SPICE GATE

In Kyoto, there is a nationally unique curry specialty restaurant called SPICE GATE, which is open from 7:30 in the morning. It opened in Teramachi Takatsuji in May 2022 as the second branch of INDIA GATE, a biryani specialty restaurant in Shijo-Karasuma. This restaurant has attracted a great deal of attention from curry lovers and tourists as it adds curry to the breakfast options in Kyoto, which used to have a strong image of obanzai (traditional Japanese dishes).

As a morning curry lover myself, I had been checking out this restaurant, and the other day I went to SPICE GATE after finishing my morning work. However, when I actually went there, I was quite surprised to find that the breakfast curry was completely different from what I had imagined…

To be honest, it does not look like a curry shop at all, but it has a very good sense of style… SPICE GATE is such a restaurant!

I arrived at SPICE GATE around 10:30 on a weekday. The restaurant is on the second floor of a three-story building, and as I climbed the spiral staircase, I saw a glass-walled door with a small curtain at the entrance of the restaurant.

Upon entering the restaurant, it is difficult to describe in words, but I felt a somewhat mysterious atmosphere. The interior is almost untouched, and the age-related changes in the concrete on the walls are exposed as they are. The furnishings are vintage, and the whole place has an appealing retro feel…it would be easy to say that, but the old-fashioned appeal is not at all overdone, and the place seems to blend in very naturally. To be honest, it doesn’t feel at all like a curry shop, nor does it feel like a café or a homey place…but somehow, just being there makes me feel at home. If I were to forcefully sum it up in one word, it would be “a very sophisticated restaurant.

How was the Kyoto-style spice morning set meal at SPICE GATE, where one of 3 types of curry is available?

Let me introduce the Kyoto-style spice morning set meal I ordered at SPICE GATE. As you can see on the menu below, this morning set meal allows us to choose one of three different types of soup stock…

This time I chose the second one, “Curry with Mackerel and Ginger Dashi.” I really wanted to choose the top one, “Curry Leaf-Scented Seafood Dashi Curry,” but it seemed that it was already sold out for the day… so I had no choice.

After about 10 minutes of waiting after ordering, the curry was brought in front of me…

Rice and curry came out in separate bowls. The rice is surrounded by many toppings, including chicken keema curry, so by mixing them together countless variations of flavor can be enjoyed.

Now, the “Mackerel and Ginger Dashi Curry,” which I chose from the three varieties, looks more like a mackerel soup than a curry. In fact, when I took a sip, I found it to be more like a soup with a rich mackerel flavor, although it did have a slight spiciness to it. It is 99% different from the typical spiced curry we imagine.

The basmati rice, on the other hand, seems to be cooked with sencha tea from Gion Kitagawa Hanbei, and when putting it in the mouth, it has a subtle green tea-like flavor. Since the rice is mixed with these ingredients, it is more like eating rice with Japanese soup than curry. But you know what, it’s really good. The chicken keema and other toppings are basically low in spice. The flavor of the ingredients comes first, and the taste is very gentle on the body after waking up from sleep. I don’t know any other restaurant that uses spices in such a way.

Another thing I personally really liked was the spice mill on the table. Usually, one type of spice is used in a mill like this, but at SPICE GATE, several types of whole spices are placed in one mill. So when grinding spices in this mill, a compound aroma of several kinds of spices is produced. That aroma changes AT RANDOM each time I grind, and because it is a whole spice, the aroma is strong… This is a very interesting way to use these spices. If you use spices often at home, why not take this idea?

This morning curry from SPICE GATE is a new type of dish that could almost be called Japanese food, and I was quite taken aback when I imagined a morning curry with a strong spicy flavor that stimulates the body. But I think this morning curry is very appealing. Especially, I felt that the spices used casually are somewhat similar to Japanese soup stock. If we can master the use of spices like this, I think our daily eating habits will change dramatically.

Whole spices are sold in the store… To get to SPICE GATE, walk 8 minutes from the nearest station, Kyoto Kawaramachi Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line.

SPICE GATE also sells whole spices in the store…

There must be more than 100 kinds of spices bottled and bagged at a quick glance. No, taking a closer look, they also sell herbal teas and basmati rice. It may not be an exaggeration to say that almost all ingredients are available here, especially for those who make spiced curry at home. You can also come here to buy spices, so if you want to get high quality spices, please visit SPICE GATE once.

Now, here are the details of the restaurant…

P.S. If you are looking for delicious curry in Kyoto, please stop by this article below…