Anime is a style of animation that originated in Japan and has become popular worldwide. “One Piece” is a long-running (1997) anime and manga (graphic-novel) series, one of the most popular in Japan. It chronicles the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat pirate crew as they search for the ultimate treasure known as One Piece. It combines elements of action, adventure, comedy, drama, and fantasy in various formats, including a TV series, movies, and video games.
“One Piece” opened its first U.S. fast-food cafe in Las Vegas in mid-May. It’s located in Chinatown at 5600 Spring Mountain Rd. (north side just west of Lindell). The U.S. fan base is huge, if the lines out the door, along the storefront, and around the corner were any indication. We finally got near the place after two months.
Even then, we waited in 112-degree heat with a dozen other people to get in the door, where the line continues. It took 35 minutes from the back of the line to the counter, then another five for the food.
It’s a two-store restaurant, with six four-tops in the front room; the 24 seats can accommodate the number of people waiting in line inside. In the second room are three high tables to stand at and 14 seats in two big booths.
Mostly, the second room is devoted to a wall-length “One Piece” mural and a half-wall selfie station. In all, around 38 can sit, 12 can stand. Everyone else, say “sayonara.”
The menu is fries ($5), beef skewers and pepper and egg friend rice ($10 each), tuna casserole, seafood fried rice, and beef curry ($16), burger and fries ($18), and the Mighty Meats platter ($30), along with a half-dozen desserts ($5.50-$25).
We ordered the beef skewers, a matcha mochi cookie (matcha is green-tea powder, mochi glutinous rice dough pounded into different shapes), and a yuzu (Asian lemon) lemonade ($6). It was … edible. The bill came to $23.30 with tax.
For that price, we could’ve gotten bigger, better, cheaper food at any of 10 other places within walking distance in Chinatown.
The food is more of an afterthought to the ambience, murals, and gathering of fans and, of course, the merchandise: T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, beanies, caps, plush dolls, keychains, lanyards, stickers, pins, jigsaw puzzle, all in the expensive range ($12 for a pin to $80 for a hoodie). Both the merch and food were flying out the door.
If you’re a fan of the show or culture or have kids in tow who are, this is the only place in the country to get a vicarious experience of “One Piece.” Or if you really want to see what all the fuss is about, check it out. Otherwise, it’s a pass.