Royal/T
Categories: Toy Stores, Accessories, Art Galleries, Sandwiches, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
Neighborhood: Culver City8910 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232 (310) 559-6300
- Hours:
Tue-Sun 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Wi-Fi: None
- Alcohol: None
3 reviews
Neighborhood: West Hollywood
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36 Reviews for Royal/T
The tea here was excellent. I want tea like this everyday, that would be a treat. There is a lot to keep you entertained while you drink your T. I really wanted to give one of the girls dressed up in a maid uniform a large bloody butcher knife like the girl in the evil video game Alice. If you look it up you can see where I am getting at. There is so much space there that can be utilized with art. This is the only reason from bumping it down to 4 stars. Let me know when there is more to look at and I will be back to edit my review. The stuff there at the moment though is excellent.
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The food isn't great and the teas are so-so, but they aren't the draw of this place.
You're here to check out three things:
- A kickass personal art collection that reminds me how expensive weird shit can be, and I mean that in the best possible way.
- Cute waitresses in maid outfits that make you feel dirty, and I mean that in the best possible way, too.
- An eclectic range in customers from the cosplay enthusiasts to the goth crowd. It makes you feel like you're suddenly thrust into a scene from a Strawberry Shortcake cartoon.
And in these, Royal-T excels.
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Despite what appeared to be an over-hyped media sensation for Royal T, I found it to be a very enjoyable place to go. The space is really amazing (note all the photos of the place and not the eats!)-- the integration of art gallery makes for a lovely and intriguing dining space. The wacky art is fun to look at, and makes you want to leave your table and walk around.
I read about the cosplay place in the LA Times (http://www.latimes.com...) and kept it in mind when recommending unique place to take my visiting friend from NYC. We came for breakfast and shared the avocado toast (one piece of bread with a half to an entire chopped avocado on top!). I got the baked eggs with salmon and asparagus; she got the breakfast set with the sundried tomatoes baked eggs, fruit salad, and her tea of choice-- milk tea. My eggs weren't great (but have I ever had them baked? I don't know), but the watermelon juice I got was EXCELLENT.
Service was pretty good, but as we got there close to 10 am when they opened, we were the first seated and only customers for a while. Our maid was really sweet and very cute. Photos of the ladies also in costumes on the wall were intriguing and an interesting juxtoposition to the reality of the actual servers. I did find the photo of the little girl in costume in front of a bar a bit disturbing, though.
Overall, I'm glad I am able to walk here from where I live, and would definitely return, especially to show it off to people from out of town and the like. If nothing else, the gallery and shop are worth wandering in to see!
My yuma salad with shrimp and asparagus was summer light but filling but more importantly, really tasty. I'm afraid to order anything else now. Unfortunately, the other dishes my friends have had were just ok though including the curry rice and steak sandwich.
But its the other amenities that make this place a good recommendation. They have large pieces of Japanese pop art including Nara, Murakami and Aya Takano (why wait in line and hob nob with the hoitee toitee), the space itself is beautiful and airy and the tables spaced apart so you're not listening to each others conversations. The servers are of course in maids uniforms but they're not sexually overt as you think they might initially be. This isn't hooters after all.
Some people have complained about the prices in their store but errr, these are legitimate pieces of art by renowned artist.
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So a bunch of us were there last Sunday, Aug 3 for High Tea. I heard about this since I am on the mailing list.
Food:
The tea was really good. I ordered Oolong tea.
The finger sandwiches and desserts were really good. The food was very fresh.
Atmosphere:
The place was very busy that day. Luckily, we had reservations.
There were a lot of people there. One table had 12 people for High Tea.
Service:
Despite being busy, the service was excellent. The ladies were very friendly and professional. I was able to meet the manager. She was really cool and very nice.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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06/20/2008
My friends took me here on my birthday. The people were very friendly and the atmosphere was really… Read more »
Super cute waitresses and cool artwork is what this restaurant has going for it. It is trying to do too much and doesn't do much really well. The food is pricey for smallish sized portions and lack of choices. However if you like french maids you'll love this place.
Pros:
-Though the open space feels a bit cold, it's still visually appealing and unique.
-The servers' maid outfits are awesome...I think I want to have a party here!
