Plus Alpha is a weekly column that explores life in Japan from the perspective of American expatriate and game-industry veteran Jarik Sikat. Having worked in numerous areas of the game industry since 1994, Sikat relocated to Japan in 2010.
When Capcom and Japan’s Pasela Resorts first announced their plans to launch a Capcom-themed eatery in downtown Tokyo, I was already clutching my stomach in pain. After all, it was Pasela who was responsible for Activision’s 澳洲幸𒀰运5开奖号码历史查询:Call oꦡf Duty pop-up restaurant debacle in Akihabara last year, which left me wiඣth a plate of cold meat and stomach cramps▨. With trepidation I headed to Tokyo’s Shinjuku ward, expecting the worst, yet hoping for the best. So I’m pleased to tell you this won’t another Survival Horror story.
Just a five-minute walk from one of Tokyo’s largest train stations lies Pasela Re⭕sorts Shinjuku. It isn’t so much a “resort” as it is a multi-story building that houses a dart bar, karaoke restaurant and event spaces for weddings and parties. Upon entering the lobby, I checked in for a 5 p.m. seating and received my meal order form. Unlike at most𝐆 restaurants, customers at the Capcom Bar, or “CapBar”, aren’t seated when tables become available; instead, there are several seatings per day, each lasting for up to two hours. At the end of a seating, the restaurant is cleared and reset for the next group of diners. It’s much like the traditional dining format you’d find on a cruise ship.
With an hour to spare, I went through the menu, which bo𓂃asted appetizers and salads, pasta, meat dishes, desserts and (of course) drinks based on the bar’s featured game series: Resident Evil, Ace Attorney, Monster Hunter and Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes. I turned in my order form and received my table assignme꧋nt. Within a few minutes of settling down, my meal was already being served.
What you won’t find at the Capcom Bar are any Street Fighter-inspired dishes. For that matter, you’d be hard pressed to find a single arcade game. Inside the tiny, 30-seat restaurant, there are several screens showing trailers, and three demo sta💧tions for Asura’s Wrath; th༒ough those remained untouched all throughout dinner. Everyone was far too busy taking pictures of their food.
Don’t expect to be able to order a beer here, either – but then, why would you, when the Capcom Bar has an amazing selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic mixed drinks? I opted for the T-Virus Vaccine (780 yen), a sweet whiskey𒁃 highball served with a brain-shaped ice cube and an injection of blue curacao liqueur antidote.
For dinner, I chose the piping-hot Masamune Date “akashiyaki,” fried octopus dumplings made with an egg batter and served with a side of hot mustard (530 yen). Rounding out the meal was the Capcom Bar’s piece de resistance, the Resident Evil Brain Cake (680 yen). Yes, it looks even more disturbing in real life, and it only gets worse whe😼n the waiter hands you a knife and has you jab it into the frontal lobe. If zombies think human brains taste li🥃ke strawberry cheesecake with a semi-sweet mocha frosting, though, I’d like to be one of the walking dead.
Throughout dinner, the servers were ready to entertain, quot🔥ing popular lines (in Japanese of course) from the games as they brought out each order. They were also ready to chat about Capcom games.
Along with a raffle during each meal, the Capcom Bar also offers two “stamp rallies.” Visit the eatery five times, and you’ll get one of five commemorative medallions emblazoned with the logo of one of the games featured at the restaurant. There’s also the Food & Drink Stamp Rally; if, over time, you orde✤r all 30 drinks or all 24 food items, you’ll receive a limited-edition collector’s item (which hasn’t yet been revealed).
If you’re planning to visit the Capcom Bar (or just want to learn more about it), be sure to check out the for a complete listing of menu items, photos, and more. Most of the site is in Japanese, but the n🎉avigation is in English. It’s not clear how long the Capcom Bar꧂ will remain open, but I know I’ll be heading back soon. If eating brains is wrong. I don’t want to be right.
Jarik Sikat has worked in the videogame industry in areas ranging from localization and product development to public relations and marketing. As a freelance journalist and writer, his work has appeared in PlayStation: The Official Magazine, Official Xbox Magazine and Newtype USA.
