The magical café is a must-visit for all true Potterheads.
The main book series of Harry Potter officially ended in Japan when the The Deathly Hallows was released back in 2008, and the main movie series came to a close in 2011. Even so, Pottermania in Japan is still going strong; any Japanese Harry Potter fan worth their salt has probably been to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Osaka at least three times, and with the much anticipated Harry Potter museum opening its doors in 2023, fans here in Japan are certainly spoilt for choice.
Now Potter fans can add the new Wizarding World Harry Potter Cafe, opening in Tokyo’s Akasaka neighbourhood, to the list of places to visit whilst on a Potter pilgrimage.
The café, which will open on the first floor of Akasaka Biz Tower, features a menu bursting with magical food, drinks and sweets inspired by the world of Harry Potter.
First up is the Hogwarts Cheese Toastie, which comes with four different fillings. Naturally, being a Harry Potter restaurant, the four kinds of toastie allude to the four different Hogwarts houses, and each come with colour co-ordinated plates to boot.
Side note, as a Harry Potter super fan and also a British person, I’m particularly appreciative of the fact that yes, they are officially listed on the menu as ‘cheese toasties’ and not ‘grilled cheese’.
Each toasted sandwich also comes with a bowl of soup, and the fillings are as follows —
Gryffindor — Beef and Onion
Slytherin — Salmon and Spinach
Hufflepuff — Bacon and Onion
Ravenclaw — Chicken and Mushroom
▼ The Hogwarts Cheese Toastie — 1,760 yen (US$13.11).
Also in house colours is the Hogwarts Stew, which comes with a choice of rice or bread for your side menu.
▼ Hogwarts Stew — 1,650 yen
There’s more meaty treats in store with the Dragon’s Breath Roast Beef (2,420 yen) and the worryingly named Owl Post Sunday Roast (1,980 yen) — hopefully no Hogwarts owls were harmed in the making of this dish.
An absolute classic British dish is given a magical twist with the Platform 9 ¾ Beans (1,100 yen), or sip on a potion straight from Professor Snape’s classroom with the Simmering Cauldron Soup (880 yen).
For those who are after something a bit more healthy, the Green House Salad with Spices (1,210 yen) might be right up your Diagon Alley. And Quidditch enthusiasts can finally get their hands on the elusive golden snitch with this Salmon Tartar with Golden Snitch (1,000 yen).
Next up, let’s check out the sweet treats on offer, like this Hedwig Cake. The plate makes it look like Hedwig was perched on a branch, ready to deliver you your Hogwarts acceptance letter!
▼ Hedwig Cake — 1,540 yen
This Eton Mess Goblet (1,300 yen) will make you feel like you’re in Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour, and even arachnophobic Ron Weasley wouldn’t be able to say no to this delicious looking take on Aragog’s Hideout (1,200 yen).
If you’re looking for something to wash your meal down with, there are a number of potions — I mean, non-alcoholic drinks — available too, all costing 1,320 yen.
The Expecto Patronum is said to evoke your very own silvery-white Patronus. The drink is a deep blue, not unlike the lake featured in the third film where Harry summoned his Patronus for the first time.
Next to it, the Wingardium Leviosa mocktail will make you feel like you’ve been hit with the levitating spell yourself, and if you look closely you can see feathers at the bottom of the glass, like the feather Hermione so expertly levitated in her first year at Hogwarts.
The Herbivicus mocktail is inspired by the lesser known magical incantation said to help plants grow and flowers bloom. It seems to be working, and some greenery is already sprouting out of the drink!
Finally, the Stupefy mocktail, based on the spell that stuns people, contains star anise and a cinnamon stick to give a spicy kick sure to Stupefy your taste buds!
For anyone struggling to pick their favourites from the menu, or who perhaps wants to share the magical feast with friends, there is also the Hogwarts Tasting Menu (5,280 yen [US$39.33]), which includes a selection of five of the aforementioned dishes.
The magic doesn’t end with the cafe, though; there’s a whole bunch of take-out items for Potterheads to bring with them as they journey back into their normal, Muggle lives, like these take-out drinks bottles in house colours (1,980 yen). Each house is represented in drink form through the inclusion of different fruits, and the bottles come with key chains attached.
There are also scones that come in house colours (648 yen each)…
… that you can carry around in these take-out boxes, that come in the four different house colours complete with the individual house crests on each. The boxes can hold two scones (220 yen) or four scones (275 yen). The boxes will only be sold to witches and wizards who also buy scones.
Wizarding World Harry Potter Cafe will be open from June 16 to July 7 for a special pre-opening, with shortened hours and a limited menu. The grand opening is scheduled for July 8, but anyone wishing to hop on their Firebolt and make a visit between June 16 to July 31 will need to make a reservation via the official website.
Restaurant Information
Wizarding World Harry Potter Cafe
Address: Tokyo, Minato City, Akasaka 5 Chome-3-1, Akasaka Biz Tower
東京都港区赤坂５丁目３−1赤坂Bizタワー
Open: 11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., 5:00p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Website
Source: PR Times
Images: PR Times
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[ Read in Japanese ]