Koupenchan Diner
For such a little penguin, Koupenchan sure has been busy as of late. From train rallies to art galleries the young penguin has been popping up all over Japan. Now, deciding to act a little more mature, Koupenchan has opened up a diner.
Collaborating with Parco’s The Guest restaurant, the Koupenchan Diner is themed on retro Americana, with promotional images featuring the titular penguin in a leather jacket sporting devil-may-care dialogue— well, the way you’d imagine a child playing tough. Menu items include hamburgers, club sandwiches, ice cream sundaes and more, all with a Koupenchan twist.
There are two locations for the limited time pop-up restaurant: Tokyo and Nagoya. I hopped a highway bus to Nagoya and found myself at the Koupenchan Diner with a healthy appetite. At the entrance, a server handed me a menu and quickly took my order. Then she led me to a table.
Unfortunately my husband was unable to join me on my trip, but I wouldn’t be dining alone. Each table was adorned with a friendly Koupenchan plush, along with a custom paper placemat that guests were encouraged to take with them. From the ceiling hung cutouts of Koupenchan posing with food, along with various diner icons such as vinyl records or highway signs. On the wall, a television played a loop of Koupenchan cartoon shorts.
I didn’t have long to wait for my food; a hamburger branded with Koupenchan’s face, sporting a retro food pick; pickles, crispy onion rings with ketchup and mayonnaise for dipping; and a green salad with tangy dressing. Dessert soon followed; a banana split with two cherries; lots of whipped cream; vanilla, matcha and blue ice cream (I’m not sure of the flavor!); and of course a Koupenchan wafer.
I probably ate too much, but it was worth it.
The final stop before leaving was, of course, the gift shop, which offered a variety of Koupenchan goods including some I hadn’t seen before. I lingered for a while in front of a Koupenchan cafe curtain, but finally decided on some diner themed towels. I had to be careful with my spending money. There’s still one more stop on my Nagoya trip…
