Rahul's Post

Counter Culture: The Harajuku Effect There was a time when finding authentic Japanese desserts in India meant either flying to Tokyo or settling for those sad little mochi sold in upscale supermarkets. Not anymore. The Japanese invasion of our food scene continues apace, and the latest conquest is happening in an unlikely location: M3M's 65th Avenue in Gurugram. Harajuku Bakehouse is the sort of place that shouldn't work, at least not in theory. Japanese baking, after all, is built on precision, patience, and a kind of obsessive attention to detail that feels antithetical to our instant-gratification food culture. And yet, here we are. The Wobble Factor Let's start with what everyone comes here for: the jiggly pancakes. Now, I've had my share of soufflé pancakes in Tokyo's Harajuku district (hence the name, presumably), and I'm happy to report that the ones here understand the assignment. The Nutella version arrives at your table with that characteristic wobble—the sort of gentle tremor that signals air and technique rather than just batter and heat. They're impossibly light, almost cloud-like, with just enough Nutella to make you feel slightly guilty about ordering a second serving. Which, naturally, you will. But here's what surprised me: Harajuku Bakehouse isn't just another Instagram-bait dessert spot. Yes, the presentation is impeccable—that trademark Harajuku aesthetic where everything looks almost too pretty to eat. But unlike so many places where style triumphs over substance, these folks seem to actually know their way around traditional baking techniques. Beyond the Sweet Stuff The Japanese cotton cheesecake is textbook perfect—delicate, not-too-sweet, with that characteristic wobble again. The mochi has the right amount of chew. But what really caught me off guard was the savoury menu, which reads like someone's greatest hits from a Seoul-Tokyo food crawl. Take the Crispy Kimchi Bao with tofu. This isn't fusion confusion—it's a thoughtful marriage of textures and flavours. The tofu, tossed in house-made kimchi sauce, has enough punch to wake up your palate without overwhelming it.

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This post was published on 27th November, 2025 by Rahul on his Instagram handle "@rahulprabhakar (Rahul Prabhakar)". Rahul has total 64.6K followers on Instagram and has a total of 2.4K post. Rahul receives an average engagement rate of % per post on Instagram. This post has received 87 comments which are greater than the average comments that Rahul gets. Overall the engagement rate for this post was than the average for the profile.