First PHL ‘Tokyo maid’ café opens for service

MeiDolls Café claims to be “the very first maid café in the Philippines" – well, at the very least, in the suburb of Cainta, Rizal, at the outskirts of Pasig city, Metro Manila. It opened for service just last weekend to the delight of anime aficionados. All the café attendants are in cosplay get-ups when serving customers.

MeiDolls Café attendants. Kawaii! Photo credit: Peppy Salita

Cosplay (‘costume play’) is the past-time of dressing up as characters in cartoons, comic books or video games; enthusiasts are called ‘cosplayers’ and they themselves design and/or make their own costumes. Anime refers to Japanese animation famous the world over. Meido is the term for ‘maid’ in Japan, where wearing a saucy French maid costume means more than a mere fetish. “Being a maid means being cute, having good etiquette, and providing good service," explained café attendant Nyanyan. A web search of otaku sites shows that MeiDolls Café could very well be the country’s first at a fixed location that offers Tokyo maid services daily. Otaku refers to dedicated fans of anime. In various past conventions for toys, comic books, anime, and video games, ‘maid cafes’ were set up but only temporarily as these close shop when the conventions are over. White and pink ceiling and walls enclose the café’s tiny floor area. Custom-built tables fit snugly inside with chairs that have their legs cut off, bringing them almost to floor-level. Café attendants kneel beside customers to take down and serve their orders.

MeiDolls Café seen from outside. Photo credit: Peppy Salita

Secret ingredient “Irasshaimase!" the café attendants chime in unison to welcome every customer who enters. “One feature of maid cafés is that the attendants perform for their customers," points out Reichan (Reia Ayunan), the 20-something café owner-proprietor. Café attendants, most of whom are in their 20s, usually do dance numbers to the beat of bubblegum pop Japanese songs. “We have Yuu Shomura, a popular Japanese-Filipino cosplayer, also working here as a café attendant," she proudly pointed out. “Moung-Jean Lee, a very energetic Korean girl who converses with customers only in English, also works here part-time." “Secret ingredient namin yung ‘moe moe kyun’ chant para maging mas masarap ang pagkain ng customers," says Reichan. “Moe means cutesy in Japanese and kyun is the sound effect of a beam radiating from our outstretched hands," explained Nyanyan.

The "Moe moe kyun" chant. Photo credit: Marnie Tonson

All the café attendants are baristas trained by a Quezon City-based coffee supplier. Beverages served aside from coffee include shakes (smoothies) and frappes. No alcoholic drinks. Café attendant Sai is also a chef with a diploma in culinary arts, and her recipes are used to make the pasta dishes. She bakes the chocolate cupcakes but the café gets from different suppliers most of the pastries offered, such as the breadrolls and cream-puffs. “Halo-halo yung cuisine namin, meron Italian, Filipino and Japanese dishes," Sai said. The café’s curry rice dish follows a traditional Japanese recipe. Soon on the menu,omu-raisu (omelet rice), a maid café mainstay decorated with a happy face drawn with ketchup by the serving maid. Sai is, of course, a cosplayer whose favorite anime is One Piece, a very popular series that airs on GMA7.

The MeiDolls: Kapuso approved! Photo credit: Marnie Tonson

Otaku and cosplay clientele Patch, 24, comes to the café after work and on his way home. He works the early morning shift at a call-center in Ortigas. “Nakita ko yung booth nila sa Christmas toy con, kaya na-curious ako," he says. “I looked them up on Facebook and Multiply." Yuuki, almost 18, visits the café regularly after class. He frequents the café for the pancakes. “They’re so tasty," he says. Bank marketing supervisor Leah, 22, also found out about the café from the toy convention. “They had a booth and were giving out free samples of their cupcakes," she said. “I love their brownies." She was seated with members of her toy collectors group, discussing and taking photographs of figurines of Japanese anime characters they had put on their table. Asked how long she’s been an anime fan, she exclaimed: “Ay ang tagal na! Noong pinapalabas pa ang Voltez V sa GMA Channel 7. Actually, I’m more into mechas or robots."

The MeiDolls performing for customers. Photo credit: Peppy Salita

The little café that could “Dito sa work, parang cosplay convention everyday," Reichan said. Wednesday is seifuku (school attire) day when not only the café attendants but also customers can come in Japanese middle-school attire. “Weekends are Cosplay Days," she added. “That’s when we choose one customer every two to three hours as the ‘cosplayer of the hour’ and give him or her the pastry of the day as a prize." Reichan provides the attendants with black and white French maid uniforms to be worn for the rest of the weekdays. She herself wears one at the café. “We’ll be inviting local J-rock [Japanese rock] bands and K-pop [Korean pop] dancers to perform on Fridays," Reichan said. She has been a cosplayer ever since her college days, when she would watch Ghost Fighter. To raise enough capital to put up the café, Reichan worked for two and a half years in the American International School in Riyahd, Saudi Arabia. “The whole time na nahihirapan ako sa trabaho sa Saudi, vini-visualize ko na lang itong café na ito," she related. “Kaya mangiyak-ngiyak ako noong opening day. Tears of joy kasi nakita kong nag-materialize itong dream ko." The MeiDolls Café is located on the second floor of the Saunterfield Bldg., Kilometer 20, Ortigas Extension, Cainta, Rizal. You can also go to their official pages on Facebook and Multiply. — TJD, GMANews.TV