Curry and rice is something you'll want to eat not only in summer, but all year round. Curry with plenty of spices will stimulate your appetite and recharge your energy.

The café “Chikaku” where you can enjoy such spice curry is a hideaway-like place on the 3rd floor of the building, but it is a popular shop that keeps increasing the number of repeaters.

It's a 1-minute walk from "Komoto" station on the Aonami Line and a 10-minute walk from "Hatta" station on the municipal subway, Kintetsu and JR lines.

On the 3rd floor of Penn building, there is a nice spice scent.

There are also counter seats, so you can enjoy the atmosphere even if you are alone.

A comfortable interior with plenty of sunlight. The cafe is also open during cafe time, so I recommend spending some time there.

Inspired by experience as a nursery school teacher

The owner, Kazuma Harada, greeted us from behind the counter with a bright smile. I asked him about the story of how the restaurant came to be and his current thoughts.

Mr. Harada was originally a nursery school teacher. I first asked him about his background.

Mr. Harada: "Ever since I was a child, I liked playing the piano and playing with younger children. I thought it would be fun to have such a job, so I went to a university with a department of education to become a nursery school teacher.

After graduating, I worked at a children's center as a childcare worker. I enjoyed supporting parents and children with infants and toddlers in the mornings, playing with elementary, middle, and high school students in the afternoons, and occasionally visiting the homes of the elderly and being involved in community building events."

While he enjoyed the experience, there was  also a change in his feelings.

Mr. Harada: "There, I was involved with a wide range of generations, from 0-year-olds to people in their 90s. As I was working there, I began to realize that the different generations have such different ways of thinking and values. I wish we could get to know each other better. I felt like I wanted to do something myself to see how I could create an opportunity for people to connect with each other, and I decided to resign from my job. I think I was worried about the future of childcare work, and I also wanted to get away from the stress of the workplace."

Hitchhiking and bartering! ? Road to opening a cafe

He retired at the age of 24 and worked part-time at a restaurant while accumulating various experiences that led to his opening.

Mr. Harada: "I had a rough idea of wanting to run a cafe or share house business, but I didn't know what to do. Until then, I had been working as a childcare worker, so I had never handled money, and I didn't know anything about management or business. 

So, I decided to hitchhike to meet adults who have various ways of working, living, and enjoying life.

In the course of hitchhiking about 100 vehicles, I had the experience of being told "thank you" many times. I thought it was a great exchange of feelings to be thanked for receiving what they  gave to me, even though I was the one to thank for giving me a ride and treating me to a delicious meal. That experience was a big lesson for me, and I really became a good receiver that year."

At the same time, I made and sold my own banana juice. I held board game events. Through repeated trial and error, I learned many things.

The longest hitchhiking trip was in Yakushima

DIY the table before opening

Mr. Harada: "However, I didn't have the start-up capital  and I didn't know how to connect it to a business, so I came up with the idea of bartering. I thought it would be interesting.

I started with a piece of paper, and the moment someone gave me a bread, I was like, "A revelation came down!" I thought that if I continued this for three years, it would become a property. It's like the Warashibe Choja in fairy tales.

Since I had been hitchhiking many times, I could somehow tell by looking at someone's face whether they'll respond if I talk to them. I knew that if I continued to barter on the street, it would never become a property, so I started to say, "I want to open a café or a share house in the future, and I want to turn this into a property, so would you be willing to trade it for something?" Then the value of the stuff went up and after three months, I met the owner of the building here, who was willing to exchange it for a property."

Birth of Chikaku

Thus, it opened as a cafe in March 2018.

Mr. Harada: "It was really fate and luck. Since I had no money for renovations, the people I met at that time helped us DIY the walls and floors. In April 2021, I asked a friend of mine, STORE IN FACTORY, to do the renovation. We kept the atmosphere of the previous space, but changed the white walls to a reassuring green. We wanted our guests to spend time here, so we asked them to create a playful, base-like atmosphere in the design."

