Part haute cuisine and part fantasy adventure, Ninja Akasaka is more of an experience than a meal.

Our journey back in time started at the front desk, where the concierge asked us to wait for our ninja. The wall suddenly opened and a man dressed as your would expect came jumping out. He informed us that before we can reach our table we must complete some ‘ninja training’.

From that moment on the theme is fully realised. All the interior, every prop is ninja-fied and no one breaks character even for a second.

After sneaking through a winding tunnel led by our ninja guide, we finally reached the restaurant… sorry, I mean ‘Ninja Village’. The place is completely decked out like a historical drama and little touches such as flaming torches and treasure chests make it totally believable. As you can see in this promotional video there's also a whole lot of campy, tongue-in-cheek fun, like the 'ninja powers' used to navigate through the labyrinth.

The menu is not cheap, as the food is more fine dining than other themed restaurants and cafes, which seem to put more emphasis on the theme than the quality of the food. We ordered the ‘Tasting Course’ and each dish was clearly thought out to incorporate the theme and dazzle our taste buds.

Our taste buds weren’t the only things being entertained, a special soup was cooked up in a bubbling steaming pot before our very eyes, and the intrigue continued with a personal magic show by a ninja magician.

It’s certainly an entertaining evening meal, but be warned it’s not a cheap one. Our adventure took place on a Saturday evening, at this time the tables are reserved for customers who will order a course, which start at 5,700 yen per person not including tax. I also wouldn't recommend it for people with an aversion to hearing the same word a million times. The word ninja precedes pretty much everything from the ninja menu to the ninja cutlery.

But if you can’t help but be allured by the legend of the ninjas, it’s worth hunting down their secret hideout in Akasaka.

Address: 〒100-0014 Tokyo, Chiyoda, Nagatacho, 2 Chome−14−3, 赤坂東急プラザ

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