TRAVEL SERIES || The Taste and Vibe of Shimokitazawa
Even the closed gates of the stores have cool art on them that you can admire as you walk by early in the morning while people are going to work.
I was lucky enough not to have to go to work, as I had a day off on my business trip from Canada. To celebrate my free day, I took a stroll from my hotel in Shibuya to the coolest neighbourhood in Tokyo—Shimokitazawa.
Shimokitazawa, an area with a bohemian vibe and chill atmosphere, is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the more popular districts. The area is known for its thriving arts and music scene, hipster coffee shops, second-hand and vintage fashion stores and, of course, hole-in-the-wall eateries that serve some of the best curry dishes I have ever had. Shimokitazawa is actually the curry district of Tokyo. More about the curry later.
You can't help but enjoy the delicious smell of curry in the air as you walk past second-hand shops and cozy coffee shops. When you walk through the neighbourhood, you can feel that the area’s vibe is a little different. A little bit more laid back. A little more chill. You can see it as people are walking a little slower and enjoying their fresh brewed coffee rather than gulping one down out of necessity from a 7/11 or Starbucks.
The streets are tight, but they are very lively. You can walk ten steps and pass ten different businesses selling everything from second-hand goods to that delicious curry I mentioned earlier. Not to mention, you share these tight roads with vehicles. But not to worry—they go as slow as humans do.
But since Shimokitazawa is the curry district of Tokyo and I love eating, I was excited to taste the different flavours of curry that this neighbourhood has to offer. They even have a curry festival! In fact, the Shimokitazawa Curry Festival in Japan is one of the largest curry festivals and it takes place every October. In 2019, festival-goers walked around the town tasting different curries from 160 shops, including 142 curry shops and 18 sweets and other shops. This 13-day event was visited by an estimated 150,000 people.
In a neighbourhood that has the big curry festival, it’s only natural to try out some of the best curry dishes that Shimokitazawa has to offer and I couldn’t wait until October.
Curry Planet: Two Types Of Curry Over Rice, one of the prettiest dishes you will see.
Anjali: Curry Over Prawn And Sam-Bar; A little curry shop run solo by the owner, who was inspired by his trip to India and developed his own unique style of curry to serve at Anjali. His Indian curry, served with homemade papad (or papadum), achaar and rice, has been localized to suit the Japanese palate.
Ro Ji U Ra Curry Samurai: Chicken Curry Soup With 20 Vegetable; The most popular item on their menu is the chicken with a full day's serving of 20 vegetables. A whole leg of slow-cooked bone-in chicken is served either crispy fried or cooked in the soup.
Magic Spice: Chicken Curry Soup With 20 Vegetables; A popular staple on the menu, their energizing chicken curry (the nirvana level of spiciness) is a brothy soup full of umami, spiciness and deep flavour that’s perfectly balanced.
Nasu Oyaji: Special Roux Curry; Enjoy a curry dish while listening to vinyl records. The style of their curry is an extension of the typical Japanese curry. Relaxing interiors with natural wood are paired with music played on a record player is so Shimokitazawa.
