A new dessert shop has opened in Milpitas' McCarthy Ranch area, serving Japanese-style crepes alongside more than 100 gashapon capsule toy machines, giving diners a reason to linger well past dessert. Crepe Shibuya is the first retail venture from owner Ricky Ma, who spent two years planning the business and testing recipes before opening its doors.
Ma, who is originally from Hong Kong, told The Milpitas Beat that he has made more than 100 trips to Japan for work over the years. “I've always loved Japanese culture,” Ma said. Before opening the cafe, he spent eight years working as an electrical engineer for a Japanese tech company and currently runs an engineering firm in San Jose, developing Crepe Shibuya on the side for months while still running his tech business.
The shop takes its name from Shibuya, the trendy Tokyo district famous for its scramble crossing and status as a major transit hub. The word itself translates to bitter valley or quiet valley, according to the same account. Japanese-style crepes trace back to Tokyo's Harajuku district in the late 1970s, when street vendors such as Marion Crepes began rolling French-style batter into handheld paper cones filled with whipped cream, ice cream, and fruit, a culinary evolution documented by MiauMall.
A Menu That Mixes Sweet and Savory
Crepe Shibuya's crepes are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, rolled into the same paper-cone style that originated on Harajuku's streets. The menu, posted on the shop's website, includes crepes filled with chestnut paste and purple yam alongside a full lineup of drinks and ice creams. Beyond sweets, the cafe also serves savory sushi crepes made with crispy rice and fillings like Galbi short rib or spicy tuna, along with torched crème brûlée crepes and 1mm chestnut or purple sweet potato paste squeezed directly over ice cream, according to Crepe Shibuya's own menu.
Built Out in a Power Center Off the Freeway
Crepe Shibuya sits in McCarthy Ranch Marketplace, a 256,000-square-foot retail power center near the interchange of Interstate 880 and Highway 237, anchored by tenants including Walmart Grocery & Pharmacy, Best Buy, and PetSmart. City of Milpitas permitting records show the buildout ran from July 2025 through February 2026, including a $187,000 interior non-structural demolition permit and a sign permit for front-lit channel letters, converting a former retail space into the cafe.
More Than 100 Ways to Win a Toy
Beyond the crepe counter, Crepe Shibuya's floor is lined with more than 100 gashapon machines, the Japanese vending machines that dispense random mystery toys and collectibles inside plastic spheres. Ma switches out the toys regularly to keep the selection fresh, and he advises customers to buy a toy the day they spot one they like, since it may not be there on a return visit.
Industry trade outlet rd+d magazine highlighted Crepe Shibuya in May as an example of an interactive, experience-driven dining model that pairs Japanese aesthetic design directly with capsule toy machines. The approach mirrors a broader shift in brick-and-mortar retail: Hoodline has previously reported that flagship Toys “R” Us stores have added gashapon machines to boost foot traffic and dwell time. Japan's own capsule toy market grew from 65 billion yen in fiscal year 2023 to 80 billion yen in fiscal year 2024, according to Bandai Namco Holdings, fueled in part by a growing adult fan base.
Crepe Shibuya's arrival adds to a growing roster of specialized Japanese dining concepts in Milpitas. Hoodline previously covered the opening of Yaichi, a market-style kaisendon seafood bowl concept in the city's Ulferts Center, part of a broader pattern of South Bay diners embracing niche Asian food concepts.
