Still Hungry? Anime Review: ‘Restaurant to Another World’

Yes, Thanksgiving has passed and like others out there I wanted to work off some of that turkey weight. And by work I mean work down this big list of anime that has accumulated over time like my back log of Gunpla kits. After my review of Campfire Cooking in Another World someone had mentioned that I should check out the topic of this review, Restaurant to Another World, and I am glad that I did. So, what better way to top off Thanksgiving weekend with some anime deliciousness? 

The Restaurant to Another World anime is an adaptation of the light novel of the same name, where patrons from a fantasy-based Other World encounter a magical door leading to The Western Restaurant Nekoya—an eatery in modern Japan that specializes mostly in Western cuisine. Each patron has their own story of why and how they find the cat-emblazoned door, but they all end up experiencing gustatory bliss with their favorite dish, often ordering multiple portions. I can’t blame them—the food looks amazing, and like many anime of this type, it leaves you hungry. Despite the flavorful bliss, there’s a catch: the magical door only opens on the seventh day of each week, and we often see guests doing whatever it takes to return to it or keep its secret like a family

That said, it’s a cozy type of anime where, even in Campfire Cooking, protagonist Mukoda is being dragged around by his party of gluttons, Restaurant to Another World is slower paced. It’s the type of anime where you see elderly grand mages have debates with samurai-themed vagabonds, and dragon-kin, over which dish is the best, taking care not to defend their choices hotly by blade or spell, lest they lose their privilege of ever coming back to the restaurant again. A fate truly worse for them to lose out on such culinary bliss. But there is a method to all this culinary delight.

There is usually a deeper and personal meaning to each patron as to why they chose their favorite dish and seem to stick to it religiously, and that for me, is the charm of this show. From the main characters of the show, the seemingly ordinary Master or Owner of the restaurant who creates the dishes and enjoys the patron’s love of his work, to employees Aletta (the blonde part-demon girl) and the mysterious black-haired Kuro—the characters are deep enough to enjoy without spoiling the broth.

My wife and I have joked that at times the characters sound like they’re describing their dish in a culinary magazine article or some food blog, and it is interesting to compare Japanese sensibilities with our own. But what we have referred to this show lovingly is that this is the fantasy anime version of Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories , another great show I highly recommend, where the Restaurant owner interacts with the lives of his patrons with his food.

The animation is done well enough and I’d even call it good in most parts, with the first season of the show done by the animation studio Silver Link and the second season by OLM (Oriental Light and Magic). I do hope we get a third season, since as far as I know, Junpei Inuzuka, the author, still has more stories. Here’s hoping sales and interest keep pace to justify another season. The food, as I have said before, is mouth watering. Just as an example, the episode with the Hamburger was just excellent, and the condensation dripping off the glass of soda made me crave for a Pepsi/Coke. 

If you’re looking for deep psychological distress or a dive into the mind of some murder-crazed edgy teenager, this isn’t the one for you. If you’re looking for a nice, cozy bundle-up-in-a-blanket experience with a hot plate of your favorite food, then yes—this is the one. I highly recommend it. It’s one of my go-to’s for end-of-day relaxation.

Restaurant to Another World is available to watch on Prime Video or Crunchyroll

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