Cafe de Japon

My fiancé and I had the fortunate opportunity to meet the owner Mr. Kiichi during our Vegas trip and chatted with him for hours during our first visit.
We tried just about everything sweet on his menu and have enjoyed all of his creations!
The matcha green tea is great; it does not come sweetened so if you don’t like it raw, make sure you ask. It’s a potent brew.
If you like coffee you’ll love his siphon coffee!
Open late Mr. Kiichi offers great comfort food for those late night weekend binges.
I am a true supporter of local restaurants and when the owner remembers you several months after meeting for the first time, it leaves patrons with a great feeling that we are supporting the right people.

Omurice. The owner said that everything house made even sauce. This reminds back home Japanese western restaurant. ;-)

The Yuzu juice is a must. Hands down. The owner said that he had to import the juice fresh from Japan that cost $ 40/​bottle to make the juice. Then he used the marmalade to mix in. It’s very fresh, tangy, sweet and has a touch of salt. Drink from heAven.
We had the curry w ebi shrimp, pork tonkatsu, and dumplings. Very fresh and delish. The desserts were just ok. The yam cake was interesting.
The owner was also the server, so we got a very personal service.
Just come in and try them once, you won’t regret.

Café de Japon is an adorable little café/​restaurant that serves coffee, desserts, and delicious japanese fusion dishes. It’s located in the same plaza as Cathay house and noticeable when you turn in. Although we completely drove past it. Haha.
OFFERS: Make sure to check in on the Unilocal mobile app to get 25% off their yuzu soda (reg. price: $ 5). And to like them on facebook for 10% off your bill!
You also get a stamp card IF you spend at least $ 10. You get a stamp every $ 10. Once you hit ten stamps, you get 10% off your bill. So if you hit $ 40 in one check, it’s 4 stamps! Adds up quick even on one visit. This is the new stamp program as of my last visit 10÷1÷2013. Whew. So a lot of deals at Café de Japon! But trust me, you’ll want the price reductions.
ATMOSPHERE: Intimate, feels a bit upscale, very quiet even with the low-​volume j-​pop in the background. Very clean. Low-​lighting at night. Even the utensil-​holders are cute.
MAIN COURSE: I got the Hamburg Steak with demi-​glacé sauce with the full-​size order at $ 12. Half-​size is $ 6. Boyfriend got the curry with spice, karaage, hamburg steak, and corn. Also ordered the yuzu soda. Picture sliced citron (a type of lemon) with carbonation. Tastes fresh, came as a huge mug, but it’s a little expensive.
My hamburg steak was searing hot, flavorful, and served on a piping hot pan. Tasted home-​cooked. Presentation very well-​done arranged with baby carrots and potato slices. Came with a plate of rice. I couldn’t get enough of the caramelized sauce melding with the steak. However, the portion was TINY. Came with two small patties of the hamburg steaks (to give you a visual idea, think $ 1 menu-​size burger patties at mcdonalds, or maybe the size of 2 of the iphone 3GS) (sidenote: yes I still have an iphone 3GS SHUSH). Even my date laughed, «good thing you got the full-​size.» And even offered me some of his curry when he saw me scraping every bit of my plate. Gotta love the boyfriend. According to him, the curry was decent, although a bit small-​portioned. Tasted homemade, but not out-​of-​the-​ballpark great.
DESSERT: The owner/​chef was very accommodating. Very attentive, funny. Upon ordering dessert, we ordered just one cheesecake, when I remembered my tiny entrée and I said, «wait! make that two.» The chef teased, «OK! Two! That way no fighting!» Haha. They do have special daily dessert items not available everyday so be sure to ask for that! There’s also a separate dessert menu.
Strawberry Cheesecake was an explosion of flavor without being too sweet. Light, perfect contrast to our palate after entrees. The plate was a canvas of art with sliced strawberries and splashes of sauce. I almost didn’t want to eat it. Very caring in the attention to plating. My boyfriend griped that it wasn’t real cheesecake because they used feathery mascarpone cheese so he expected it to be more solid and cake-​y. His opinion doesn’t matter though: D (just kidding)
VERDICT: Delicious food with my only complaint being portion size. This place is definitely meant for you to order an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. The real star was the dessert. I believe on his website stated that there were no freezers in his kitchen. Everything made fresh with incredible attention and precision. Although you might break the bank since it’s pricey for portion, it’s incredibly great quality food. We swear that we don’t eat more than the average person, but we’d like to feel full from the main meal. It’s a great place to treat someone out to for date night.
It was only the chef serving us the whole night between three tables! Call that multi-​tasking. He held open the door for us when we went for the exit! Service very quick. Next time we’ll drop in for the desserts and the coffee!
WHO might like this place: Skinny minnies, asian chicks that take pictures of food
WHO might dislike this place: Competitive eaters, gluttons like me, frugalists

