Yakuzen curry, medicinal curry. To be honest, I was bracing myself a little. Would it be hard to eat? Something that good for the body must have a strong, quirky taste… or so I thought. What arrived was an incredibly delicious keema curry. Pleasantly betrayed, and already craving another plate, once again, today was the best.
What Kind of Place Is Kissa Shokubutsu Saikou?
About fifteen minutes on foot from Gaienmae Station, on the third floor of a building, sits this yakuzen cafe. It was born from Shokubutsu Saikou Radio, a podcast by Ayumi Sugawara, a phytotherapist who runs the herbal tea specialty shop NeRoLi herb, and Shinji Nira, better known as Wakadanna of the music group Shonan no Kaze.
The podcast, by the way, is full of Ayumi-sensei’s stories about herbs and plants, and conversations that genuinely help you face your own health concerns. Every episode teaches me something. It was actually through this podcast that I first discovered Wakadanna, and he turned out to be such a charming, lovely person that I have become a fan of both him and the show (laughs).
Now, back to the cafe (laughs). Inside, it is a cozy little space with just a counter, a small raised seating area and a few tables. I booked ahead this time. It is a lovely, charming interior in which you can relax at your own pace, even on your own.
A Tabletop Journey: Kissa Shokubutsu Saikou
Up to the third floor near Gaienmae, then into a small plant-filled cafe for yakuzen curry and iced herbal tea. A tabletop journey through Kissa Shokubutsu Saikou.
6 scenes
A walk from Gaienmae Station to the third floor
About fifteen minutes on foot from Gaienmae Station. There is a sign at the entrance of the building, so follow it up to the third floor.
Lovely plants on the table
A charming interior, with flowers arranged in beautiful vases that soothe you the moment you sit down. Rows of jars of herbs steeped in spirits line the shelves, fun just to gaze at.
An unexpected encounter with habu sake
While admiring the jars, I spotted habu sake. An actual habu pit viper, properly steeped in the bottle, made me freeze for a moment. Apparently it dates back to the days when this place was still called Mokuba.
Studying the menu
The signature dish is the yakuzen curry, blended with more than forty kinds of spices. When I heard you could have all the side dishes piled on, I did not hesitate.
Yakuzen curry with all the sides★Today's Star
I had wondered whether a medicinal curry might taste, well, medicinal, but no: it was an incredibly delicious keema curry. The colourful sides, including carrot rapée and potato salad, were every bit as good.
Meguri Blend, iced
Since I had gone for the drink set, I ordered the Meguri herbal tea blend, served cold. It was a very hot day, and the chilled herbal tea felt like it was soaking straight into me.
Final Thoughts
I had braced myself the moment I heard medicinal, and in the end, all that was left was I want to eat this again. A quiet solo lunch in a small space surrounded by plants. Next time, dessert too.
