Kitchen Nankai Jinbocho

Sometimes you just want a really good plate of katsu curry, made by a place that has been doing it for a long time and knows exactly what it's doing. That's how I ended up at Kitchen Nankai in Jinbocho. The place is best known for exactly that dish, and if you're craving a classic katsu curry in Tokyo, this is a really good choice. Kitchen Nankai is in Jinbocho in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and it really feels like a proper working-man's lunch. It's simple, quick and entirely focused on the food, with no frills or unnecessary fuss. The menus are in Japanese and the English is limited, which says a bit about who usually eats here. When I was there, the line stretched long outside and I basically saw no other tourists. It's an everyday spot for people who work in the area, and that's exactly what makes it so nice to find. I went for the katsu curry, of course, and it was really good. Crispy katsu, rice and their dark, rich curry sauce: simple food that delivers exactly what you hope for. My best tip is to order an extra plate of their thinly shredded white cabbage and pour over the goma dressing, the roasted Japanese sesame dressing that sits out on the table. The fresh, crunchy cabbage and the nutty, creamy dressing make a ridiculously good combination, and it's the perfect counterweight to the rich curry and katsu. The slightly tricky language barrier doesn't matter much. The staff take your order while you're still standing in line, and then Google Translate and a bit of pointing at the menu work perfectly well. Since your order is already in, everything goes very fast once you get inside. You sit down, eat and make room for the next person. Nobody lingers over their lunch here, and that's part of the charm. It also explains why the line moves relatively quickly even though it looks long. Kitchen Nankai is a genuine, unpretentious and very Japanese lunch spot. You come here for the katsu curry, and you're absolutely right to. Have your translation app ready when you join the line, expect lunch to be quick, and don't forget the extra plate of cabbage with sesame dressing. A place I'd happily return to next time I'm in Tokyo.