There are hundreds, if not thousands, of compilation videos of dishes and feasts featured on anime on YouTube. Such compilations rack up millions of views and how could they not? Did you never wish to jump into the screen when Sophie (from Howl’s Moving Castle) was searing bacon, tossing in plump sausages when making that magnificent breakfast? Or find yourself with a grumbling stomach before the One Piece feast?
Animes are not just visually stunning but they take the food experience to a whole another level. Many restaurants all over the world have attempted to emulate the dishes featured in such animes and Kyubi’s Kitchen in Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur, is one of many. Launched on January 1, 2019, Kyubi’s Kitchen is the very first all anime themed restaurant in Nepal. And in less than two months since its launch, they have created quite the buzz on social media platforms.
Bibhushan Basnet, Bhishma Rai, Ishang Dewan, Sujana Limbu, and Pawan Gurung collectively own and run the restaurant. They all confess to being anime fans and the restaurant was the quintet’s attempt at creating a meeting place for anime lovers. Apparently, at a cosplay event they attended, the enthusiasm of anime fans and the sheer number participants made them discuss the possibility of an all anime themed restaurant. Gurung, who had a background in culinary arts, helped devise a menu of East Asian influences, Japanese in particular. “We could really see our idea working out. And Japanese food honestly is one that is very agreeable to the Nepali palate so we went forward with our plan,” he says.
They all agreed to name their restaurant “Kyubi’s Kitchen,” as a tribute to the Uchiha clan (one of the four most notable clans in Naruto-verse). Very soon they also rented a property in Jhamsikhel, hired professional painters to draw scenes from famous animes (particularly Naruto) and designed their decor to make it comfortable and traditional but have a little bit of modern touch as well. The focus was largely on the details. From the low tables to the symbols from the Naruto franchise embroidered on the cushions to the scrolls that serve as menus, they have paid meticulous attention to make sure everything gels well with the theme of the restaurant. Along the corridors and staircases of the restaurant spread over two floors, they put up framed pictures of anime landscapes and captures from some iconic episodes.
Musically magical anime
For the food itself, they thought long and hard about the menu and decided to keep it limited. Most ingredients, however, had to be imported since making them from scratch didn’t yield the same results. They boil their broths for over 12 hours and have cooks working for them throughout the week, except for Tuesdays when they are closed.
“We realized that if we wanted our customers to get a wholesome anime experience then we should work on our services too. So we hired cosplay artists to work as our servers,” explains Gurung. The response so far has been phenomenal. Dewan, who overlooks the promotional aspect, posts regularly on social media to spread the word.
Although they have yet to officially launch their restaurant or even finalize their menu, they have gained quite the following in the short period they have been in business. Very soon, they plan on opening a coffee shop on the ground floor of the building the restaurant is currently situated in and work more on further refining their services.
Rock Lee’s Curry of Youth
Price: Rs 300
Do you remember Karashi’s Curry of Life that was, allegedly, so spicy that it could either knock you unconscious (if you have low spice intolerance) or give you unimaginable strength? As Naruto fans, the team at Kyubi’s Kitchen just couldn’t miss this dish that Rock Lee called his savior. So this Rock Lee’s curry at Kyubi’s Kitchen is the traditional chicken chili spiced up even more. The gravy is thick and perfect to eat with rice. The vegetables feel crunchy and the chicken soft and buttery. But it is the heat that is the winner here. They have, however, slightly toned down the spice, than is normal in the Karashi dish.
Ichiraku Ramen
Price: Rs 700
This is one huge bowl of Ramen that you can customize to your own liking. You choose your own broth, toppings, and spice levels. This one is pork based and what a delight it was, especially given the chilly weather. They weren’t joking when they said they take 12 hours to make their broths. The broth is thick and creamy and it warms you up with every sip. For those who love spice food, do ask them to level up on the heat or you may not find yourself very happy. The noodles were firm and wonderfully soaking in the broth. The spring onions give you a nice crunch with the noodles and the egg yolk makes this dish all too creamy.
Infinite Tsukuyomi (Kyubi’s Surprise)
Price: Rs 1000
When this giant platter is brought to your table, you will feel sorry at having to ruin it. The presentation is spectacular. But ruin it, you must. Unless you have an appetite of steel, it’s advisable that you share this platter with a couple of other people. This one is a double surprise. First, you never know what you’re getting and the other, whatever you get, is impossible not to love it. The one we had one came with tuna sushi, pork dumplings, honey glazed chicken, fries, potato cutlets, and an assortment of vegetables. The whole platter balances and complements the flavors of each individual dish. A showstopper, chef Richa Gurung called it, and no one can argue otherwise