I found this place while searching for Japanese restaurants on Unilocal.I saw it had 4 stars but I didn’t expect anything special out of the food when I went but was I wrong.
FOOD:
I got the Mentaiko Pasta. It was delicious! The pasta was cooked al dente, the sauce wasn’t an overwhelming amount and the portion size was just enough. My friend got the curry here. I tried a bite of it and it was bomb. I don’t think I’ve ever had such good curry, not even from Curry House! You definitely have to try the Melon soda and Yuzu soda and the desserts too!
SERVICE:
Service was exceptional. I don’t think I’ve felt so at home, welcome and happy just because of how I was served. By reading Unilocal reviews by others afterward, I realize my server was also the owner/​head chef of the restaurant! He is so sweet and you will definitely feel like you’ve made a new friend by the end of your meal.

Café de Japon is just adorable! Small and cozy, a great spot to enjoy good food and have great conversations. They have cute stuffed animals, a collection of mangas, and japanese magazines.
The interior is clean and feels very homey and their food reflects this as well. The dishes have a very simple home cooked meal feel to them. You won’t find sushi here, their menu is very unique.
Checkin on Unilocal and you’ll get 50% their Yuzu soda… which is a must try… very refreshing.
The owner/​head chef, chef Kiichi was so nice and accommodating. My friend and I weren’t too hungry when we came and only intended to have some appetizers since this was our 3^rd stop of the evening so Chef Kiichi offered to do half orders of the entrees for us so we could try multiple dishes.
You can tell how genuine he is from how much he cares about his restaurant and his customers. He took the time to tell us about his experience in the restaurant industry and his Japanese origins. Chef Kiichii loves his restaurant and effortlessly offers a great experience for those who are fortunate enough to try his dishes.
We had the spicy mackerel which was just delicious. The Karaage which was pretty amazing as well and you get a good sized portion for $ 5.00 (Appetizers are usually overpriced and quite small in my opinion… not the case) We also had the house dumplings which were lightly fried for that slight crisp… just delightful.
I highly recommend trying this place out. You will not be disappointed.
5 stars !

Can’t go wrong with homemade Japanese curry. I love Curry House and the curry at ramen houses in the Mitsuwa food court and little Osaka. I’ve been eating curry since stationed near Hiroshima in the military so have a personal attachment and fondness for it, with the complex layers of spices and richness which goes so well with the texture and neutral blandness of rice. I’ve seen Morimoto on Iron Chef make curry from scratch a couple of times, and always wondered if it would be different from other recipes. Having researched Japanese curry, I have a basic understanding of its evolution from Indian curry (where it originated), Chinese (soy sauce and garlic based), Thai (coconut milk based) and Japanese (spoiler: Japanese curry uses cocoa!). There’s so much going on in Japanese curry, it’s really a blend of some of the most interesting spices that has somehow reached a perfect balance of flavor.
The cool thing about this place is you really get to personalize how you want your curry and what goes into it, similar to Curry House CoCo Ichibanya. You get to choose the spiciness, the meat or vegetable, and the quantity of rice. There’s something about their curry though that makes it really tasty here. I’d have to make a side by side comparison between this place and Curry House though, as I didn’t really care for CoCo Ichibanya, mainly because their meat was overcooked. But for now, I think this place wins in the taste department, I wanted to lick the plate when I was finished. Also, the yuzu soda is a definite must have to wash down a spicy order.

