Tokyo. The city possibilities, traditional and pop culture, and home to one of the best food scenes in the world. We introduce to you 5 restaurants that you NEED to visit on your next trip to Tokyo if you’re looking for something funky or wild!

P.S. We’ve included some alternatives that you can find in Singapore since travelling is put on hold in this raging pandemic!

1. Vampire Cafe

Fans of Dracula and all things gothic and bloody will be eager to sink their teeth into the food at this vampire-themed cafe at the heart of the upscale Ginza. Cast entirely in eerie-red lighting, with random splatters of red blood on the decorations, it definitely is not for the weak-hearted. After all, the first thing you are greeted by when you step in is a skeleton draped in black robes with glowing ember eyes! Talk about shock value!

As the gothic, baroque music hums eerily in the background, it truly feels like you’ve been transported to Romania, home to Count Dracula. Who knows what’s lurking in the corner? To add to the eeriness, a hulking coffin sits right in the centre of the restaurant in plain view. Shudders. There are different types of rooms available, which are catered to parties of varying sizes: Victim Room, Altar Room, Coffin Room and Ritual Room.

Source: DD-Holdings , Gurunavi

Each item on the menu makes some reference to blood, death or gore, ranging from elaborately plated crepes, to whole chickens being served while still flaming. Even the drinks and cocktails glow!

Sources: Cool Japan and DD-Holdings

Vampire Cafe, Ginza

Address:
6-7-6 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Lape Building 7F

Directions:
Subway Ginza Station B3 Exit - 3 minutes walk
JR Shimbashi Station - 7 minutes walk

Operating Hours:
Lunch - 11:30 to 14:30
Dinner -17:00-23:30

Website:
https://www.dd-holdings.jp/shops/vampirecafe/ginza#/

Looking for something similar in Singapore?

Check out Platform 1094, a Harry Potter themed Cafe on Serangoon Road! Full of themed food and drinks - perfect for the all fans of fantasy and the supernatural! We were entranced by this picture we found of @caramellechaos on TheSmartLocal!

2. Pokemon Cafe

Pokemon memorabilia and Pokemon centres are everywhere in Japan. A feature on themed restaurants in Japan would not be complete without mentioning a Pokemon Cafe! This particular one is conveniently located in Tokyo Nihonbashi’s Takashimaya!

What is so interesting about this cafe is how simple and unassuming it looks - light wooden floors, tall glass windows and the occasional subtle nod to Pokemon with a few random pokeball motifs and Pokemon figures. 

But the plating of the food definitely did not disappoint. Look at this amazing Eeevee burger and Pikachu omurice! My inner Pokemon fanatic is being sent into a frenzy!

Do note that you have to make a reservation online about 2 weeks in advance before visiting this cafe because of how popular it is! The best part about the restaurant? It gives each visitor a free placemat (there are 151 designs to be collected!) and ordering certain drinks gets you a Pokemon coaster which you can take home.

Keep your eye out for the random character appearances throughout the day. This truly is Disneyland for Pokemon fanatics!

Pokemon Cafe, Nihombashi

Address:
Nihombashi Takashimaya Shopping Center 2-4-1 Nihombashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-8265

Directions:
JR Tokyo Station Yaesu North Exit - 5 minutes walk
Direct access from Nihombashi Station B2 Exit on the Tokyo Metro Ginza and Tozai Lines
Nihombashi Station on the Asakusa Line - 4 minutes walk

Operating Hours:
10.30am - 9.30pm

Website:
https://www.pokemoncenter-online.com/cafe/en/

Looking for something similar in Singapore?

There unfortunately isn’t a Pokemon Cafe in Singapore, but check out the Pokemon Centre at Jewel Changi Airport! It’s the first official Pokemon Centre to be located outside Japan.

Looking for something else cute-and-cuddly themed? Check out this newly-opened Rilakkuma Cafe at Orchard Central that will make you scream “KAWAII!”

3. Kura Sushi

Kura Sushi combines two of, dare I say, Japan’s most-prized cultural icons - conveyor belt sushi and gachapon (capsule toy). Kura Sushi looks unassuming from the outside - a typical wooden exterior and an LED signboard. But it is what is within that is a fun-lover’s paradise!

