Between 2013 and 2017, Gaurav Kanwar, like many other kids studying overseas, was looking for comfort food to ease his solitude. Kanwar, who studied business management at The London School of Economics and later, earned a Masters in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Warwick University, found his sweet spot in Katsu curry sold at the stalls in Coventry. The humble “two-pound curry” turned into a full blown obsession with Japanese food and Japan. Once back in India, Kanwar, a vegetarian up until he tried Japanese food, and with no background in hospitality, embarked on a long trip to Japan to try all the food it had to offer, culminating in the launch of Harajuku Tokyo Cafe in Delhi in 2021.

Lamb Chops and Goma Ae

Fast forward to 2025, the property has many more outlets (“We plan to have 21 outlets by this year-end”); it’s no longer a QSR, and Kanwar is in Mumbai, explaining every detail of the maximalist restaurant at their first Mumbai outlet in a swish BKC mall.