Happy Harajuku Birthday

 Still March 19th. I stopped at a couple other areas of Tokyo besides Ebisu. Nothing too interesting, just a little shopping. It included Harajuku. Crowded Harajuku. Takeshita Dori was packed with people as it usually is.

So I ducked down a side street. I find them much more appealing than crowds of tourists. 

You never know what you will find. Creative decorative details. 

Lovely little plazas with fountains. 

I made it to LaForet, a department store known for it's fashion. Heading back up Omotesando Dori towards Harajuku Station, I noticed a cafe. I thought I had read about it online. So I thought I would stop in at Tokyo Apartment Café. 

There were plenty of seats and the wait staff was friendly and helpful. Besides being a café, it looked like they also did a bit of bar service. Long counters for the food with liquor bottles overhead. 

If I could describe the decor, it reminded me of 1960's Americana with a Scandinavian touch. My artist uncle would have loved it, since it made me think of his home. There were a few different rooms beside the main one I was in. The one downside was even though I was in the non-smoking section, the odor of cigarettes was strong. Clearly it's not non-smoking in this place even if they say it is. It's also interesting that the café is below street level, giving a below ground view of the street.

The menu was in the form of a newspaper, which I think was a clever way to do it if a place's menu changes a lot.  

Because I had eaten lunch, I was in the mood for something else. Being it was Mana's birthday day, of course cake was needed. 

 Just a photo to give a feel of the place.

I chose Earl Gray cake. Accented with a bit of mint and a little sprinkle of powdered sugar, the cake was nice. Not too sweet, the cake was moist and light. While it might be overdoing the tea, I went with iced oolong which paired well with this. 

So not much else for Harajuku since I've been there a number of times before. Just click on the label for it and you can see other posts about the area. As to what I bought at LaForet, just a couple over the knee Moi-même-Moitié socks. I do like them, they stay up well unlike some other brands I have tried. As for what is next, maybe night time sights?