Another great review for Café de Japon! There’s one word that comes to mind when I think of this place: homey!
Environment– this place made me feel so at home! Random & cute toys at the bar, plush vegetables sitting against the chairs, bookcases filled with manga, and Japanese curtains covering the windows that made me feel like I was in someone’s home in Japan. Something about it made me feel very cozy & comfortable being there :-)
Food– Tastes like simple but delicious home-​cooked meals! Fusion between Japanese and European food. I had the oyako don (about $ 9) which was just eggs, onions, and chicken over rice. How could something so simple taste so good? I’m not a big fan of rice, but I gobbled up my whole dish, which was rich and flavorful. Also came with a house salad and soup. Check in on Unilocal and try their Yuzu soda– it’s really unique! Tasted like soda w/​kumquats.
Unfortunately I was too full for any dessert. but they do have a variety of green tea desserts. and I love green tea so I’ll definitely be back for those!
Do like their Facebook for updates, the owner is always adding and trying out new menu items.
Service– the owner was sweet and attentive. You can tell he really loves his restaurant and cares for his customers. Upon checking out, he urged us to like their Facebook page for a 10% discount and asked if we had a student ID for their Summer Student discount– which was really nice of him! They also have a loyalty card program.

Came here so I could compare the curry to Zen Curry~!!!
The place was totally empty but very cozy inside. Their menus are quite creative looking haha We got the lunch special curry ($ 9.99) with chicken katsu and hamburger steak. And some Yuzu soda to wash it all down with. The curry plates came with the soup of the day which was some creamy corn soup and a little side salad that was ice cold. I guess if you get the lunch special curry you can only go up to spicy level 3 but that was more than enough spice for me! The yuzu soda comes in a big mason jar it’s more bitter than sweet but I liked it… Usually $ 5 but I used my 25% off check in offer ;]]] The server was very polite and attentive and he even brought out some hot sauce and pickled onions for us. I think they are just a little bit more expensive than Zen but the complimentary side salad and soup make up for that difference.
Over all I think Zen curry is more pleasing to my palette. And I love how they have all the toppings at the table readily available to you. The chicken is also more tender at Zen. But if you like spicy definitely try out Café de Japon and also if you don’t want to wait for a table because it was empty when we went there~!!! haha

After slurping up some cool soba noodles at I-​Naba, my wife and I checked this place out for dessert. This place was quaint and cozy, but eerily quiet inside. There were a couple of other people in there on a Saturday afternoon. We greeted warmly by everyone though, and made us feel welcome.
The young waitress brought over the menu, and we decided to get a couple of desserts — the one with the sweet potato, ice cream, and chocolate. For the other one, we tried the «pudding,» which was essentially flan. The pudding was refreshing and not too sweet. The sweet potato dessert was definitely unique. The starch from the sweet potato, which was still warm, was an interesting contrast to the ice cream and chocolate.
I also took advantage of the Unilocal check-​in offer of 25% off the yuzu soda — regular price at $ 5, so it knocked it down to $ 3.75. It came in a huge glass mason jar (with a ton of ice, though) and had a great bubbly, citrus flavor. I loved all the bits and pieces of the rind at the bottom of the jar. The drink was definitely the highlight of the visit.

After reading prior reviews I came here in the mind I was going to be having Japanese Tapas so I was a bit disappointed when I saw the menu. However after being to Japan this is authentic Japanese comfort food think Dennys for us, this is for them. It is a no frills reasonably priced, hearty meal, good flavors for what it is. However it is a bit to basic for me. If you are a Japanese curry fan then this is a must it is authentic I however do not prefer it. This place reminded me of my trip, which I enjoyed but I enjoy more seasoning, flavor and spice. The specialty drink is a refreshing Yuzu Soda quite good may go back for that.
The décor is awesome and as another reviewer said earlier it reminded me of sitting at a café on a side street of Tokyo. The service was quick and pleasant the bill reasonable.
I am not taking stars away for my personal preference, the food is what it says it is on the menu. If it does not meet with my personal preferences that does not warrant taking away stars.

