A Japanese coffeehouse has opened in New York and it's raising a few eyebrows. Order a coffee there, and you'll be getting a little something extra, a plentiful serving of fantasy.

A Japanese coffeehouse has opened in New York and it's raising a few eyebrows. Order a coffee there, and you'll be getting a little something extra, a plentiful serving of fantasy.

That's Japanese for "welcome home my master", an unusual and controversial greeting by American standards.

That's not all that's foreign at this Japanese cafe in the heart of New York City's Chinatown. Here, the waitstaff are all dressed as french maids and are encouraged to smile and giggle a lot.

Everything, even the ice-cream parfaits, are meant to be cute.

"This is like a fantasy world so customer come here and relax," says a staff in Cafe.

Owner Satoshi Yoshimura says he noticed a growing interest in japanese fantasy through the expanding popularity of japanese animation. He said the timing was right to open a maid cafe as it too is based on fantasy.

"I am surprised how much people know about Japanese pop culture in America. Only certain group of people but they know a lot of it. I think it's because of the internet," he says.

There are hundreds of similar cafes in Tokyo but this is the first of its kind to open in New York City. Its arrival has raised a few eyebrows with some saying it sounds creepy.

But the maids insist it is more about fun than anything sexual. They say it is unusual for the patrons to flirt with them and they are forbidden from asking for their numbers.

"Everybody's very courteous and very nice," says a staff.

"I didn't know they were supposed to call me master. It's costume. It's over the top. It's supposed to be fun. I didn't take it that seriously when I walked in," says a customer.

The concept seems to be working. It's already a hit with teenage girls and boys looking for something different and cute in the heart of Manhattan.

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