It’s been a while since we last saw crowds of Pokémon trainers walking about the city looking for Pikachu or Dragonite after the Pokémon GO craze in July, and chatter about Poké Stops and nest migrations have definitely dwindled. All’s not lost for Pokémon fans though, as the new Pokémon Café pop-up in Mid Valley should revive interest in all things pocket monsters.
Anista Tokyo (responsible for the apocalypse of cute that was the pop-up Alpacasso Café) has launched the first Pokémon Café in Malaysia, taking over the alpacas with Pokémon Sun and Moon merchandise and plushies.
The café serves up a Pikachu-centric menu. What to expect: a rice omelette dish in the shape of Pikachu's face; sweet pancakes imprinted with the electric Pokémon's likeness; a Pikachu cream puff, cotton candy and crêpe dish served with a choco pen (which you can use to write your name on the crêpe); soda inspired by Pikachu’s Volt Tackle move, and more Pikachu-designed food and drinks. The café has collaborated with O’Briens Café, whose team mans the kitchen.
While you wait for your table, you’ll see staff sporting neon Pikachu-ear headbands and dangling lightning bolt-shaped tails whizzing about, occasionally stopping for a selfie with fans. Once you’re seated at your table, take a snapshot of the placemats (printed with images of Pokémon Sun and Moon starters Popplio, Litten and Rowlet) designed exclusively for the Pokémon Café, and the two fluffy mini Pikachu plushies acting as a centerpiece.
Come early though, as the café can only seat up to 30 customers at a time and lines can get long. You’ll also want to visit Pikachu and the Pokémon Sun and Moon gang soon as the pop-up Pokémon Café will only be around until Feb 28 2017.