-I liked the teas that we tried. Will definitely come back to try more tea and coffee drinks.
Cons:
-The food was mediocre (we had a crispy veggie sandwich and a miso chicken daikon on baguette sandwich; fresh but bland). We'll probably come back and try their breakfast selections.
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Japanese Maid Cafe inspired, but with cool L.A. style.
I think this place is so cute, with great tea, an espresso bar, and an ok menu. The space is part art gallery, part shop, and part cafe. The waitresses are dressed as maids, taking after Japanese maid cafes - the difference is in the clientele. Rather than lonely dorky businessmen, the patrons are .... well, regular people. There is a lot of attention to detail in the service including the table settings.
I recommend this place as a fun and interesting location to bring guests, a date, or a fun time with friends. It closes very early though - more for lunch rather than dinner.
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Here is a snippet of a conversation I had with my friend.
Him: guess where i'm going!
Me: uh ... mmmmmm ?
Him: look! http://www.royal-t.org/
Me: ... seriously?
Well, he ended up not going that Sunday when he told me, but only because they seem to close very early. Located in the art district of Culver City, I feel like they could probably generate so much more business if they stayed open past 6 PM.
We ended up going together a couple of weeks later and meeting up with some of his other friends. We parked in the back and went through the back entrance where we found the artsy side of Royal/T. Here, we found a giant Porta-Party, which was in working condition. Feel free to see pictures of my friend, the giant panda, rocking it out in the giant Porta-Party.
Their art pieces could be described as GIANT CUTE DOG and GIANT STRIPED TIGER and eclectic, eccentric, different?
The whole art -=theme=- is wrapped around the entire establishment, which is really neat. They have an art store inside and they seem to have a pretty solid refund policy.
We met the owner, who was very nice, very accommodating, and made small talk with us. I think she was more interested in the fact that my friend was dressed up as a giant panda (Panda-Z for Anime Expo, yo!).
The portions of their food are verryyy tiny. I don't eat a lot really, a salad and a veggie sandwich was good enough for me really -- but my friend, who is a grown man that runs a lot and eats a lot [really], consumed a lunch special, a salad, french toast, part of a baked egg, and lots of tea -- and STILL wanted in-n-out afterward.
Ho hum. If you're on a diet, perfect place. If you're looking to get full and not pay a lot, this is not the place for you.
Oh, but hey - - Surfas is right down the street.
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I absolutely adore this space and am astounded by Susan Hancock's art collection. I think it is just fabulous that she took all of her amazing artwork from her collection and opened a place where people can come and enjoy it, with a very charming and unique experience that is to be had with the cafe. I just love that all the cups, teapots and a few other items are by the very stylish Bodum brand - but I wonder how long that'll last. Those fragile double wall glasses. while so cool and nice to hold in your hand, are bound to break, i think.
I desperately want to give this place more than three stars because I enjoyed the overall aesthetic and idea behind it, but based on my two visits there, I think there's room for improvement. First, the lady who runs the register/manages the cafe is a bit snooty for my taste (and slow), and second, the time I went to eat and have tea, they were out of what I wanted to order - INCLUDING the signature Royal/T Milk Tea! I was sad and disappointed by that.
Having been to maid cafe's in Akihabara, the inspiration for Royal/T, I was curious to see what the results to be. My impression of this place is an attempt at a very modern and hip area that also has a tea service.
The lunch food I had (which was the chicken sandwich with a baguette) was good and at least large enough to fill me up for lunch. However, the high tea service itself I felt was very small. Also I was disappointed that the service and the tea were actually packaged separately unlike most places that do serve tea. The quantity for the tea service was also very small with only one tiny portion of 3 sandwiches and 3 deserts with one mini quiche for two people and it was without scones (I do love me scones). I did order the Darjeeling tea hot and it was a high quality tea, so in this aspect I was satisfied. Ultimately though, the food wasn't enough to make up for the small proportions and lack of variety.
The service was very good and I enjoyed talking to the maids very much. I've studied Japanese for several years, and it was great fun to talk to them in the language. Also they had no qualms about us taking pictures with them.
The space itself is very unique but I felt that it was rather sparse. Also the store inside sells very unique items for a rather steep price.
