Hyperlocal Tokyo

I've been wanting to try this curry shop for a long time. I hadn't looked up the location, but it turned out to be super close to my office! I happened to be out and about, so I booked a reservation through Instagram DM in the morning and went. It's great that you can see what's on the menu for the day and book in advance! The set came with two curries: a Gapao-style Keema and a squid and dried shrimp curry with a clam broth. I added a spiced egg on top. Apparently, the lemon is for changing the flavor and is meant to be poured over the rice. The squid curry had a slightly spicy, almost French-style flavor. It was a bit different from the usual curry, so I'd like to try the regular one next time. I'll check their Instagram and go again when it cools down.

A must-try spice curry served in a borrowed space! Located a 3-minute walk from Nihonbashi Station, I visited "Sake to Spice Matsuko", a curry restaurant that seems destined to become one of the top 100 curry restaurants in Japan. It's a pop-up shop open only for lunch on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. I made a reservation by sending a direct message to their Instagram account. I arrived at 1:30 PM on a weekday. Today's curry was the Ethnic Coconut Keema (Beef & Pork & Chicken) with Seafood and Raw Seaweed Masala for 1,300 yen, and I added a spice egg for 150 yen. The curry arrived in 7-8 minutes, looking adorable. The Ethnic Coconut Keema was packed with meaty flavor and delicious. The Seafood Masala had shrimp and firefly squid, and the seaweed flavor really enhanced the seafood curry, making it incredibly tasty. The colorful achar had a mild acidity and went well with the curry. The spice egg was perfectly runny and complemented both curries, making them even more delicious. I enjoyed every bite. The menu changes daily, so I'd love to try the other curries too!

I finally visited "Sake to Spice Matsuko," a curry restaurant operating out of a borrowed space in Nihonbashi, which I had been wanting to try for a long time. I took a day off and made a reservation to go. The aroma of spices was wonderful. The curry had a mild flavor. The soft-boiled egg was delicious with the keema. I ordered the "Aigake" (two-curry set) with mushroom keema (chicken & pork) and clam broth and spring cabbage curry, along with a spiced egg. I overheard some regulars in suits ordering "Omakase" (chef's choice) for their sake. I bet the curry would taste even better with sake. #SaketoSpiceMatsuko #MatsukoCurry #NihonbashiGourmet #NihonbashiCurry #BorrowedSpaceCurry #SpiceCurry #Spicecurry

I had lunch there. The curry was complex and very delicious, and I think the side dishes were well-thought-out. I would definitely go back if I had business nearby. However, since it's a shared space, the service and atmosphere are neither good nor bad.

I had tried to drop in twice in the past, but both times were fully booked. It's still very popular, even though you can use it if there's an opening. I was able to make a reservation through an Instagram message that morning and finally got to eat there. It was easy. That day, I had a combination of mutton and pork coarsely ground keema and a dal with aromatic vegetables and asparagus. The center rice line was lined with colorful side dishes. Beautiful. I added a spiced egg as an option. Finally, I got to try Matsuko's curry, and it was delicious. The menu changes daily, so I've only been once, but I can see why it's so popular. It's run by a single woman who used to serve Japanese food, and it's only open for lunch. She's practically a veteran of pop-up curry shops. The dal curry had a nice, fresh asparagus texture. It was well-integrated, though, and while it was a dal, it had a strong vegetable presence, almost like a vegetable curry. The keema, with mutton and pork, also had a nice texture from the coarse grind, and the meatiness was preserved, making it a real rice thief. The carrot side dish looked like a pol sambol, but it was completely different, with a sweet and sour, refreshing flavor. It was delicious. I squeezed some lemon onto the rice halfway through. The lemon slices were large, which made for a nice flavor change. I was the last customer, so I got to chat with the owner a bit. More and more popular one-person pop-up curry shops are starting to open their own brick-and-mortar stores. I'd love to try Matsuko's spices with some sake someday.