In December 2022, the super-popular restaurant “Spice Curry Akatsutei,” which has long queues, has moved from Meieki to Osu Kannon and reopened.

For lunch, this restaurant serves spice curry, and only on Friday and Saturday nights, it offers Nepalese set meal "Dalbhat".

*Information is current at the time of the interview.
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Look for the yellow signboard

The shop is a 5-minute walk south along Fushimi-dori from Exit 2 of Osu Kannon Station on the Tsurumai subway line.

A calm interior with counter seats and table seats based on wood.

Manager Akasaka prepares the food

Akatsutei is run by a married couple. Their warm customer service and hospitality have a high reputation, and you can feel not only their food but also their personalities.

This time, I asked the manager, Mr. Akasaka, about his commitment to cooking and his thoughts on Nepal's "Dalbhat".

The roots of Akatsutei, cooking lovers and renting business

Akasaka's roots are in his original love of cooking. Cooking is the only thing he has continued to do since childhood.

Ms. Akasaka: "I was already cooking when I was in the lower grades of elementary school. As an adult, I worked at a company, but I also liked music festivals, so I started thinking, 'It would be fun to serve food at festivals.'"

After a series of chance encounters, one day I decided to help an acquaintance open a store. At that time, I learned of the existence of "one-day chef" (renting a restaurant and providing food for one day only), and started "renting business" at cafes and restaurants. I've been offering curry since this time.

After several years of the renting business while working, he met his fate in Nepal.

Thoughts on Dalbhat

Mr. Akasaka: “I also had experience as a backpacker, so Nepal was one of the countries I wanted to visit someday.When I actually went to Nepal, I was shocked by the dalbhat I ate there. For about half a year after that, I was so captivated that I thought, “I only want to make dalbhat.”

Dalbhat at Akatsutei. Bean soup and several kinds of side dishes are lined up.

'Dal' means bean soup and 'bhat' means rice. It is said that dalbhat in Nepal is not a special meal but a daily meal that is eaten every day.

Ms. Akasaka: “Nepalese eat dalbhat every morning and evening.

It's something you eat every day, so it has a simple taste that you won't get tired of. However, the dalbhat made by the laid-back Nepali people had completely different tastes depending on the store, which was also interesting.

Mr. Akasaka: "Of course the dalbhat I ate there was really delicious, but I simply love Nepal. The people are calm, and it's a peaceful and relaxing place like the countryside. I want Japanese people to know the taste of Nepal."

Because of this, Mr. Akasaka says, "Dalbhat is the origin of Akatsutei. Mr. Akasaka has tried to make it suitable for the Japanese palate while respecting the authentic Nepalese taste. However, he does not make any unnecessary arrangements, but takes care to make it a little more Japanese.

Akatsutei recommended menu ①
Dalbhat

Akatsutei's most recommended dish is "Dalbhat"!

Dalbhat (left) ¥1,210 (tax included), optional Nepalese goat curry (right) ¥330 (tax included)

Dalbhat refers to "rice and bean soup", but it also includes garnishes and vegetable side dishes that are like set meals.

Let's start with how to eat it.

First, break up the heaping bowl of rice. This makes it easier for the dal (bean soup) to be mixed with the rice.

The rice is a blend of jasmine rice and Japanese rice. In Nepal, people eat non-sticky long grain rice, but this blend is made to suit the Japanese who are accustomed to eating sticky Japanese rice.

Then, put the dal on top of the broken rice. First, taste the dal and rice, then mix the side dishes one by one and eat. The basic style in Nepal is to mix and eat.

Dal is a standard among standard dishes, and it is a very deep dish. To bring out the depth of flavor, Akatsutei blends three types of beans.

It is also characterized by a strong thickening to suit Japanese tastes. The spices are not overpowering, but rather very gentle and never getting tired of. It is no wonder that local people eat this dish every day.

Then the surrounding side dishes are eaten together. Potato and cauliflower tarkari (stir-fried potato and cauliflower) and sagu (stir-fried greens). The sagu is a simple stir-fry with garlic and cumin, but it is very flavorful and surprising.

A combination of mixed vegetables and small fish. Nepal is a mountainous area, but it seems that there is a culture of eating river fish. The fish stock is good!

Tomato and peanut achar (garnish). The acidity of tomatoes and the sweetness of peanuts are accents.

And, of particular note is this "Gundruk Sadeco". Nepal has a culture of fermented food, and this is a preserved food that is dried after fermenting green vegetables. Although it's fermented, it's not too salty.

Ms. Akasaka: “Nepalese cuisine is rich in flavor, and the fermented food culture is especially amazing.

It is a dish that makes sense for Mr. Akasaka to talk like this.

Nepal goat curry ¥ 330 (tax included)

Curry is available as an option for dalbhat. We chose the recommended "Nepalese Goat Curry" from among several varieties.

The meat is excellent, with no meaty smell and cooked until tender! The punchy flavor also accents the gentle dalbhat.

Akatsutei Recommended Menu②
Assortment of 2 types of spice curry

Next, we will introduce the spice curry that is served at lunch. For lunch, you can choose from 1 kind to 3 kinds. It is a system that you can choose from 3 types of curry depending on the day.

Assortment of 2 types of spice curry ¥1,320 (tax included)

This time we had 2 kinds of servings. There are two types of Akatsutei's standard menu, "radish and mackerel curry" and "chicken masala curry".

You may be surprised at the unexpected combination of "radish and mackerel in curry!?" Actually, this curry has an unexpected birth story.

Mr. Akasaka: "I tried adding Indian curry to the remaining simmered radish and mackerel, and it turned out to be surprisingly delicious (laughs). That's how this menu was born."

In this way, radish and mackerel curry has become a staple menu item at Akatsu-tei, which has been in business since the days when it was rented.

The rich aroma of soup stock wafted through the air, and the aroma was different from that of curry. The base is bonito stock, and the stock is also made from mackerel, giving it a very deep flavor. Radish, mackerel, and curry go together so perfectly! Apparently there are many fans of this surprising curry.

Another "chicken masala curry" is based on north Indian curry. It seems that Mr. Akasaka arranged the recipe that made him fall in love with Indian curry. It has a punch of spice and it hits you hard. Eating it will gradually warm your stomach!

It is served with four different kinds of achars (pickled vegetables or garnishes). These are made from various regions such as North India and Sri Lanka. You can enjoy a variety of flavors and finish the curry without getting tired of.

None of Akatsutei's dishes are spicy, and only a very small amount of spices are used. Mr. Akasaka says that in India and Nepal, spices are often used simply to "enjoy the flavor of the ingredients.

Mr. Akasaka: "Akatsu-tei mainly serves spiced curry, but please come and try the dalbhat, which is the origin of our dish. We are confident that we are the only restaurant that offers authentic Nepali tastes. We would like to continue to do what we want to do so that dalbhat becomes more known in Nagoya."

Colorful coasters are from Nepal

Spice Curry is served for lunch, and Dalbhat is served only on Friday and Saturday nights. This is a popular restaurant with lines forming even before it opens, so please come with plenty of time to spare.