Ultimately I don't consider this the most comfortable area in the world. It's mainly poured concrete and high beams, which is very cold for something as comfortable as a cafe/high tearoom. But if you want to go for the super hip, I suppose it's worth the visit if only for the uniqueness.
How does it compare to a cafe in Akihabara? I'd warrant this is not at all similar to the sort of experience you would find in Japan. About the only thing that is the same is the fact that they employ Japanese girls to dress up as maids as waitresses. The other qualities that make the maid cafes in Japan are lacking.
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without even realizing it, i've been WAITING for someplace like this.
i've been complaining endlessly about all the boring cafe destinations that i had in my mental rolodex where i could take my friends after dinner. i've been meaning to check out royal T but their hours are horrendous so i never got a chance to swing around in time until last friday afternoon.
once i stepped foot into this art gallery/cafe, i was immediately transported into a murakami type art exhibit. we came in from the back and we were greeted with two huge glass enclosed artwork and sculptures that looked like anime come to life. once we walked into the cafe we just COULD NOT sit down right away. we had to walk around the front and gawk at all the amazing art before finally sitting down.
the waitress was cute in her harajuku like maid outfit. the walls leading to the bathroom were overblown bigger than life pictures of harajuku girls in all their gear. they even have a gift store where you can buy some merch.
their sweet sesame cake was TO DIE FOR. i love sesame and this was sesame heaven. the espresso chocolate cake was aiite.
get the sweet sesame cake if you love sesame.
this is like my dream come true.
i just wish they were open much later so i can live there.
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Los Angeles' first cosplay cafe is more art gallery than restaurant. Besides the waitresses in maids' uniforms, there is much more eye candy on the walls. The Japanese contemporary art is appealing to a wide audience. There aren't many tables, but they have an emphasis on quality service and presentation. The silverware and drinkware show the attention to detail. Definitely have some tea while you're here.
For pictures of the fine silverware and other adventures in Culver City www.gildedpalate.com
I've been wanting to check this place out because of the art gallery / Japanese "Harakuju" theme. My friend and I met at 10:30am on a Sunday for brunch. They open at 10am and was told they don't take reservations for parties less than 6. It wasn't crowded and street parking (meters are free on Sundays and holidays!) was a cinch.
I was expecting the art gallery to be next door to the cafe, but it's one large room with a cement slab floor. It looks very industrial with the air conditioning ducts in open view above. There is a gift shop, the cafe in the middle and the art gallery, along the side walls and in the back room, is separated from everything by plexiglass. There's also a small "bar" with cocktail tables (3).
The menu is sparse (a few breakfast items-pastries, baked eggs with salmon or tomatoes, and sandwiches). Although they normally serve their High Tea at 2pm, they were nice enough to serve it for us early (although we had to wait about 15 minutes for the food--not a problem since we used that time to peruse the art gallery).
At first we were the only people in there but then it picked up around 11am or so and there were several large groups (1 group of 10-11 year olds having a birthday party--and the cute thing was that they were all dressed up like "Harajuku" girls).
The service was good. The high tea is served on a 3-tiered metal serving tray. The 1st tier had 3 sandwiches: cucumber with wasabi mayo, cucumber with avocado, spicy tuna (not so spicy) and microgreens, and cucumber with crab salad and microgreens. The 2nd tier had the desserts, a fruit custard tart, chocolate layered cake, and a cake that had a sesame or sweet bean filling. The 3rd tier had a shiitake mushroom, spinach quiche. The quiche was really tasty and the desserts were yummy, in particular the sweet bean paste-filled cake. The sandwiches were just ok. They were hard to eat because they were opened-faced sandwiches and at one point the cucumber/avocado slid off of the bread and into my lap. :(
Tea also came with our meal and I got the iced maccha milk tea, which was quite tasty. It had the refreshing taste of maccha and the milk balanced out the bitter taste that green tea can have sometimes.
The service was good..and of course the french maids outfits of the servers was cute.
