Review : Eat Like Yūri Katsuki at The Yuri!!! on Ice Collaboration Cafe in Tokyo

| Anime | Posted by Emma Hanashiro on Dec.08.2016

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In anticipation for the Grand Prix Final, TV Asahi launched a Yuri!!! on Ice themed café on December 1. The café, called Café on Ice, offers a limited-time menu based on the characters of the hit anime series and will be open until December 22.

Initially, Café on Ice operated on a first-come-first-serve basis. However, after experiencing immense crowds on opening day, TV Asahi announced that they would institute a ticketed system starting on December 2. Under this system, café guests need to line up in front of the café before 9:30 am. At that time, the staff members distribute the day’s allotment of tickets for the café. Each ticket has an assigned time printed on it. What time guests are assigned depends on how early they line up. Since this is a one-ticket-per-person system, only those who brave the early morning wait can visit the café.

waiting line for the cafe

ticket to enter

Considering the popularity of Yuri!!! on Ice, it isn’t surprising that competition for these tickets is fierce. On December 2, the first guest began lining up at 6:30 am for 10:00 am tickets. Those who joined the line at 9:00 am ended up with tickets for the 12:50 pm time slot. By 11:00 am, the café ran out of tickets, and anyone who arrived later was out of luck.

cafe sold out of tickets by 11am

Despite the chaos in the morning, or maybe because of it, the actually café experience is surprisingly peaceful and leisurely. With time allotted tickets, there are no lines, and service is prompt. Orders can only be made right before guests enter the café, and the café staff advises guests decide their orders ahead of time.

Guests can taste for themselves Yūri Katsuki’s beloved katdudon as well as Yurio’s favorite piroshki while sipping on drinks decorated with Yūri’s, Yurio’s, or Victor’s chibi faces. Each guest also receives a complimentary Maccachin coaster.

Yuri’s double 900 calorie katsudon

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Yurio’s favorite piroshki

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For this collaboration, TV Asahi has decked out the café with cut-outs of Victor, Yūri and Yurio along with posters of the other skaters. There is even a gold statue of Hanyū Yuzuru for fans of real life skaters.

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Café on Ice isn’t the only Yuri!!! on Ice themed collaboration happening in Japan now.

Karaoke no Tetsujin (King of Systems), a popular karaoke chain, began offering a Yuri!!! on Ice special collaboration menu and goods since November 22. The special menu includes drinks based on the three title characters. With each drink, guests receive a coaster featuring a scene from the show. This collaboration will last until January 9.

Poster at Karaoke no Tetsujin

Yuri Katsuki drink

LOVELY Coasters

Popular anime goods store Animate is also planning for cafe collaborations. Yuri!!! on Ice will take over the Ikebukuro Animate Kitchen car from December 16 to January 15. Though not as elaborate as the cafe, the kitchen car will serve character themed drinks as well as coasters and goods. Animate has announced that for every 1,000 yen spent, customers will receive one bromide of either Victor Nikiforov or Georgi Popovich starting on December 23rd or Guang-Hong Ji from January 7th for as long as supplies last. Those who want to visit the kitchen need to enter a lottery for a time slot.

Beyond the kitchen car, the first Yuri!!! on Ice Animate cafe will open in at the Fukuoka Tenjin branch and run from February 1st to March 1st.

With the growing popularity of Yuri!!! on Ice, there will more than likely be more collaborations the way. Be sure to check out Tokyo Girls Update for more info in the future!

References
^[1] https://twitter.com/figureskate5ch/status/804247386214178816
^{^[2]} https://twitter.com/figureskate5ch/status/804308547169226752
^{^[3]} http://www.karatetsu.com/animegame/yurionice.shtml
^{^[4]} https://cafe.animate.co.jp/collabo_cafe/6241/?place=96

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