Gaurav Kanwar, being a food aficionado since his childhood, was thrilled by the thought of introducing creative Japanese food concepts to Indian foodies. After elaborative research and training in Japan, he teamed up with well-known chefs from Tokyo and Osaka and curated an idea which brings Japan’s most vivid food, flavours, and culture to our nation.
Having got its name after Tokyo’s most culturally and gastronomically flamboyant district, Harajuku will provide service to diverse tastes and age groups. The cafe will offer authentic boba tea, freshly baked Japanese Jiggly Cheesecake, exclusively created Japanese desserts and breads, and made-on-order street food from Japan.
Distinct flavours, live baking, and fluffy, light-as-air breads and desserts are the major differentiators of the Harajuku Tokyo Cafe. The menu has been adopted direct from the streets of Tokyo and Osaka and has been differently crafted for the Indian customers.
The cafe serves a whole array of culinary treats from Japan, including – the fluffy Japanese pancakes and cheesecakes, the world-acclaimed Japanese breads; street food such as takoyaki, chicken karaageand the twelve-inch-long Japanese fries; fun desserts such as taiyaki (ice cream in a fish shaped cone!), and the popular Harajuku crepes; ramen, chahan, sushi, and numerous more. Kanwar and his force are consistently engaged in innovations and will be unveiling exhilarating new additions to the menu every month.
Along with being the provider of an extraordinary gastronomical experience, the cafe can also be considered as one of the most instagrammable cafes in the country. Designed by one of India’s most renowned architects, it houses quirky areas with a live baking station and boba tea counter. Incited by Harajuku, the Tokyo neighbourhood famous for its celebration of Japanese pop culture and vivacious cuisine, the cafe has several fun elements such as a claw machine, Manga comics, a Japanese street mural, a dynamic colour palette, and instagram-worthy art installations.
Besides the highly experienced chefs from Japan, the cafe has been brought to life by a group of industry veterans. Kanwar has been lucky enough to have on his side the expert guidance and skillful advice of Anshuman Malik, an acclaimed restaurateur, who has over 20 years of proficiency in functions and management in the hospitality sector. He has been engaged in establishing popular food and beverage brands such as Auntie Annie Pretzels, Chili’s Grill and Bar, Cinnabon, Superstars, TGIF, and The Great Kebab Factory. Other projects by him include Cinepolis Cinemas, Coffee Tree, Cinepolis VIP & Café OZ – Australian Coffee Shops, Downtown – European Kitchen and Fresh Beer Brew Bar, and Zizo – Authentic Lebanese Kitchen.