One of the best parts of the gallery was a "porto-party" booth. Imagine something the size and shape of a porto-potty, but the door looks like an iPod and the inside has wooden flooring, a disco ball with LED lights, speakers and an iPod hookup. An instant porto-party! Seems like about 5 people could fit comfortably. I want one for my house. :)
All in all, I'm glad I went to check it out, but the food wasn't good enough to go back for.
If you like Japanese culture and modern art, this place is for you. Bring your girlfriend, she will love the idea you went out of your way to bring her somewhere 'girly'. They serve yummy light foods like salads and chicken or tuna tartar sandwiches which I recommend, and rice bowls(stay away from those). Their tea drinks are creative and tasty, but not very memorable. If you go, don't forget to check out the back of the place, they have more exhibits hiding back there. I'd recommend the sandwich and salad combo and one of their teas. Cool place to hang out with friends and chat, atmosphere is laid back with a touch of class. Oh and the waittresses are nice to look at too!
It is definitely unique! Although, the location is a little odd, you might drive by and never notice. I love Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara so I was super excited to see their art work displayed all around. It's a pretty cool ambiance, very chill and relaxed. Oh, and yes there was the waitresses' dressed in french maid outfits but it didn't really strike me as anything special, neither did the guys i was with. At first, they were excited and looking forward to it but nothing special. I think they might have some cosplay events that go on, b/c as we were leaving we saw people dressed up in different things heading to royal/T.
I loved my spicy tuna tar tar sandwich and i tried their homemade ginger lemonade (although that was just ok, didn't really taste any ginger in it.) Others that I was with ordered a chicken sandwich which wasn't bad either, curry chicken rice bowl and salmon rice bowl. The two that ordered rice bowls said it was just ok. I would definitely return with some friends just to chill and drink brewed tea! haha I love tea! oh, they have an event tomorrow afternoon,perfect chance to go check out royal/T! see ya there~
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the best of royal/t is that it's all encompassing: there is the art, the goods, and the food.
the setting is wonderful. it is open, bright, clean, and cheerful. the essence of cuteness is what we're all looking for and constantly drawn to.
however, the food was something amiss. in all fairness, we had two sandwiches...however, it seems that such creative approaches in living and being can be added to the food. maybe the bread can be fresh and steamy, the sandwiches accented with a little pickled vegetables, the meat can be infused with herb...something. next time (as we will be back) we can taste the baked egg and rice bowls.
the teas were great. the pot presentation followed the clean corners and helped to keep the drinks warm. the black milk tea flavor held the expected satisfaction (especially after half a melted brown sugar cube per cup) of milk tea, but with a surprising refreshing palate cleanser of flower. maybe we can just return for a pastry and tea...or just tea.
the service is great. with only two tables at one time, our maid spent a little time chatting with us. then, when we asked questions she wasn't sure of, she enlisted the butler, the nanny, and the grounds keeper (probably not their actual roles) for the answers.
the $11-30 mark circles around the $11-15 range to be more fair.
we're going back...definitely for the drinks
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Wow, everybody was pretty generous here with their reviews although nobody really seems to like the food!
Yes, it's interesting for the art (if the taste suites you) but bottom line, the tea was bad and the food was mediocre.
You don't need to eat here. Maybe walk around and just grab a cup of coffee....
The waitresses were super sweet. But I'm all about the food. I had low expectations to begin with but I don't need to come back.
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What do you get when you mix a Japanese pop art gallery with a French maid themed cafe? Royal/T. The space is amazingly cool with high wood beamed ceilings, and a wide open floor plan full of cute art. When you get to the cafe section of the space you really feel like you're part of the art show. Especially when the tall waitress in a brown French maid costume approaches you with a little menu. "Am I in some sort of surreal art piece, or a cafe?"
The menu is pretty interesting also. There are a ton of teas and coffees to choose from. I skipped on them to try some food from the small menu. My boyfriend chose the steak sandwich, which was slightly unimpressive. But I chose the Tuna Tartar sandwich which was delish. Very tasty, and highly recommended.
I think the food could be hit or miss, but it's worth a shot just to be part of such a unique experience.
If you like Japanese pop art (Murakami, etc.), toys, Japanese atmoshpere, and the lolitas of Takashita street in Harajuku, this is the place for you. Lovely Japanese "French" maids serve coffee and tea in an awesome space in the Culver City gallery district. Food is coming!!! When it gets here I may add another star.
