Tokyo-based cocktail bar Tokyo Confidential has unveiled their new cocktail menu 'Neko No Densetsu' that celebrates the global cultural influence of cats. The new offering comes to life through vibrant comic book illustrations illustrated by local artist Touré Grantham of Sunking Designs, drawing inspiration from the legend of Tokyo’s Gotokuji Temple, said to be the birthplace of the maneki-neko, or lucky cat. 

The menu was inspired by Creative Director Holly Graham's lifelong fascination with cats, sparked by her first Asian experience during a university exchange in Hangzhou, China. There, she discovered the iconic maneki-neko, which became a cherished souvenir and the beginning of an extensive collection. Nearly 30 of these novelty figures, a testament to her passion, now grace the backbar of Tokyo Confidential.

The cat itself dates back to a 17th-century tale of a grateful samurai lord, saved by a beckoning cat in a thunderstorm. Apparently, the cat's beckoning led him to venture into a temple, avoiding the destruction of a tree he was seeking shelter under by a bolt of lightning. Grateful to the cat for saving his life, the lord helped to rebuild the temple as a sign of his appreciation - and lucky cats still stand everywhere at the site today. 

Together with local artist Touré Grantham’s illustrations, the new menu brings to life a reimagined narrative, where female samurais create a temple-bar, offering cocktail "elixirs" as tribute to the maneki-neko. The collection of unique "elixirs", reflects this journey, drawing inspiration from a vibrant cast of feline figures across various cultural and scientific realms.

The C.R.E.A.M - Cats Rule Everything Around Me.

Highlights include the C.R.E.A.M - Cats Rule Everything Around Me, said to be created by an ex-member of the Mew Tang Clan who set out to write his own rap about “wake me up fuck me up energizing elixirs” with bourbon, mugi shochu, raspberry, coffee and cream. 

The Arigato El Gatto.

A nod to the team’s love of agave, the Arigato El Gatto - depicted in the menu
as a Mexican champion Luchador neko who made a quick stop in Seoul on the way to the temple - merges Mexican and Korean ingredients with mezcal, soju, watermelon and chili, with a Tajin and Shichimi rim.

The Sore Wa Subarashi.

The Sore Wa Subarashi is a Tony the Tiger-approved nostalgic throwback, with Frosties Cognac, cacao nib, coconut and milk wash in a retro cereal bowl. 

The Hyrule.

A mashup of Holly Graham’s own cat Zelda and the Legend of Zelda, Hyrule features TC’s Funkytown Sake (a recently launched house blend in collaboration with Yamagata brewery Katō Kahachirō Shuzō, founded in 1872), pale ale, strawberry, beetroot and hibiscus mistelle and vanilla. 

The Dead or Alive.

There's also the Dead or Alive - drawn as Schrödinger’s cat who escaped experimentation to travel the world and offer his elixir to the maneki-neko, and made with rum, pistachio, hazelnut, yoghurt and Parmigiana foam

Longtime fans of the bar will also be happy to see some favorites sticking around from the bar's previous baseball-themed Second Base menu, notably including the Cheung Fun Old Fashioned which marries peanut butter and sesame bourbon, soy caramel and bitters to the Tokyo Banana Colada, a combination of rum, banana, pineapple, salted milk and umami bitters.

For those who want to grab a bite, the new menu includes an updated food menu, anchored in a selection of hotdogs such as the neko-inspired CatDog, topped with cream cheese, bacon bits and green onion or the classic Game Day Dog with mustard,
ketchup and crispy onions. 

Location details:

Tokyo Confidential

9F, THE V CITY PLACE, 1 Chome 6-1

Azabujuban, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0045, Japan

It is open Mondays through Saturdays from 6pm to 1am, and Sundays from 6pm to 12am.

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team