I’ve been here twice already but nothing’s really stood out. I really like their water with their oil flavors. Give it a try next time you’re there :).
During my first visit, I mostly tried their desserts but like I said, nothing really stood out there. Desserts get to me after awhile, anyway.
On my second visit, I tried the Neapolitan spaghetti. It didn’t taste like anything special, just simply spaghetti with their sauce and whatnot.
I don’t know when I’ll be back here as I was brought there by friends both times but it’s still worth a visit if you’ve never been.

Reminiscent of my trip to Tokyo — Japanese music, food, servers and patrons — this is as legit as it gets. With Japanese restaurants owned and operated by Koreans, it’s nice to find something more authentic.
I tried their takoyaki (yum), melon soda (yum) and tonkatsu (ordinary)…I had omurice in my mind but my mouth uttered «tonkatsu» instead. Unfortunately, I’m allergic to shellfish and things with tentacles… I meant to try their coffee and dessert but I had to leave. It only means I have to come back.

When a Japanese restaurant totally makes me feel like I’m not in Las Vegas, I’m totally a fan, as with my other favorite Japanese spots in town (Ichiza, I-​Naba, and Kabuto)
We finally made it here, and for our first visit, we were very pleased! We started out with the Karaage and one of the specials that caught my attention: Grilled Chicken Hearts. These were prepared with a soy based glaze which had a nice chewy texture like gizzards and served over a bed of greens which had a sweet vinaigrette. I liked the hearts better than the Karaage which I thought was just okay.
I’ve been a huge fan of Japanese style Curry ever since visiting Japan back in my college years, and loved going to the curry houses (and Ramen houses, and Katsu houses, etc.) They have a spicy version here at CDJ, and I didn’t mind, since I had my mind set on the Katsu Curry. The Katsu was good, but not as juicy as I would have liked,
but I loved the curry, rice, and the pickled vegetables accompanying the dish. The spice level gave me the sniffles but we had the totally refreshing Yuzu Soda to help calm the heatwave.
We ended our meal with an iced siphon coffee which was HELLA STRONG, and a Yaki Imo (sweet potato) Cake which came with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and almonds. It was okay, but not something I’d order again. I do look forward to visiting again to try more of their savory items… ALOHA!!!
Unilocal 365 CHALLENGE-(286/ 365) «Curry with a KICK!»

My experience at Café de Japon was definitely a great one. Upon entering I felt like I really was at a café in Japan. The interior of the place has a Japanese feel to it, creating a wonderful atmosphere. In addition to the interior, they played various Japanese songs the whole time!
Upon looking at the menu, I saw that they have various Japanese dishes such as Hayashi Rice, variations of hamburg steak, Curry (Vegetable, Beef, and Chicken), as well as various pasta dishes. Besides the items on the menu, there are daily specials listed on a whiteboard.
I decided to order the yuzu soda ($ 5), since many other Unilocalers have suggested it. I had no idea what to expect, so my first sip was definitely a surprise. The flavor was definitely unique, but tasted great. At the bottom of the glass there are yuzu rinds, which add to the great, light flavor of the drink.
For an appetizer I decided to order a Potato Korokke ($ 3.50). The Korokke was a perfect golden brown color and looked very appetizing! The dipping sauce, which I’m pretty sure was the same as the tonkatsu sauce, complemented the Korokke perfectly! Upon my first bite, I was amazed at how perfect the crispy breading tasted along with the potato. I definitely recommend trying this, but be sure to let it cool because it is very hot upon serving (I burned my mouth because it was too delicious to put down !).
After that, I decided to try the curry katsu ($ 11). The breading on the katsu was perfect and had just the right amount of sauce to make it flavorful, without taking any flavor away from the curry. The curry was a spicy chicken curry that I would not recommend to anyone who can’t handle anything but mild. It is pretty spicy, so be sure you can handle it before ordering.
For dessert I decided to try their chocolate parfait ($ 7). The chocolate parfait consisted of whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, crushed wafers (almost like a crushed ice cream cone), a couple pieces of chocolate candy, and two cookie sticks (they are rolled paper thin wafers with chocolate in the middle). The parfait was absolutely delicious, definitely a must have if you love sweets.
Overall I spent about $ 50 here since I did have another guest with me as well. I will definitely be coming back here to try out some of their other dishes.

