Back in 2015, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government decided to organise an unprecedented contest, aimed at finding the best candidate for the city's very first restaurant to be built inside a municipal park – Komazawa Olympic Park, in this case.
A few months later, Shinagawa-based corporation Create Restaurant Holdings won the bid, thereby setting the groundwork for the latest outpost of the Mr Farmer chain, which finally opened on March 15 this year.
The flashy, health-conscious eatery already had outlets in Omotesando, Shinjuku and Roppongi, with the Komazawa version offering a slightly powered-up version of Farmer-san's figure-friendly but sadly somewhat overpriced menu, as well as – more importantly – serving as a disaster centre in times of serious need (no joke).
The shop interior is quite light and spacious, with a large window for you to peruse the surrounding park area while lazily kicking back with some eats and drinks. Menu-wise, there's not much deviation from other Mr Farmer branches: the mainstay Spinach & Bacon Croque Monsieur makes an appearance, as does the Herb Roast Chicken with Quinoa and Tabbouleh.
As for dessert, the menu changes seasonally – our visit saw a particularly mouth-watering selection of vegan cakes. More noteworthy is the actual menu itself: Japan's first 'video book' to be used in a restaurant is formatted like an actual book, with the touchscreen menu letting you browse explanations on all the ingredients used (in both English and Japanese) just like you were using a tablet.
Alright, back to more practical matters: part and parcel of the metro government's deal was that whichever restaurant would win the bid, it would also have to double as a disaster refuge spot for both those stuck in the area and local residents.
And indeed, this Mr Farmer boasts a stockpile of powdered milk, paper diapers and other necessities, alongside simple toilets and emergency generators to be used in case the water and electricity networks are knocked out.
There's even talk of a wi-fi charger that can supply up to 300 people at once, so you'll be able to quickly get in touch with friends and family to let them know you're safe and vice versa.
On non-disaster days, the restaurant's terrace is a good place for whiling away some time in the sun, either before or after a bout of exercise or a walk in the park. We have to give it to them: the city's newest Mr Farmer certainly is the most versatile one yet.
See full details for Mr Farmer Komazawa Park here