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Words to describe this place: Cute, kitschy and very unique.
It's pretty much a Gwen Stefani music video, MOCA, and teahouse all rolled into one. You have Asian girls dressed up in French maid outifts, Murakami artwork /oversized cartoony exhibits, and dainty food and tea served in a loft-style dining room.
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Very unique and fun. The overall experience was phenomenal. They have a great large space with tons of interesting artwork by takashi murakami and others, a great store with Japanese toys and unique collectibles, and great customer service by the servers dressed up as french maids. I've already gone twice in the last week and will continue going back for the great experience.
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You have to understand first and foremost that Royal T is more than just the sum of its parts, it's an experience. You'll probably be able to find better tea elsewhere, better snacks elsewhere, better art exhibits elsewhere... but where are you going to find them together, and with hot asian girls in french maid outfits? This place is what Giant Robot wants to be. Highly stylized Japan-centric interior design in a huge open space, it's saturated with saccharine yet it's very tastefully done, which is pretty much synonymous with the Japanese kawaii culture it's trying to invoke. One of the reviews here calls the place "spare" and "unfinished". I think it's perfect.
The menu is nice, filled with loads of varieties of teas, some food, snacks and desserts. The waitresses are awesome and super friendly (when they are not posing for pictures). I loved their milk teas, and we ordered a tea set which included some elaborately prepared finger foods on a multi-tiered tray.
Everything was delicious.
We easily spent an hour and half at Royal T. After enjoying our tea and snacks, we checked out the store (where you can purchase and bring home your own J-goodies, natch), then proceeded to enjoy the art exhibits. There are some really cool pieces in this place. Sadly, I had a better time here than the Culver City Art Walk. Highlights were: some pieces by Murakami (whose work I was just recently introduced to), a walk-in Port-a-Party (think over-sized iPod), and a crazy video exhibit in a dark victorian-style living room. Good times.
On a subsequent visit one of the hostesses suggested a rice-based tea. I tried it, but it wasn't to my liking. She gave it to me for free and gave me a different beverage as a replacement. All the while, the other girl was constantly filling our lime-waters. There were photographers there as well and I got my picture taken for the NYT. How cool is that?
I love going to tea and had really high hopes for this place, but left feeling vaguely disappointed. The space is very modern and spare--sort of interesting, but looks almost unfinished. Plastic tables and chairs weren't the comfiest. I ordered the high tea, which was fairly tasty (especially the cucumber sandwich) but for $20 was awfully paltry. 4 little sandwiches, 3 very tiny pastries (one was creamy and gray, so I traded it with a friend), and then one little quiche. The milk tea was good, and the pot was large, but still, an hour later, I was starving. The best thing about the whole experience was the service. Everyone was very sweet and attentive. But still...no need to return.
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I can say that this place has the most pleasant atmosphere out of any place I've been to in years. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the tea is really good. Jean is the coolest sweetest maid I've seen working there and I find industrial look of the place somewhat charming now (even though to be honest the first time I went I thought the place was still under construction). The biggest problem I have is the price for food and the portion sizes. $6 for two slices of french toast is too much but to their credit the staff agreed and assured my friend and I that the menu is still being worked out and portions will hopefully be more equitable to other American restaurants. Also despite being over priced the french toast was really good.
I know it's a Japanese themed cafe but Japanese portion sizes don't fly here.
Anyways, It's a nice place to check out and might even become a regular hang out for me if the menu gets better.
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LOL! ROFLOL! LMAO!
OMG it was like being in some sort of twisted Disneyland.
I just popped in to get a menu, they don't have it yet since they won't have their full menu until probably next week.
To the left was a big glass enclosure with giant stuffed octopuses lounging around on real beds. To the right was a big glass enclosure with little anime people and artificial turf.
Then a French maid came prancing over to me. Yes, she actually pranced. Then all three of the French maids were talking to me like they just pulled me into some slightly sinister slightly sexual animation. I was able to keep one foot in reality, and I knew that they knew that I knew that they knew that I knew that it was all a strange act.
Then there were the two "normal" people behind the counter, with their wry smiles, silently applauding the anime maids for doing their jobs well.