Ready to transport myself to a coffeehouse in Japan, my DH (he asked to be called this in my review, though I think that means designated hitter rather than dear husband) and I met Philip T. and Ayumi K. for a different type of Japanese meal.
I started off with the yuzu soda, and I was so pleasantly surprised at its deliciousness with real yuzu rind in the bottom of the glass. I also got the agedashi tofu for my appetizer. It was one perfect square of homemade tofu topped with grated ginger, scallion, and bonito flakes with almost a gelatinous dashi sauce beneath.
Philip and Ayumi shared their beef tongue stew appetizer, which was very tender and rich. My DH ordered the hayashi beef stew with rice — it said it came with vegetables but he only got a few onions, so it was a bit plain. He was a good sport since the menu mostly had fried or spicy food, even the specials, and that is not his forte.
I got the hamburg steak with daikon and shiso garnish. The flavor was decent but the daikon was surprisingly more pickle-​y tasting than fresh tasting to me. The potatoes were simple and okay. I ate everything on my plate though! It was a unique meal for sure.
Philip had his staple the tororin omelette with fried rice and tomato sauce, and Ayumi got her favorite, mentaiko pasta. Ayumi ordered a beautiful pineapple ravioli encasing ice cream with fresh berries for dessert, which she graciously shared with us when we discovered how good it was!
Overall, it was a really neat experience and great atmosphere. We got to meet the chef and talk to him, and learned a lot about Japan from our dining companions. Between a weekend of meals at Blue Fin, Japan Creek, and Café de Japon plus the upcoming Unilocaltern night at Nakamura-​Ya, I think me and the DH are ready for our vacation to Japan this May!

Good stuff. My husband enjoyed the siphon coffee and we got to try a variety of dishes including spicy tatsuta (basically spicy fried chicken tenders), snapper sashimi with seaweed, agedashi tofu with bonito flakes, strawberry mousse and strawberry shortcake. The agedashi tofu was probably my favorite. Great flavor and the bonito flakes picked up the slightest breeze, making it look alive. I’m weird. I know.
They have a liquor license now! Sapporo! They have a late night happy hour that looks pretty decent.
The strawberry shortcake was also excellent. Very light and not too sweet. The specials vary everyday so your food choices may differ.
We were the only people there and it was a little awkward but ok. We actually had to ask for the check. I guess this is one of those restaurants that thinks its rude to just bring the check. Still it is a bit of a pain in the ass to get someone’s attention.
Good place with good food. Hope it sticks around.

You know you’re in for a treat when Superman is behind the counter in an apron.
This is a cute little café in the same plaza as Cathay House and Rincon de Buenos Aires. When you walk in, you’re greeted with the by-​now-​familiar «irasshaimase.» We found our way to one of the tables along the outside wall, beneath the row of hand prints in plaster.
Among the three of us, we shared some Karaage ($ 5), a plate of Vegetable Curry Rice ($ 6.99), and the Tororin Omelet ($ 9.99). I guess we’re not fans of Japanese curry because we weren’t very impressed with the curry rice; it was mostly heat and not very much flavor. I’m hoping this was an anomaly.
On the bright side, the Karaage was extremely flavorful and the chicken was cooked perfectly tender (and piping hot on the inside). The Tororin Omelet was also extremely good. It kind of looked like a gigantic piece of tamago sushi. The omelet itself was still runny on the inside, so be forewarned if that turns you off.
As for drinks, I was the only one who ordered something. Reading reviews from Christopher S and Philip T, I was intrigued by the siphon coffee and had to give it a try (after initially ordering a can of Calpico and not opening it). The brewing process looks like a chemistry set (
). I’m not a coffee connoisseur by any stretch, but it was definitely worth ordering. After some cream and sugar, the flavor of the coffee was very smooth.
Based on this limited experience, I’m a fan of Café de Japon. I think I’m just a sucker for cute places like this. The food was good and it has that family feel.