Firstly, the price of the sushi is unbelievably affordable. ¥100 (SGD1.30) sushi streams out unendlessly on the conveyor belt, ensuring that you can have a taste of all the sushi without burning a hole in your wallet! Can’t find the sushi you’re ooking for? Have no fear - simply order it on the electronic menu at your seat and it’ll come whizzing down the “fast lane” that it above the normal conveyor belt!

The fun starts after you’re done with the food. Drop your plates down a slot at the side of your table and it’ll go whizzing down to be counted and washed. Every 5 plates slotted in gets you a chance to play on the gatchapon machines in the store! Try your luck and you might just win a small prize!

Kura Sushi, Asakusa

Address:
Asakusa Rox 4F. 1-25-15, Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Directions:
Direct access via Asakusa Station

Operating Hours:
11am - 10pm

Website:
https://www.kurasushi.co.jp/en/

Looking for something similar in Singapore?

There are a whole host of Conveyor Belt Sushi Options in Singapore! You could opt for Genki Sushi or Sushi Express for a quick dining experience, or drop by Sushiro, which offers affordable, quality sushi and is all the rage today!

Source: The Smart Local , TimeOut , Choo Yut Shing via Flickr

4. Hananomai Ryogoku

In a not-so-subtle nod to the sumo’s mighty history in Japan, Hananomai Ryogoku is an izakaya that operates ala-carte and all-you-can-eat-and-drink style (wow, that was a mouthful!). Modelled after a sumo dojo, the restaurant is located in the vicinity of Ryōgoku Kokugikan, the national sumo hall.

For ¥3,980 (and an advanced reservation) for the buffet, visitors can look forward to a variety of tasty Japanese foods that whet your appetite, ranging from Sashimi to Takoyaki and an assortment of grilled meats. Almost everything on the menu is a shoutout to the sumo world!

Instead of hosting real sumo fights (it would be way too chaotic and rowdy), the large sumo ring is used by performers decked out in Yukata and Kimono, as they treat visitors to a medley of song and dance. In addition, the dark wood panelling and ornate embellishments only add to the atmosphere!

Hananomai Ryogoku

Address:
1 Chome-1-15 Kamezawa, Sumida City, Tokyo 130-0014, Japan

Directions:
Ryogoku Station on the Toei Oedo Line - 3 minutes walk

Operating Hours:
Mon-Sat: 11:30-21:30
Closed on Sundays

Website: https://hananomai-official.com/shop/hakubutukan_mae/?utm_source=google_map&utm_medium=map

Looking for something similar in Singapore?

There isn’t anything in Singapore similar to Hananomai Ryogoku, but you can still check out Yorimichi Yakitori Bar - an Underrated Izakaya Bar at Golden Mile Complex that we visited! Here’s to the chill and good vibes!

5. Fishing Restaurant Zauo

We’ve heard of a seaside barbecue and the thrill of getting a live catch. But fishing indoors? Not in my wildest dreams!

Fishing Restaurant Zauo offers a fun and fresh take to the typical seafood restaurant. It is the perfect place to enjoy a Japanese-style seafood dinner, while having the kids (and yourself) be entertained by the fish swimming around you! A variety of fresh fish are up for grabs - sea breams, flounders, and red-snappers are some of the many types available. You can even get your hands on lobster, shrimp and clams!

The thrill of landing a catch is amplified when the restaurant staff beat the taiko drums and cheer loudly, creating a rambunctious mood that is so exhilarating and makes you want to go again!

Upon catching your fish, you have full autonomy over how you want it to be prepared - sashimi, steamed, deep-fried, grilled… the possibilities are endless!

Fishing Restaurant Zauo, Shinjuku

Address:
3-2-9, Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023

Directions:
Shibuya Station - 4 minutes walk

Operating Hours:
Weekday lunch 11:30-14:30
Weekday dinner 17:00-23:00
Weekends and holidays lunch 11:30-14:30
Weekends and holidays dinner 16:00-23:00

Website:
http://www.zauo.com/en/

Looking for something similar in Singapore?

There isn’t any restaurant quite like Fishing Restaurant Zauo in Singapore, but we could do with a quirky restaurant like that. Think about how fresh the seafood can be! But check out Koma Singapore which we are so excited about - look at how much the interior reminds you of Japan!

Source: Koma Singapore