HARBS COREDO Nihonbashi — Restaurant in Tokyo

Oh, what a “delightful” experience at this oh-so-charming Japanese cafe—because nothing says "welcome" like standing in a queue for a solid 30 minutes at 5 PM, watching the world go by while an apparently magical table for two just sits there, empty as a politician's promise, the entire time we're all playing the waiting game like obedient little sardines. Apparently, the fine art of seating involves ignoring the obvious vacant spot while patrons shuffle in and out, grabbing whatever crumbs the previous diners left behind. I mean, I started wondering if it was cursed by some ancient spirit or reserved for invisible VIP ghosts, because why else would it taunt us like that? But no, after what felt like an eternity in queue purgatory, the geniuses behind the counter finally grace me with that very seat. Brilliant move—either they saved the "bad luck" table just for me, or they're too busy being utterly blind to basic geometry to notice it, or perhaps they're just masters of inefficiency, turning a simple coffee run into a test of human endurance. And hey, since the place is so jam-packed and clearly raking in the cash, they must be rich enough to hire a few more souls to actually serve the masses—too stringent a suggestion for such thriving inefficiency? Once seated, I ordered almost immediately: two slices of cake and two cups of tea, all prepped and ready, requiring about as much effort as flipping a switch. Yet, somehow, my teas didn't grace the table until 5:45, and only after I had to voice my growing frustration at their glacial pace—because apparently, brewing tea here involves solving quantum physics. The cakes? Oh, they arrived at 5:50, just in time to underwhelm; they were okay, fairly good even, not too sweet, but hardly...

Visited on a weekday (Wednesday) at 12:00 PM — no queue and plenty of seating. However, the service is still slow.

The fruit crepe cake (Mille crapes) is a must-try: fresh fruit and light cream with just the right sweetness. Would say it’s one of the best I’ve tried during Japan trip. (10/10) The Earl Grey tea was quite strong; I preferred the green tea.

**must order 1...

DEC 2024

The quality of the cakes are always the same no matter which location you go to. The three slices of cakes/tarts were securely packed for takeout. Portions were great for the price and they were all delicious, especially the strawberry shortcake and the...