A note on the words: Osaka-style curry here hits the palate first with a rich, fruity sweetness before building to a sharp, lingering spice, here topped with a raw egg yolk. Fukujinzuke is the crunchy, sweet red pickle relish traditionally paired with Japanese curry, and katsu is a breaded cutlet available as an optional topping.
Table of Contents hide
Osaka Madras Curry on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Hello, this is Hangover Meshi. I think it was three or four years ago that a curry shop opened in the alley right in front of TBS in Akasaka. During the pandemic when I couldn’t go out much, I had ordered delivery from them a few times, but it occurred to me that I had never eaten at the shop itself. So off I went to “Osaka Madras Curry”.
Apparently, Kitamura Kazuki, a Japanese actor, is the owner of the Tokyo branches.
He loved Osaka Madras Curry so much that he brought it to Tokyo, ha; much appreciated.
I wonder if this turban-wearing character is modeled after him.
The shop is very small! Counter seats only.
Curry, small — 770 yen
Curry, medium — 880 yen
Curry, large — 990 yen
Katsu (cutlet) — 250 yen
Mini katsu — 150 yen
Karaage — 220 yen
Fried oysters — 200 yen
Fried white fish — 200 yen
Spinach — 110 yen
Shimeji mushrooms — 110 yen
Cheese — 190 yen
Fried eggplant — 150 yen
There are quite a few toppings here.
The curry itself runs from 770 to 990 yen. Staying under 1,000 yen is reasonable.
This time I chose the medium curry without adding any toppings.
First to come out was carrot — carottes rapees, a grated carrot salad, perhaps.
Since it’s a counter, I waited a short while, watching them make the curry from behind!
The metal plate gives it great character.
A generous ladling of curry covers the thinly spread rice. The only ingredient in the curry is meat.
An egg yolk rests neatly on top. The fukujinzuke, the red pickle relish, is the classic bright-red kind.
Taking a bite, yes, it’s good.
It’s quite a sweet curry. A very fruity sweetness spreads across the mouth first.
After that, the sharp spiciness of the spices gradually follows. It’s that sweet-then-spicy style of curry. The curry itself has a comforting, somewhat nostalgic quality that makes it easy to eat. Because the heat is quite solid, breaking the egg yolk halfway through makes it pleasantly milder.
I thought the rice was spread thinly, but there was actually quite a substantial amount underneath.
By the time I finished, I was completely full! Thoroughly satisfied.
So, while this was my first time visiting the shop, it was delicious curry!
The balance of sweetness and spice is spot-on. The shop is a bit cramped, so if you go during peak hours you may well end up bumping into people heading in or out, ha; going off-peak to eat at a leisurely pace might be the way to go.
Osaka Madras Curry (Curry / Akasaka Station, Akasaka-mitsuke Station, Tameike-sanno Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.5
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
