurant a visit as soon as I found out it existed.

Dining with Alice

The pictures I found on the website seemed interesting and it is with excitement that I decided to visit their branch in Ginza (there is another outlet in Shinjuku). The restaurant opens at 5 pm and doesn’t open for lunch. I visited early to sample on some snacks and dessert before dinner.

The restaurant is located on the 5th floor of the Taiyo building on the Ginza main street and as I exited the elevator, I entered a small dark reception area where an Asian (and much skinnier) version of the Queen of Hearts greeted us. She then ushered us through an under-lit hallway until we reached the dining area.

To tell you the truth, the restaurant is much much smaller and darker than I envisioned it to be. Images of cards were painted on the ceilings and a huge saucer that doubles as a booth stands in the middle of the room. All the chairs where of different designs and colors creating a certain feel of quirky chaos. I chose a table with a sofa in the corner.

Waitresses dressed in mini Alice costumes brought us the menu in this cute box :

The menu box

The desserts were fun and tasted good.

The sundae

The dessert platter

However, the atmosphere of the restaurant truly made me feel like I was in one of Mad Hatter’s strange tea parties, and maybe it was just a little too strange for me to return. If you haven’t visited this restaurant however, maybe you should drop by just once and join this peculiar feast so you have something to tell your friends.

Taiyo Bldg, 5F, 8-8-5 Ginza, Chuo-Ku, Tokyo 104 0061
Tel: (03) 35746980

Dining in NINJA style…

by Bianca

I always have fun whenever I come to this theme restaurant and I love bringing guests here. Young or old, they always enjoy themselves. It’s a place where food and entertainment are packaged in style. Ninja Style.

Upon entering it’s somewhat dark and cryptic entrance, you will be greeted by the host and your own Ninja master who will appear seemingly out of nowhere and will guide you on your ninja training path. You have to complete this course before even thinking about feasting on any food. I will spare the details as to not take the surprise out of the experience.

The dining area looks like an old, dark, Japanese village with fake torches hanging on its walls. Once in a while you might be able to see a ninja perched on one of the rocks. You’ll then be guided through their cobbled streets into one of their “houses” which will be your private dining area for the evening. The menu comes in a ninja scroll that will be skillfully opened by your ninja waiter and you have a choice of some pre-set menus or a la carte meals. I suggest to try one of the courses for your first visit as it contains some fun food full of surprises, hence the name “surprise” course. Dining with ninjas of course does not come cheap and some reviews have complained about how expensive the food is. You can check their menu at http://www.ninjakasaka.com. There is a translation including their prices. I find the shabu-shabu course here to be extremely delicious. Dinner might take a while though so you will need to set aside a minimum of 2 hours of your time. A ninja magician will enter your domain before desert and put on a little magic show that I always find amusing.

If you only have a few days in Tokyo and are looking to sample the best of Japanese food then this might not be the place for you. If money is not an issue, if you have kids or if you are simply looking for a little fun, ninja style, then this place is definitely worth a visit.

NINJA AKASAKA. 2-14-3 Nagatacho, Chiyoda-ku. Phone: 03-5157-3936