'Stranger Things' cafe in Tokyo serves up Demogorgon pasta and Eleven's waffles


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Japanese fans of the sci-fi hit Stranger Things can chow down on demonic pasta and rock out to retro 1980s tunes at a pop-up cafe inspired by the Netflix Inc horror drama.

The shop, which is located in the fashionable Shibuya district of Tokyo, and is a partnership with local restaurant chain Pronto Corp, recently extended its run by several months due to overwhelming demand.

Stranger Things has remained one of the streamer's top 10 shows in Japan since the release of its fourth season in May.

Scroll through the gallery below to see how the 'Stranger Things' cast has changed since the show began

The interior features replicas of shops and sets from the show, set in fictional US town of Hawkins, Indiana, along with its dark-mirror underworld that the pre-teen protagonists call the "Upside Down".

Patrons can take pictures next to the drama's signature Demogorgon monster, while songs from the show, such as Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill, play in the background.

Diners can nosh on food inspired by the show, such as squid-ink pasta arranged like the monster's head or the waffles craved by the psychically powered star character, Eleven.

To reduce the spread of Covid-19, now battering Japan in record infections, the cafe requires visitors to make a reservation and only about 20 patrons are allowed inside every hour.

"Every day at midnight, I have been trying to book a table on my phone," said mother Kimiko Nakae, 29. "Finally there's an opening today because someone had cancelled the reservation."

Tokyo has a long tradition of themed restaurants and cafes, featuring everything from ninja waiters and exotic animals to vampire-inspired cuisine.

But like many tourist-oriented businesses, the sector has been hard hit by the pandemic. The Lockup, a chain of haunted prison eateries, ended a 23-year run when its final location closed last month, joining the fate of the famous Robot Restaurant, a gaudy music and dance spectacle in Kabukicho that closed in March 2020.

How to revive 1980s 'Stranger Things' haircuts this summer — in pictures

Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
  • George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
  • Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
  • Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
  • Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills. 
Hunting park to luxury living
  • Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
  • The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
  • Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds

 

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The Internet
Hive Mind
four stars

Company profile

Name: Dukkantek 

Started: January 2021 

Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani 

Based: UAE 

Number of employees: 140 

Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service) 

Investment: $5.2 million 

Funding stage: Seed round 

Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office  

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

Match statistics

Dubai Sports City Eagles 8 Dubai Exiles 85

Eagles
Try:
Bailey
Pen: Carey

Exiles
Tries:
Botes 3, Sackmann 2, Fourie 2, Penalty, Walsh, Gairn, Crossley, Stubbs
Cons: Gerber 7
Pens: Gerber 3

Man of the match: Tomas Sackmann (Exiles)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?

Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.

They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.

“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.

He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.

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EA Sports FC 26

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S

Rating: 3/5

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

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Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series

All matches at the Harare Sports Club:

1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10

2nd ODI, Friday, April 12

3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14

4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16

UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed

THURSDAY FIXTURES

4.15pm: Italy v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: Egypt v Mexico (Group B)
6.45pm: UAE v Japan (Group A)
8pm: Iran v Russia (Group B)

Euro 2020

Group A: Italy, Switzerland, Wales, Turkey 

Group B: Belgium, Russia, Denmark, Finland

Group C: Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, 
Georgia/Kosovo/Belarus/North Macedonia

Group D: England, Croatia, Czech Republic, 
Scotland/Israel/Norway/Serbia

Group E: Spain, Poland, Sweden, 
N.Ireland/Bosnia/Slovakia/Ireland

Group F: Germany, France, Portugal, 
Iceland/Romania/Bulgaria/Hungary

Updated: August 15, 2022, 5:01 AM