Inside Super Nintendo World: A guide to every dish at so-cute-it-hurts Toadstool Cafe
One of Los Angeles' most anticipated openings of 2023 is here, although thematically speaking, it's not in L.A. at all. It's nestled into the peaks and valleys of the Mushroom Kingdom, just next to Bowser's castle.
After years of planning and teasing its newest land, Universal Studios Hollywood officially unveiled Super Nintendo World on Feb. 17. Along with that comes a restaurant that drops diners right into the world of the characters and iconography of Nintendo's decades-old bestselling series of Super Mario video games, which follow the quests and antics of Italian mustachioed brothers Mario and Luigi.
Entering the land through a large green warp pipe to do battle with the evil Bowser's lackeys and race down Rainbow Road in an IRL rendition of Mario Kart is going to require some fuel. That's why Toad, longtime friend of Princess Peach and the chef of the mushroom-themed restaurant Toadstool Cafe, is busy chopping and boiling ingredients for guests on a large video screen.
"You're in for a real treat," Toad says, chef's toque swaying on his red-and-white mushroom-top head. "Whatever you choose, I think you'll be happy, so just relax and enjoy your meal. You'll need the energy to continue your adventures through the Mushroooom Kingdommmm."
Chef Toad's sprawling new 250-seat restaurant offers not only sustenance but also an extra pinch of so-cute-it-hurts immersion: Oversize knobby, faux-wood chairs and pink-and-white-dotted booths provide the seating under an expansive ceiling from which more green warp pipes protrude here and there. Providing even more whimsy, a large red mushroom overlooks the dining room under a domed ceiling
