In the same Kita area as Kitashinchi but further to the east is Toganocho, a district with a completely different atmosphere to Kitashinchi. In this article we feature do with cafe, a restobar that has been part of this untouristy entertainment district for 20 years. Its owner, who is a drag queen, has worked as a Japanese chef and a club manager, and draws upon her varied experiences to create an inimitable style for her eatery. She shared her feelings about do with cafe, and told us how to have a fun time there.

A career pivot to become a nightclub manager

Restobar do with cafe, a place where you can savor creative cuisine prepared by the owner, who used to be a chef, and enjoy drag queen shows and interaction with the performers.

Why is it a restobar when it says cafe in the name?

Why drag queens at a restobar?

The eatery seems to arouse many questions, but Foxy-o, its owner, told us, “I didn’t deliberately set out to puzzle people, it all just happened naturally.”

Nearly 30 years ago Foxy-o started training as a chef at a traditional high-end Japanese restaurant after graduating from an Osaka culinary school.
“After a few years I got really into partying. I used to go to discos and nightclubs after I’d finished work. I was too busy partying to get any sleep.”
Her love of the nightlife grew even stronger and she pivoted from a chef to a nightclub manager.

“I worked as a nightclub manager for nine years. I left just before starting my tenth year there and was wondering what to do next when I heard that these premises were vacant, so I decided to open my own place. I launched do with cafe less than a year after quitting my job as a nightclub manager.”

The club Foxy-o had managed operated as a restobar on weekdays, and as she had experience as a chef, she decided to make her own shop a restobar too. Apparently do with cafe also opened for lunch in the early days so she used ‘café’ in the name to make it easier for customers to drop in.

“There were no drag queen shows initially. It’s a basement location and I wanted casual passers-by to become aware of the shop, so I set aside one day a month when my drag queen friends looked after the customers as ‘nightclub mamas.’ That was really popular so we started to do it every weekend. There wasn’t even a stage to begin with, but I gradually bought more audio and lighting equipment and we can put on shows now. Three years after we opened, we established the style we have today where customers can enjoy drag queen shows on weekdays as well.”

Enjoy the food and drink while watching a stunning show

When people hear about a venue that stages drag queen shows they may well think that food is an afterthought, but the main focus at do with cafe is always the food.

The menu may include traditional Japanese cuisine such as dashimakitamago (rolled omelet) and mackerel saikyoyaki (sliced, pickled overnight in white miso, and then grilled) as well as creative dishes such as cream cheese topped with shuto (salted and fermented bonito intestines) and prawns and broccoli with a shibazuke (salt-pickled vegetables and red shiso leaves) and mayonnaise dressing. The list also includes phat kaphrao and Thai curry since a staff member used to live in Thailand, so it is a menu that transcends genres.

Foxy-o trained intensively at a traditional high-end Japanese restaurant for eight and a half years, so be sure not to miss her hand-written menus that convey a sense of the passing seasons.

On weekdays the show starts at around 8:30 pm but up until then the drag queens interact with customers at the tables, which is another thing to look forward to.
Three drag queens each perform for around five minutes, after which the show concludes with a talk session by the three of them.

We had expected the show to be a raucous crowd-pleaser like those at pubs with cabaret performances, but the dancing was immaculate and held us spellbound.

An easily accessible opportunity to experience drag queen culture

Drag queen shows became well-known as part of gay culture, but the high level of the performances has made them entertainment that can be enjoyed nowadays regardless of gender.

Actually, there are many female customers, and apparently overseas tourists sometimes come to do with cafe as well.

A visit to a full-blown drag queen show venue or event might be a bit daunting, but do with cafe is the perfect place to come into contact with drag queen culture and make happy memories of people and your trip while enjoying a meal.

Information as of February 2025.