Filed under: Maids Maid Cafe

Maid Cafe Review - Wonder Parlour

08.08.2008 by Lani Lee

Ikebukuro is a popular and busy commercial district. In the midst of all the department stores, restaurants, and entertainment spots is Otome road (Maiden Road), a road full of shops known to cater to fujoshi (a special breed of female otaku) interests such as boys love. Past all the crowded streets of Ikebukuro is a small shop and without a map, finding it would be quite difficult. The large green sign advertising the maid cafe doesn’t appear out of the ordinary except for its curious name, “Wonder Parlour.” Indeed, this place was full of wonder that started the second I noticed the doll standing in the window. Dressed in an elegant maid costume, this little figure set the tone for the fantasy and refinement that was abundant inside. The door acted as a time portal that instantly transported me beyond time and space to Victorian England, bringing the fantasy to life. A butler and a maid stood inside awaiting to greet me and encouraged me to take a seat as they told me the daily specials.

No detail was spared when decorating. Classical music softly floated from an old fashioned phonograph (that’s really a CD player in disguise.) The chairs were draped in a rich golden brocade fabric. An inset cupboard from the back of the room gave a homey feel, and the china on display was actually utilized. An old fashioned map sat in a picture frame lighted as if it were in a museum. All of the furniture and decorations were like timeless antiques, fragile and rich. The room was fairly small with seating for approximately 16 people. The small tables, rich atmosphere, and plentiful decorations gave the feel of a parlor specifically designed for relaxing, pulling out a good book, or perhaps conversing with a close friend. This didn’t appear to be the place for long talks with the staff though. Wonder Parlour is an iyashi-kei (relaxation style) café, different than ones geared towards amusement and interactions with customers. Instead of hyperactive perky maids, there was a meek, quiet, conservative staff. Wonder Parlour infrequently holds themed costume events with special menus. These are the only times cheki, commemorative polaroid pictures, are available. They didn’t offer any other services such as games and sold only a handful of souvenirs at the front counter such as books and picture frames.

Aside from the convincing room setting, the staff offered a realistic interpretation of a master-servant relationship. The detail-oriented mannerisms, from asking which hand I ate with to know where to place my fork to bowing before leaving the table, furthered the fantasy that I was among the aristocrats and deserved to be bathed in luxury. They even provided little bells (that don’t make a very loud noise thankfully) that allowed them to be at my beck and call. The butler wore a black dress coat complete with a coattail, white shirt, and gray vest. The maid wore a standard Victorian maid uniform with long sleeves and knee-length skirt. Although conservative, moe was not completely drained from these characters. The maid was humble and shy, injecting a bit of moe every time she curtsied. I was lucky enough to receive a cute chocolate drawing on my cake, drawn personally for me. The danso (female dressed as male) butler wore a pair of glasses on a golden chain, and although not moe in the usual sense, having a very feminized butler is a way of incorporating the same soft and gentle features of the males present in boys love fantasies.

Wonder Parlour offers high quality food and drinks without higher prices. A regular drink (coffee, tea, cocoa) is 500 yen. They also offer a variety of the best pots of teas for 680-880 yen including maid tea, hand picked teas offered for a limited time by the maids. There isn’t much variety in food, but what they do have they do well. All food options can be bought in a food set to help save money. Food sets include a drink and one of the desserts specials. Most of the menu is translated into English; however, things like maid tea and the daily specials are not included on the English side. If this becomes a problem, the staff is more than willing to help out.

Wonder Parlour certainly isn’t your normal maid café. The customers are treated as rich as the Victorian atmosphere. As I ended my visit, the maid opened the door for me and formally sent me off along with my wonderful memories of the entire encounter. Wonder Parlour will be an experience I won’t soon forget, and I can guarantee the same for you.

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English name: Wonder Parlour

Number of Branches: 1

Established: June 2005

Address: 3-9-15 Higashi-ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 170−0013

Phone Number:

Email:

URL: http://wonder-parlour.com/

Number of seats: ~16

Staff: 2-3

Non-smoking seat: Entire shop is non-smoking

English menu: Available for most items

Best time to visit: Anytime

Events: Every once in a while.

Price: Fairly inexpensive

Recommend: Beef stew and a pot of maid tea.

Type of café: Relaxation

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Food: A

Service: A

Souvenirs, extra: C

Access: B

Décor: A

Costume: A

Staff (character, interaction): A

Games, Events: B

Novelty, uniqueness: B

Atmosphere (play, dynamics, community, home, fantasy): A