Restaurant to Another World Season 2

Episode 11

Episode 11 starts its front half with “Quiche”, a story that follows Prince'1'ss Adelheid's father, Wolfgang. The emperor of the empire, Wolfgang receives tribute from Princes Shareef of the Land of Sand in order to bridge their nations and bring them together in solidarity. (The gift is a vessel to brew coffee, or kaffa, and actually, is pretty neat because it chills the coffee, making for a refreshingly bold, but cool, beverage.

But really, this story is less about Wolfgang and more about Edmon, a minister of the kingdom, who's… leery of the peace between the nations, as well as Shareef's gift. So, he does what all suspicious counselors do: heads to Nekoya to collect some information and ensure the safety of his homeland. It just so happens that he ends up getting quiche as part of his story: what's really quite charming in the front half is watching him indulge with others, and almost immediately forget his goals in lue of food, food, and more food.

That is, until Prince Shareef arrives, but more on that in a bit.

One thing that's interesting is that Edmon doesn't just stumble into Nekoya: he comes with intent, and with a specific goal in mind. Of course, it's not food: the quiche -a shrimp quiche with cheese, shrimp, potatoes, to be specific- isn't his goal: initially,he's there for intel in order to protect his kingdom. It's only in the company of the various denizens of his sprawling world that he sits down and eats the world's most delicious looking quiche. (And I say that as someone who can't tolerate eggs due to scent sensitivities.)

Quiche is a story that I couldn't find in the current release of the novels: however, I find it interesting that it's paired with a secondary story concerning the Land of the Sand. It also does some setup that most likely is a bit of anime-original content (I'm largely talking about the cooling lamp), which I'll get into right… well, right now.

“Coffee Float”, the back half story and the companion piece, is a story found rather early in the novels in Book 1, Chapter 19 that also focuses on Prince Shareef, albeit more directly. In the anime, this story is restructured to be concurrent with Edmon's time in “Quiche”, but in the novels… this is actually a much different story, though both are equally as satisfying. The immediate thing is that unlike previous episodes, “Quiche” and “Coffee Float” flow seamlessly into one another. There's no break: rather, these two stories are one overarching event at Nekoya, providing the first genuine mini-arc in this second season. Mind you, that's not bad: so much of the joy of Restaurant to Another World 2 is its episodic nature. It's what's made it one of the most accessible anime of the year.

In the novel, “Coffee Float” does a lot more detailing about the Land of Sand, otherwise known as the Sand Nation. It's essentially a fictional mishmash of a slew of arabic countries a la Aladdin, in terms of cultural touchstones: a wholly imagined region that cobbles together multiple tropes into a land of oases, sorcery, and coffee. So much coffee, or kaffa as it's known in this world. This also includes magically cooled kaffa, which we see in the front half of this episode.

Where the anime innovates is in making “Coffee Float” a bit more action packed. It's a delight in the novels sure: there's a lot of joy in reading about Shareef experiencing soft serve, but also… there's something nice about having a bit more “oomph!” and political intrigue. Of course, you don't necessarily come to Restaurant to Another World 2 for politics: you come for good eats and cool treats like Shareef. Still, because of how well structured this episode is, you kind of want something to happen, and when the show takes a “twist” that had me screaming alongside the colorful cast, it's kind of thrilling, keeping the series as fresh as the Master's simplistic delights! And even though the food still remains front and center, it was enough to get me to re-read the chapter in the novels. It's that engaging,

Episode 11 continues the same good vibes from the previous week, injecting atmosphere into the warmth of Nekoya as we watch various species wine, dine, and get their grub on within its four walls. Truly, Restaurant to Another World 2 remains one of Fall 2021's best delights, from starter to main to aperitif. This two-course episode is yet another delightful entry into a delightful follow-up to a solid first cour. There's really no critique this episode: just smiles all around.

Well... okay, there is one thing: episode 11 is good. It's really, really good, but it's also the first episode where if you haven't seen the first cour... you might get confused on some of the events. Does that make it unwatchable? No, not in the least. But what it does do if you don't have the source material in mind is come off as quite sudden. Unfortunately, that's enough of a ding that I do think it affects this episode, even if I was in the know enough to have a very positive reaction. It's hit or miss and I worry that for a lot of folks coming into this fresh... it might miss. Then again, I hope it still resonates to some degree as this is Resturant 2's second best episode this cour, and really packs a very heartwarming punch.

Strange to think that we'll be ending our time in Nekoya so soon. Still, I feel quite comfortable declaring this one of the year's best sequels ahead of the end. As a penultimate episode, it's got enough flavor to mix things up, and as yet another wonderful entry in the anime overall, it's another solid banger that brings its a-game, tempting me with well-executed quiches, fried shrimp, no-bake cheesecake, and a variety of floats. Still, we've got a bit more time with Restaurant to Another World 2: I'm going to enjoy it to the very last crumb!

Next week: “Pork Loin Cutlet” and “Buffet”. Let's see where this week's unexpected cliffhanger leads us!

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Restaurant to Another World Season 2 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Mercedez is a JP-EN translation and localization Editor & Proofreader/QA, pop culture critic, and a journalist who, when not writing for ANN, writes for Anime Feminist, where she's a staff editor, and for But Why Tho?. She's also a frequent cohost on the Anime Feminist Podcast, Chatty AF. This season, she's devouring Restaurant to Another World bite by delicious bite. When she's not writing and reviewing, you can find her on her Twitter or on her Instagram where she's always up to something.