Convenience stores inspire Tokyo Confidential menu
Japan’s Tokyo Confidential has launched Konbini Confidential, a menu inspired by the nation’s convenience stores.
Describing the menu, the bar said: “Whether you’re team FamilyMart, a Lawson loyalist, or can’t resist the pull of a 7-Eleven, the appeal of a 24-hour, one-stop shop for everything from sandos and highballs to WiFi and ATMs is undeniable.”
The menu is the bar’s fourth, following previous drinks lists themed around cats and baseball.
Founder and creative director Holly Graham said: “Our guests are a mix of locals and visitors, so we wanted our menu to represent a part of Japanese culture that’s uniting and loved by guests of all backgrounds.
“When you’re visiting Tokyo, you may seek out a konbini to try the viral snacks you see all over the Internet, but living here you realise how much of your everyday life they become.”
Many of the cocktails are savoury and umami, such as the Confidential Noodle, which is inspired by instant noodles. The Highball is made with Bourbon, awamori, mango, corn and a house noodle packet blend, and served in a custom 3D printed mug.
“I love creating cocktails inspired by food, so this menu was a lot of fun to work on,” added bar manager Waka Murata. “Whenever I create a cocktail based on a dish, I first break it down into its core ingredients, then figure out how to translate each of those elements into liquid form.”
In a similar vein to the bar’s Glizztini cocktail, the Onigiritini is a savoury Martini. Waka explained: “The key ingredients in an onigiri – my personal konbini lifeline – are rice, salt, and seaweed. I used sake, which is made from rice, as the base, added a touch of rice shochu to increase the proof, and incorporated seaweed and soy sauce to recreate that familiar savoury flavour.”
Another culinary-inspired cocktail is Mom’s Spaghetti, for which Waka wanted to ensure the key elements of ketchup and vegetables came through.
“I made a pickle using onion, bell pepper, and tomato to capture that fresh vegetable character,” she said. “Then I used barley shochu as the base to mimic the texture and toasty notes of pasta, and finally added actual ketchup. The result is essentially a liquid version of Napolitan spaghetti.”
Sweeter options include Melon Pan, a ‘funky and fruity’ mix featuring custom-made melon pan-flavoured doburoku, Tokyo Confidential’s house Butter Up Sake and rum.
Meanwhile, the Night Hopper is a riff on a Grasshopper that blends rum, kusu, pandan, cacao, mint, cream and cookies.
Give Me A White Wine Spritzer is the bar’s nod to the plethora of grape-flavoured treats at konbinis, made with vodka, Calvados, Sherry, pisco, Niagara wine and Champagne.
Alongside the signature cocktails, the new menu features a selection of Highballs and Tokyo Confidential Classics, such as the Cheung Fun Old Fashioned and Only Fans, a twist on a Pornstar Martini.
Non-alcoholic options include the Tokyo ‘86, made with non-alcoholic gin and rosé wine with perilla, as well as sparkling tea.
The bar has also added draft Guinness to its lineup, along with custom glasses challenging guests to ‘split the Irma’, the name of Tokyo Confidential’s logo.
The food menu remains centred around hot dogs – or ‘glizzies’ – with options representing each of the bar’s previous menus. The CatDog is topped with cream cheese, bacon bits and spring onion, while the Game Day Dog is a classic with mustard, ketchup and crispy onions.
Other snacks include popcorn, smoked nuts, and cheese plates.
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