Look forward to going back for lunch. HAHAHAA
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6/7/2008 Update:
Ate here today. It was 1pm and my first meal of the day, so I had french toast. $6 for one slice of french toast. It was a big slice of bread and cut into two triangles so you can deceive yourself and think there were two slices, if you want to feel better about it.
Also got a small pot of yuzu sencha tea, $4. Couldn't taste the yuzu at all, but the tea was very nice, almost creamy in flavor.
I walked out hungry, but thanks to my friend for picking up the tab! :)
Too bad the maids were not playing their roles today. All but one were waitresses in maid outfits and not playing the part at all.
I want that $300 bad-talkin' rectangular stuffed creature thing.
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You can't miss this place driving northeast on Washington Boulevard. The astroturf-lined space stands out amidst unsexy industrial and retail buildings. My husband and I decided to order their sets: I ordered the breakfast and he ordered the lunch. Mine was two baked eggs with prosciutto and shitake mushrooms followed by fruit bowl. His was curry rice with chicken. Both our orders were fast and taken with the friendliness you might expect of Japanese women in french maid outfits. The food, however, was surprisingly uneventful given the price. Indeed, we were paying largely for the experience. I'm chalking up other negatives to newness of place: unfinished concrete floors and the full menu is not served throughout the day as advertised.
I did enjoy watching the flower of my Jasmine tea blossom in hot water and the artwork from larger-than-life prints of gothic lolitas to Party-in-a-Box. That is worth the price of food admission.
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The atmosphere is neat, and our waitress was super nice. Our menu was limited today due to the Culver City Artwalk, however we were able to try the Royal T Milk Tea, almond croissant, and chocolate espresso dessert. All of it was just okay, and not as memorable as the environment. Check out the unique black chandelier (photo) they have in the women's restroom! :)
Service was slow at times due to them only having one maid waitress to cover the entire place (on a Saturday too!), but overall it's a great place for drawing, and getting inspiration for art. Be prepared to shell out a lot of money for small portions of food. I would only revisit if my friends wanted to go.
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I sooo want to check this joint out ----
The website description says:
Royal/T is a playful collision of spaces
-cafe/shop / art space - presented in stunning fusion.
An eclectic mix of retail and contemporary art reimagined in the surrounds of LA's first Japanese-Style cosplay cafe.
If you're an uber Japanophile -- the cafe waitresses are dressed as cosplay "maids" -- and I'm told call their patrons "master" and offer to pour their cream for their "masters" coffee on their knees.
Great for those folks that have a severe case of yellow fever with the twisted "i wanted a fob girl with domestic capabilities"
I am told they also have private rooms, where you can spend time with the maid/waitresses - 1 on 1 -- in a "anime comic room" as one of the options
I wonder ... any hentai???
I'd roll to Culver City one day for the gawk and shopping/art factor... maybe for a guy this could be "fun" -- for a girl -- another girl calling me "master" seems creepy.
Here's their site link: http://www.royal-t.org
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my girl took me here.. she told me there would be a bunch of sluts in maid outfits serving me. haha such a liar.. there outfits were NOT even slutty... sad face. latte was good. art was dope, cucumber cuts and chocolate cake was good.
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Definitely for the moe-lovers in L.A. I was apprehensive about checking out Royal/T as my experience at the O.G. maid cafe in Tokyo (@ Home Cafe) was surely more than awkward. Upon arriving at Royal/T, I was thinking - how closely will this resemble the maid cafes in the Akihabara district? Will the maids grab each other's boobies and play sexual games with you for cash?
But judging by the website, Royal/T seemed more like an urban vinyal-ish, part art gallery, part cafe feel, instead of a purely fetishized enterprise. The maids were really nice and helpful, handing out brochures to describe the art exhibits and more. They didn't have a "persona" like in Japan. There was no "gangsta maid," "shy glasses-wearing maid" or the ever nonsensical "cat maid....meow?" Just regular girls in authentic Japanese made maid costumes. Some do play up the Japanese part though, standing pigeoned-toed in pictures with sweet giggles and animated gestures.
