Perusing the menu was a true delight. Every page was decorated with the beautiful pictures of each of their items
There’s this little spot in Taman Desa where you can go for an exquisite taste of Japan. Here, each dish is crafted with aesthetic perfection. Every detail is made to exacting details, and you get a sense of the dedication and precision of the people behind this establishment.
Aka Café is run by a mother and daughter pair, and even the café’s decorations remind you of something out of a Studio Ghibli anime. There are soft pastel colours with lots of neutral whites. Walking up the steps to this first floor establishment can really help you relax.
The café is divided into two main parts. The front section has large windows that let in a lot of natural light, and you can sit on the bar stool there to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the street below. The inner portion is lit with soft lights and there are tabletop games as well as some magazines to pass the time while waiting for your food.
Perusing the menu was a true delight. Every page was decorated with the beautiful pictures of each of their items. At first, I faced some difficulty choosing my food because everything looked like a work of art and I wanted to try everything. Many of their menu items have been described as adorable, cute, whimsical and exquisite.
I was particularly attracted to their Suika Soumen, which are colourful Soumen noodles are arranged to form the picture of a watermelon. The menu features other Japanese dishes like Curry rice, udon and bentos with karaage chicken, saba fish, vegetables, and other items.
In the end, I settled for the Salmon Ochazuke. I just couldn’t resist the cute rice balls shaped like Pandas. Ochazuke is a type of rice dish eaten with green tea. This set’s presentation was the best part. It actually looked too good to eat. The meal came in a wooden bento box with four compartments. In one compartment was a Panda rice ball. In the second, a small dish with seaweed seasoning and Salmon flakes. A third compartment held a small teapot with warm green tea and the fourth compartment has a fresh cucumber salad.
Assembling the meal was such fun. Basically, you first have to add the Salmon flakes and seaweed seasoning to the rice balls and then pour some tea into the bowl. Mix everything up and voila! You have a salmon ochazuke.
It was surprisingly comforting and familiar, despite being a Japanese dish. Hubby had the Udon and he tells me that it was very ‘Zen’ like, which means that the flavours were not overpowering. Finally, we ordered some dessert in the form of ice balls.
These ice balls are like deconstructed iced milk tea. We had the green tea version, but you can also choose Taro, Coffee, Strawberry Cheese, Cookies and Cream or Passion Fruit. This is one drink you’ll have to assemble too. There’s a large teacup filled with Matcha ice lollies, and the milk and Matcha green tea are in separate containers (in a very cute conical flask and mini jug respectively) which you just pour into the big teacup with the iced Matcha lollies.
Prices here are a little on the high side. Any Iced Ball set is RM14, the Salmon Ochazuke was RM19 and the Udon noodles were RM15. Other main dishes and bentos here cost anywhere from RM 15 to RM25 while dessert cakes cost RM12 per piece.
With all that being said, I would highly recommend this place for couples wanting a sweet date. It just fills you up with all these fuzzy feelings.
- No 21-1,Jalan 109F, Plaza Danau 2, Tmn Danau Desa Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Phone: +60 3-7971 8282
- Opening Hours: Thursday - Tuesday 12:00 - 21:00
