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Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Maid Station Cafe

Location: Tokyo : Akihabara : Denki-gai Area

Last Visited: August 2006

Following people should go:

- People who want to see high quality maid cafe.

- People who want to eat lunch/dinner.

Costume: classic French maid style / dark brown / mini skirt

Total Budget: 500 yen ~ 1500 yen

Service Charge: none

Time Limit: none

English Menu: ???

Stamp Card: not available

Communication Notebook: ???

CHEKI Photo Shooting: ???

Hours:

Monday: Closed

Tue~Fri: 12:00~22:00

Weekends & Holidays: 11:00~22:00

Web Site: http://blog.livedoor.jp/lovemaid/

Access:

map <- click!!

Exit from Denki-gai exit at the Akihabara Station, and head to north-west direction. It is the 4th floor of the building where 1st floor is a regular cafe, and 2nd ~ 4th floors are all maid cafes. There is a big sign saying “I love MAID” (with love being heart, just like I ‘love’ NEWYORK logo), which you cannot miss.

Comment:

Once you step in, you will be impressed by the sophisticated interior matched in white. The maid uniform is very cute but also classy. Indeed, I like their uniform the most out of all maid cafe uniforms.

What is unique about this cafe is that you need to take off your shoes and change in slippers. Also, it was very interesting to see a great selection of Japanese meals despite its western atmosphere. I have never eaten their food yet, but it seemed like serious meals for what is served in a cafe.

I highly recommend this place. It is closed on Monday, so be careful!! (It took me two attempts to figure this out. :-p )

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

@home saboh

Location: Tokyo : Akihabara : Denki-gai Area

Last Visited: August 2006

Following people should go:

- People who want to see unique maid cafe.

- People who like classic Japanese styles

- People who like classy atmosphere

Costume: Classic Japanese Maid Style (Kimono with Hakama)/pink

Total Budget: 1500 yen ~ 2000 yen

Service Charge:

Ume-no ma (counter seats) & Sakura-no ma (table seats): 300 yen

Matsu-no ma (small room): 500 yen

Time Limit: 90 minutes

English Menu: available

Stamp Card: not available

Communication Notebook: available only in Matsu-no ma (small room)

Check-it! Photo Shooting: available (I forgot the price…….)

Web Site: http://www.cafe-athome.com/saboh/

Access:

map

Exit from Denki-gai exit at the Akihabara Station, and head to north-west direction. It is located on the 5th floor of the building whose 1st floor is PC store called DOS-para. 4th ~ 7th floors are all maid-related, so it may be easy to locate. Also, they usually have a standing signboard on the street.

Comment:

This is one of the three cafes for @home group, the famous maid cafe franchise who even offers a dry cleaning service (!) When the word “moe” won “Ryuh-kou-go Taisho” (The annual award given to the popular words of the year), the maids from @home cafe showed up to the ceremony to receive the award.

Unlike the other two, @home saboh features Japanese style maids, who are dressed in Kimono and Hakama. They call male customers “Danna-sama” instead of “Goshujin-sama” (both means “master”, but I guess the first one is more Japanese…. (-_- ;; ). They are well trained, and it is impressing to hear their perfectly synchronized greeting, “Okaerinasaimase, Danna-sama/Ojou-sama!” (Welcome home, master/my lady!), when you arrive at the cafe. (It is not well synchronized when they are all busy, but please do not complain. The true gentleman/lady should be generous to his/her maids. ;-p)

The interior of the cafe is also quite Japanese, where they have three types of seats. Ume-no ma” consists of counter seats surrounding tatami area, where maids work in. “Sakura-no ma” consists of table seats by the windows. Matsu-no ma” is a small tatami room with low tables, where you get more opportunities to talk to maids and access to extra stuff, like communication notebook, comic strip drawn by maids, etc. Also, there is a small origami crane in Matsu-noma, which has a message from a maid when you open it up, and you can take it home as a souvenir. There are only two tables in “Matsu-no ma”, so it is difficult to get hold of them. You cannot move seats once you pick one. Also, you are required to pay 300 yen service charge for the first two types of seats, but 500 yen for the last one.

I personally like this cafe a lot, and recommend to many people when I am asked for a suggestion. I think it is due to its classy and calm atmosphere. The waitresses are quite professional, and interior is quite roomy and nice. I heard you get to hear a maid playing Taisho-goto (Type of Koto, Japanese horizontal harp) once a while, but I have never heard it yet. It is not usually crowded, probably since it is not a typical maid cafe. This place may not be good for people who want to go to a typical maid cafe, but if you are on tour to explore different maid cafes in Akihabara, I strongly recommend you to add this one to your list.