We visited the Kewpie Mayo Cafe on Mayonnaise Day, March 1, to sample some smooth and sophisticated mayo-drenched cuisine!
Japan has a day for everything, and you’d better believe they have a day for celebrating the creamy goodness that is mayonnaise. Japanese mayo tends to be a little richer than the stuff westerners may be used to (mayo in my native UK tends to be much whiter and less full-on), but regardless of the difference between mayo in the east and west, the undisputed king of all Japanese mayonnaise is Kewpie, the brand which features the adorable and not at all terrifying Kewpie doll as its mascot and comes in several varieties and sizes, from industrial-size mega bottles to teensy handbag varieties (yes, I’ve known some people to carry their own mayo around with them—you never know when you’ll need it!).
March 1 was Mayo Day in Japan, and our beloved P.K. Sanjun toddled off to the mayo-packed Kewpie Mayo Cafe to gorge himself on buckets of creamy condiments in celebration of the occasion.
The Kewpie Mayo Cafe has taken up residence on the second floor of the Shibuya Loft department store and will operate for a limited period of one month. There’s a separate and rotating menu for lunch and dinner, and the decor is subtly tasteful with the addition of a giant plastic broccoli and hanging Kewpie bottles for that sophisticated, avant-garde look.
Sanjun’s first mayo-drenched meal was one which won last year’s “Sparkling Prize” in the Kewpie Mayo Grand Prix, the Taro Miso Mayonnaise Gratin. Sanjun reports that the mayo taste was subtle and not at all overpowering, and that the combination of taro root and grilled cheese was “fairly yummy”.
Next up was the Braised Misaki Maguro Tuna and Seasonal Veg Mayo-don. Sanjun praised the tanginess of the wasabi mayonnaise which accompanied this sophisticated dish.
Finally came the Five Varieties of Dipping Sauce, which consisted of chickpea, basil, olive, avocado, and tomato flavoured mayonnaise dipping sauces (plus veggies for dipping). Sanjun was especially taken by the interesting and exciting flavours and loudly lamented the fact that none of them are, as yet, available in bottled form in stores.
The fresh veggie bar looks incredibly appetizing. But it’s not all healthy food…
There’s also several varieties of greasy, glorious fry to be found as well!
“Chips” with mayo is a popular drunk snack in my homeland, and it seems that Japan’s starting to catch on!
Tomato, olive and avocado mayo sauces in front. These don’t look too difficult to whip up at home…
Each table was furnished with a bottle of Kewpie mayo (just in case any of the dishes weren’t tangy enough for individual tastes), nestled in this cute wire-frame mayo bottle holder with Kewpie baby design. The cafe also operates a gift shop where this sweet piece of mayo memorabilia is available for 1,550 yen (US$13).
It’s a-mayonnaise-ing how much some people love mayo. What’s your favourite condiment, Rocketeers?
All images © RocketNews24
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