Logos and characters made by his designer friend. It seems that it has the meaning of connecting customers.

– Please tell us about the origin and concept of the store name.

Mr. Harada: "I chose 'Chikaku' because I thought it would be nice if I could create an opportunity for people to feel closer and closer to their loved ones. The concept is to "share deliciousness and fun". ”

– It started as a cafe, and in 2020 it was renewed as a “spice curry shop” and a “cafe”. Why did you narrow down the menu to spice curry?

Mr. Harada: “Originally, there was curry in the menu that offered sandwiches and hot dogs. Partly because it was the most popular menu, and partly because many people have eaten it with their families and it is a memorable food.  I'd be happy if it could be a tool to create new connections, create opportunities to deepen ties, and create memories."

Mr. Harada and his classmate from college, commonly known as Bambi. He has been involved in the cafe since the beginning and have been supporting Mr. Harada. He also revealed that at first, the sales were low and his first salary was very low.

Chikaku curry

There are 3 types of curry menu. They offer a standard menu of chicken curry and Japanese keema curry, as well as a curry that changes monthly.

Mr. Harada: “The theme is a curry that both children and adults can eat together and say, 'It's delicious.' You can adjust the spiciness.

Currently, chicken curry uses 9 different spices, but the recipe has changed over the past year. We are constantly changing because we value changing for the better. This is a shared awareness of all Chikaku staff. ”

2 types of Aigake curry 1,300 yen (+onsen egg 100 yen)

I had 2 kinds of classic curry with hot spring egg topping. It looks delicious and makes you feel good.

The chicken curry is spicy, but has a mellow and rich flavor. Tender and crumbly stewed chicken is so good.

The Japanese keema is a blend of spices and miso, and you can feel the umami of minced meat and vegetables in the spiciness.

The cubes of pickles and the texture of the ancient rice were also enjoyable, and although I am a novice to spiced curry, I found myself eating more and more of it.

Monthly curry 1,100 yen (tax included)

The monthly curry for August, which I visited for the interview, was "Mango Pork Curry." A fruity curry packed with the sweetness of mango and pork belly.

Mr. Harada: "We devised the monthly curry by imagining how we would like our customers to feel. This month's mango pork curry has achar, which adds fun to the texture. I hope it will be an opportunity to awaken your passion!"

In September, they plan to offer “Taiwanese curry with eggplant and pork”. Please check the details at the cafe.

Curry takeout is also popular! If you make a reservation in advance, it will be smooth.

The cafe menu is also fulfilling!

Chai latte 500 yen (tax included)

There are plenty of menus that you can enjoy not only after curry, but also during cafe time.

The recommended drink is a full-fledged chai latte made with cardamom and several other spices and black tea leaves. I also feel the gentle sweetness of millet sugar.

In addition, coffee that is carefully brewed after receiving an order and homemade banana juice are also popular.

Chai ice cream 400 yen (tax included)

This is an affogato-style chai ice cream with tea sauce on ice cream. (Limited time offer)

Sweets that go well with curry appear on the menu irregularly. Please check the Instagram of the cafe.

A fun place with curry

When the cafe first opened, it was run by him and his wife, but then Banbi joined them. Currently, the cafe is run by several staff members.

Mr. Harada and staff

Finally, I asked about the future.

Mr. Harada: "We are thinking about creating an environment where staff can make the most of themselves and enjoy working. We want to use the medium of Chikaku to encourage our staff to try the things they want to do, such as opening outside stores and holding events."

In addition to the staff, various people support the cafe, such as taking pictures of the food every month and selecting the background music. Mr. Harada, who enjoys his work and life to the fullest, is the reason why he is valued by the people he meets, including the regulars.

Mr. Harada: "I myself do not intend to run a restaurant specializing in curry, it could be a cafe, a  curry shop, or anything else. I want to create a fun place where we can do interesting things while meeting people with the same aspirations and visions."

Mr. Harada, who spoke naturally without being pretentious. The atmosphere was reflected in the staff and the shop, and it was a homey space.