The menu looks far more delicious and original than @ Home Cafe's -- which is mainly just sundaes and curry rice. Royal/T has all those plus salads and sandwhiches. Bonus. I can't wait to come back in May when the cafe actually starts serving food rather than just coffee. Though I can't complain- I did get free coffee cards and chocolates upon first entrance. :)
Good job on decore Royal/T! You're definitely classier than the actual Akihabara establishments. Just beware of crazy white guys and fan boys looking up your skirts.
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I went to the Re-Opening Party on Saturday. The place is an Art Gallery first and a Cafe second. The art is extensive and awesome and the food was amazing. Its all about Jap Pop Art so you will either love it or not- lots of Murakami (yay!). I say it's definitely worth checking out and having lunch.
Oh, yea, and the maids. = D
Pics: http://www.flickr.com/...
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while i never set foot in a cos-play cafe in akihabara during my years in japan, i couldn't resist checking out its los angeles counterpart. having read reviews in both daily candy and the los angeles times, i was intrigued by the intersectionality of food/art/shop.
the colorful characters, vibrant strokes, enormous stuffed animal courtesy of murakami, vases of freshly-cut flowers, psychadelic video room, and porta-party art installation (by nick rodrigues), provide a fantastic background to the simplicity of royal-t's dining room. my friends and i appreciated the face that t we were transported out of the business of la, to the safe haven of this industrial and open art space.
the staff and french-maid outfit-clad waitresses are incredibly kawaiiiiii, friendly, and helpful. as this was the first week of food service for royal-t, they still have a few kinks to work out. i opted for the avocado toast ($4.00) and the royal milk tea, small pot ($4.50).
the avocado toast- basically a toasted, multi-grain, wheat-nut bread slice spread with a chunky avocado mixture laced with lemon and japanese chili pepper. the avocado spread would have benefitted from a bit more texture/crunch.
the milk tea lacked depth and creaminess. the square of chocolate served with every cup of tea is definitely a nice touch, though.
i was surprised to find that the only customers at the cafe on a saturday morning, but i hope that more 'japanophiles' or a group of girlfriends looking for a funky place to check out for a snack make it over to royal-t. come in for a drink, stay for the art.
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i loved this place.
the tables were sleek and the chairs were matte black.
the presentation of the "high tea" was real cute.
a good place to grab a snack and tea.
the jasmine rose was light.
the matcha was also good. kinda like a green tea latte.
$20 for small pastries. finger sandwiches. and quiche.
great service.
oh they gave us a fruit tart, compliments of the chef!
whoot.
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Those wacky Japanese.
From the country that brought us used schoolgirl panties from vending machines, love hotels and Hello Kitty vibrators, comes the Japanese French maid cafe.
That's right, demure Japanese waitresses serve you food in this cafe/contemporary Japanese art gallery/art toy and clothing store.
Hey, it worked for Hooters.
Apparently the concept goes further in Japan but they've toned it down for the gaijin.
The gallery opened recently with an installation of contempo-pop Japanese art and the maid cafe is set to open soon.
And as soon as it does, you know I'll be there.
To check out the beautiful Japanese contemporary pieces.
And I'll have a look at the art gallery whilst I'm there.
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the first japanese maid (cosplay) cafe in LA! so it doesn't "officially" open until May (the cafe wasn't open yet but they were serving complimentary coffee anyway you like it), but I'm already excited for what's to come after having checked it out a few days ago!
upon entering, you're greeted by two japanese maids (girls dressed up in maid costumes) that welcome you and point out what to see and what they plan on serving at the cafe. the gallery was showing very cutesy japanese displays.. murakami among other artists. my favorite was the porto-party!, an ipod-looking booth that you go into, insert your ipod, and dance away in! the gallery shop reminded me alot of another giant robot/kid robot store.
the gallery was cute, lots of open spaces.. decor was very clean (it just opened after all), staff was very friendly and helpful. while we were there they were shooting promo pics for the cafe.. from the looks of the food going to be served, everything looks quite dainty (aka: SMALL), but expect to go for tea and small bites after all, not a full fledged lunch.
random note: royal/T is located in a weird part of culver city. the street seems empty and ALMOST ghetto, but not quite, because it's slightly off the intersection of Washington and Robertson.
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