Okaeri offers a wide selection of food, drinks, snacks, and desserts!
Here’s what we ordered (prices before student discount – 15% discount with Student ID)
- Appetizer:
- Takoyaki $8
- Entrees:
- Omurice – traditional fried rice $12
- Katsu Curry $14
- Drinks:
- Iced Matcha Latte with Strawberry Foam and Edible Rose Petals
Where: 312 N Greenville Ave Suite 100, Richardson, TX 75081
When: Open Mon – Sat 8am – 8pm, and Sunday 10am – 8pm
This month we visited Okaeri Cafe, a super cute Japanese cafe located about 10 minutes from campus. Their name comes from the Japanese word Okaerinasai, which means “Welcome Home.” zThe decor inside is adorable, with floor-to-ceiling chalk drawings, shelves of plushies, and an adorable statue of their mascot. Another unique trait is that they offer booths with traditional Japanese seating; you remove your shoes and sit at a low table as twinkling fairy lights surround you, elevating the dining experience as a whole.
This was my first time trying takoyaki but I never expected to love it so much. Takoyaki balls are made of a chewy wheat-flour base and filled with chunks of octopus. They’re topped with furikake flakes, bonito flakes, green onion, Japanese mayo and Okonomiyaki sauce. The combo of the Okonomiyaki sauce with the Japanese mayo was so flavorful, but the flavor of the takoyaki balls themselves was also unique and clear. It’s definitely incredibly filling, and could probably be an entree by itself instead of just an appetizer! After a few of the takoyaki balls the sauce can start to feel a little overpowering, but paired with a drink or entree it works great.
The omurice was so delicious! The egg on top maintained a perfect silky texture, never being too solid or too watery, which is demonstrative of a well done omurice (it also makes me deeply depressed that I can never get the texture right when I try making omurice at home). The fried rice was also really flavorful on its own, but I enjoyed drizzling the surrounding sauce on the rice to really elevate the rice and eggs flavor. It was a hefty portion, and much more filling than I assumed by looking at it. I definitely ate way more than I usually would because it tasted so good and was an incredibly comforting treat after a very chaotic few weeks.
My friend also enjoyed their katsu curry. I had a few pieces and was impressed by how crispy the breading was on the pork katsu. It was a little firm for my preference, however that made it more suitable to dip into the curry. The carrots and potatoes were soft and absorbed the flavor of the curry really well. The curry had strong notes of spices without actually being spicy, so it’s perfect for people who like the flavor of spice without melting their tongue. My friend also liked the quality of the short grain rice underneath, and aesthetically I liked the golden crisp of the katsu.
The strawberry matcha latte successfully balanced its flavors so that nothing was overpowered, which is often difficult to do with a matcha latte. It was smooth, creamy, and refreshing. In general, it was an instant boost of serotonin because the light pink from the strawberry was vibrant and the rose petals on top added an extra layer of pizzazz to the appearance. It was definitely the perfect sweet drink to pair with the savory food.
