Harajuku Tokyo Cafe – Going Japanese in Gurgaon

Harajuku is one of the most popular and colorful neighborhoods in Tokyo. Fashionably eccentric, it showcases a distinct side of the city that completely contrasts Japan’s otherwise traditional temperament.

As a result, Harajuku has a vibe that reflects a particularly quirky and contemporary lifestyle. This is best observed at the famous Takeshita Street, known for its vintage stores, themed cafes, and food outlets.

Harajuku Tokyo Cafe embraces the dynamic character of its namesake. The restaurant-cafe, which now has several different outlets, pops with color.

The eatery in IFC Gurguram boasts an array of characteristic Japanese elements, from a Manga wall to Kawaii booths, a robot DJ, a faux sakura tree, neon lighting, and, best of all, a sushi train.

As a bit of a Japanophile, I’m forever fascinated by anything and everything even remotely connected to the country.

While Harajuku Tokyo Cafe excels in its decor department, creating a pop-culture-esq ambiance, it does lack functionality and immaculate service for which the Japanese are so famous.

The service isn’t bad, and the staff is attentive. However, it doesn’t have the kind of finesse one expects. There was unclarity about menu items, uncertainty on why the conveyor belt wasn’t working, and we had to ask a couple of times for the most basic of requirements. All this during a lazy weekday lunch service.

Most disappointingly, the non-functioning conveyor belt sushi, the main reason for our visit, damped the entire family’s mood. Especially that of my little one, from the moment we sat down.

The menu at Harajuku Tokyo Cafe is extensive, covering various of the most popular Japanese foods. From the usual suspects, such as sushi, Japanese pizza, and ramen, to salads, bao, sando sandwiches, noodles, curries, and fondue, there’s a good range for vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

Our order took little time to arrive but left a lot to be desired.

The classic milk boba tea was okay. The brown sugar milk tea, in contrast, was a glass full of primarily ice. It’s an age-old trick restaurants use to save cost, but they aren’t fooling anyone with it anymore.

The katsu bao with tofu was probably the best of what we ended up ordering.

Crispy tofu inside a soft bao bun with just the right flavoring and freshness helped satiate the palate.

At the same time, the katsu curry rice bowl with chicken looked and tasted fine, at first. The chicken katsu strips were delicious, crunchy on the outside and juicy inside.

The sticky rice scored high, imitating its Japanese counterpart near-perfectly.

While it looked its part, the curry had a spicy aspect, possibly to “Indianize” it. In doing so, it lost its Japanese culinary aesthetic, where flavors tend to be more balanced.

The UFO fondue platter had a nice ring to it. Moreover, cooking food on the table is always fun. The various meats turned out be delicious in a way comfort fried food typically is.

The cheese, though, was too white for my liking and lacked any real taste. Nor was there enough to last the quantity of meats accompanying it.

Ultimately, you have a dish that won’t leave you hungry but is also unremarkable.

I’ve previously relished pre-made sandwiches and desserts from Harajuku’s Ambience Mall outlet. Whereas, the dine-in experience at Harajuku Tokyo Cafe has left me to continue searching for the best Japanese restaurant in Gurgaon—Ebisu ranks the highest so far.

Will I go back to Harajuku? Yes! Their sushi train is still something I wish to experience. However, I’ll give the rest of their menu a pass for now.

Harajuku Tokyo Café
M3M IFC, Badshahpur, Sector 66
Gurugram, Haryana 122022
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