Matcha and red bean pancakes from Pepper Parlor in Tokyo's popular Shibuya ward. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)
The robotic Pepper Parlor puts a Star Wars-esque spin on dinner and a show in Tokyo.
Patrons may order from, converse with and be entertained by a robot fleet that outnumbers its human handlers at Pepper Parlor, overlooking bustling Shibuya.
The restaurant, on the fifth floor of commercial landmark Tokyu Plaza, a popular collection of clothing shops and eateries, is a short walk across Jingu-dori Street from Shibuya Station’s south exit.
Pepper — a white, semi-humanoid 3 to 4 feet tall with big, black eyes — is the primary robotic model, or mascot, at the diner.
Diners are led to their tables by a waitress and a small, circular robot on wheels. The robots vastly outnumber the number of human staff in the restaurant, which was a little eerie.
At Pepper Parlor, patrons may order from, converse with and be entertained by a robot fleet that outnumbers its human handlers overlooking bustling Tokyo. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)
Menus are available in English and accessed by scanning a QR code with a mobile phone. Cash, electronic money and credit cards are accepted.
The restaurant seats about 150 people but is nearly always full, so reserve a table on the Pepper Parlor website or over the phone.
Guests may interact with a Pepper at their table. Each robot has a chest screen with options for English, Chinese and Japanese.
The robot can converse or dance to songs available to choose from, including “Dynamite” by BTS, “Gangnam Style” by Psy and “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift. During the dinner hours - 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., except 10 p.m. on Sundays - the diner becomes Club the Pepper and robots gather on a stage for the supper show.
The dinner menu is heavy on ramen, including oyster salt ramen, Machida shiruba salt ramen and miso noodle soup ramen all for 1,190 yen, or about $8, each. There’s also grilled chicken with tomato marinade for 700 yen, a Japanese salad with whitebait and tofu for 780 yen and meat dumplings for 500 yen.
I ordered matcha and red bean pancakes with apple juice for 1,700 yen and a strawberry chocolate parfait for dessert for 1,580 yen.
The order came with two big pancakes covered with red beans and matcha powder and matcha balls with a side of matcha ice cream. It wasn’t too sweet, and I enjoyed the matcha flavor.
The parfait was super cute. It was topped with an edible rice paper picture of Pepper the robot and Hachiko, the loyal Japanese Akita who’s honored with a statue at the nearby train station.
For dessert, Pepper Parlor also offers melty tiramisu with seasonal fruits and ice cream for 980 yen, a mango parfait for 1,680 yen and homemade millefeuille with seasonal fruits for 980 yen.
Drink options include cola, ginger ale, oolong tea, green tea, apple juice and orange juice all for 580 yen each. They also offer wines, sakes, beer and cocktails.
Pepper Parlor
Location: 1-2-3 Dogenzaka, Tokyu Plaza Shibuya, fifth floor, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0043
Hours: Lunch 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Sunday; dinner 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.
Prices: Most dishes cost less than 2,000 yen.
Dress: Casual
Directions: A short walk from Shibuya Station’s south exit.
Information: pepperparlor.com