While awaiting for my car to be repaired down the street, I decided to do a quick stroll around the block for a cup of coffee. To my delight, I felt like I stumbled onto a set for a Korean/​Japanese drama when I entered this dimly lit oasis of coffee/​Japanese diner heaven.
The first thing that catches your eye are the funky beakers lining the bar which have coffee boiling or funneling their way in various directions that seem to defy the laws of physics. This is an old school technique of brewing coffee called siphon coffee, which fell out of favor in the 60’s but like it’s fashion, was destined for a comeback. Pushing up my metaphorical glasses a little higher, the process essentially involves expansion and contraction of water vapour which allow full saturation brewing at ideal temperatures on top of a cushion of air that seemingly defies gravity. The end result is a pristine cup of coffee that is fragrant, aromatic, and clean on the palate. I enjoyed both the hot and cold forms equally and I appreciated the considerate touch of being presented with a vial of honey to go along with the iced form for better incorporation of sweetness.
The savory dishes (served with a simple house salad) all seemed like more sophisticated renditions of Western diner food ranging from the Neopolitan (Japanese spaghetti) to the hamburg steak with daikon and shiso (Japanese salisbury steak). At the recommendation of the very gracious hostess, she suggested I get the Hayashi rice, or Japanese beef stew over rice. Consisting of tender shredded beef, mushrooms, and onions likely slow cooked in a demi glacé sauce, it reminded me of a cross between beef bourguignon and beef stroganoff: nice buttery richness with notes of red wine and sweetness from the caramelized onions. Nice stick to your ribs comfort food that makes you forget you are eating out.
The desserts unfortunately did not seem all that impressive, with an assortment of puddings and a «coffee jelly». I tried a special green tea spongecake with taro cream and vanilla bean ice cream which sounded great conceptually, but didn’t necessarily blow my mind and came in at a steep 7 dollars.
In general, portions are adequate and the prices are slightly higher than what you would expect for a quick lunch (coffee is $ 5 and entrees are $ 8 – 9) but the staff is very attentive to their customers from the moment you walk in to the time you leave, and watching the chef add his little touches to the dishes behind the counter, you can really sense the pride in his work so I am willing to pitch in a little extra to help push this unique concept forward.

Opened up by the former head chef of Sushi Roku @ Caesars, Chef Kiichi is introducing a whole new Japanese niche of food to LV. My wife and I have done many an omakase at Sushi Roku with Kiichi creating so many amazing dishes so we were positive his very own restaurant would be a smash.
I lived in Japan for 2 years and the atmosphere here is definitely one of the top 2 «feels like I’m in Japan» places in LV with Ichiza being the other. All the dishes you would expect from a kissaten are here so we dug in.
We started by splitting the chef salad which came with a great dressing along with a complimentary side of macaroni gratin. The gratin was so tasty! It was like one the best mac and cheeses I’ve ever had. We were actually scraping the burnt cheese parts on the side of the bowl.
Entrees were the hamburger steak and tororin omelet (see pics). Both were excellent with a couple of twists to the dishes I hadn’t had before. The hamburger steak was mixed with rice instead of bread crumbs and still worked awesome. The ketchup on the omrice wasn’t your typical bottled stuff and complimented the fluffiness of the eggs and the oh so good chicken fried rice.
Dinner was a little late for us so we didn’t have a chance to try the pudding or chocolate parfait desserts since they were out by the time we were done. Just another great excuse to come back!
I’m not a coffee drinker but this is a must go place if you are. Siphon coffee is this whole crazy process of coffee thing I’m unable to explain but you got to check it out. My wife was able to try the hot and iced and loved them both. There’s quite different flavor to each of them.
The chef mentioned he’s getting a full liquor license which will open up a whole new bunch of menu options including serving dishes that go better with alcohol. This place is going to get even better in the future!
Good lord. how long is the wait going to be for a table here in 6 months? I cringe. We better go back asap.