A note on the words: katsu curry is a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet served with curry, and kiwami means “the ultimate,” used here as the name of the shop’s top curry. Katsuobushi is dried, shaved bonito, the backbone of Japanese dashi stock. Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai, “the world Matsuko doesn’t know,” is a long-running Japanese television program whose featured shops keep the flip boards used on air. Prices are as of this writing (August 2026).
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Japanese Spice Curry wacca on AutoReserve (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
I want to eat something good today too. This is Hangover Meshi. This time, Hatchobori. It is not a station I come to often, but I had reason to change from the Hibiya line to the Keiyo line. Since I was here I thought I would eat lunch nearby, and searching around, there turn out to be a great many good-looking places here. Perhaps because it is a business district. So I set my sights on a curry shop I could probably get into by lining up without a booking: Japanese Spice Curry wacca.
When I arrived there was no line yet and I got straight in. Lucky.
You order first, as soon as you walk in. Once you have ordered they assign you a seat and you go and sit there.
Water is self-service, from two points in the room.
In front of the seat I had been given was a flip board that looked somehow familiar.
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This is from Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai.
So they get to keep these. I did not know that.
Kiwami chicken curry and waterless chicken, two on one plate, 1,500 yen
Neo green curry and waterless chicken, two on one plate, 1,500 yen
Lamb parade, 1,500 yen
Kiwami katsu curry, 1,800 yen (switch to green curry, plus 200 yen)
That was the day’s lineup of curries.
There is no green katsu curry, I thought — but then only the last one, the kiwami katsu curry, has the option of switching to green curry. So that must be the one. That is what I picked.
For what it is worth I did not watch that episode of Matsuko, so I have no real idea whether this is what was featured ^^
After a while the green curry appears.
I said small rice, and was asked whether I meant the slightly-small (130g). No — small (90g).
And the color is intensely green. Jade, really. A lovely color.
For toppings, chicken that falls apart and a good thick tonkatsu sitting there very pleasingly.
Green beans and lotus root, and a tomato on top of a heap of katsuobushi.
A mouthful of the curry, and the green-chili, kaffir lime leaf and herbal brightness you want from a green curry come to the front, while a layer of Japanese dashi-like savor shows itself and hides again underneath. The heat is judged well, and a faint sweetness and richness stay on the finish. It is a thin, soupy curry, and along with the roundness of the coconut and the scent of the herbs the spices come through clearly. Very good.
The katsu keeps its crispness. On its own it is heavy, but dip the katsu into the sauce and the rich color and scent of the green curry work slowly into the surface of the coating, which makes it much easier to eat. Against the katsu, the contrast between the fat of the meat and the coating comes alive, and the heat and roundness of the sauce stand out more. The rice is cooked slightly firm, so even soaked in sauce it does not go to mush and keeps its definition.
The katsuobushi goes remarkably well with it too, and you feel the “Japanese meets spice” idea strongly.
Yes, this is good.
That was delicious. Is it because there are so many seats? For a place this famous the turnover is fast and you can get in and eat quickly, which is very good. The Japanese-meets-spice character is excellent as well, and I would like to try the curries other than the green one. Hatchobori may be more interesting than I thought. There seem to be other good lunches around, so I will drop by again if I get the chance.
Japanese Spice Curry wacca (Curry / Hatchobori Station, Takaracho Station, Kayabacho Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.8
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
