Nepalico Restaurant in Komazawa
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One great thing about Tokyo is the wealth of great international food. We’ve tried delicious burgers, bodega sandwiches, authentic tacos, fancy French food, Spanish restaurants, American barbecue, and a lot more. If there is a type of food you can come up with, you can find it in Tokyo. Our neighborhood is home to a restaurant that specializes in food from Nepal, and it’s a perfect place to grab lunch.
Nepalico restaurant in Setagaya
If you’re like me, you probably never thought about what people eat in Nepal. I imagined they just ate snow and bowls of enlightenment. But Nepalese cuisine exists, and is distinct from the Indian food most Americans are familiar with.
The decor at Nepalico features images of mountains, a Nepalese flag, and some cute seat cushions. The staff is friendly while the atmosphere is quiet, making it a good place for lunch. We were the only couple there, with everyone else present being solo diners at the bar. We’ve only ever gone for lunch, so I don’t know what dinner service is like, but as this is Japan, they have a set lunch menu that’s a great deal.
The lunch menu at Nepalico
There are two types of meals you can get for lunch at Nepalico: a curry set or Dalbhat (written elsewhere as dal bhat), which includes several dishes along with some rice. We’ve gotten the Dalbhat before, and the soup that comes with it is really delicious. But since it’s winter time, we went witih curry, our usual choice.
The curry set comes with rice, salad, and a small drink - either a mini-chai or a jasmine tea. We’re, like, super rich, so in addition to the tiny drinks, Eriko got a mango lassi (a yogurt drink made with mango, good if you like yogurt) while I got a large chai tea. I needed a large chai because I like my curry spicy.
The curries here are done on a scale of 0 (not spicy) to 4 (oh my). Eriko went with 0. I told Eriko I was thinking of going with 3, not the spiciest one, because I didn’t want to have to deal with the revenge later.
“Oh, you got 3 before and so spicy,” she said. “You don’t remember?”
“No,” I said. I decided to take her word for it and go with 2.
Then the guy came over and asked what we wanted.
“Lamb curry, 3,” I said. It was only after I’d ordered that I realized I’d just promised not to get this thing I’d ordered. Shows what my promises are worth.
What is Nepalese curry like?
They serve several kinds of curry: chicken, lamb, goat, or vegetarian. I don’t think we’ve ever tried the vegetarian, but we’ve gotten the others. The goat is only okay, with the meat a little tough. The chicken is better than that. The lamb is the best. I know this because when I ordered the goat and Eriko got the lamb, I tried a bite of hers and was super jealous. That’s why I went with lamb this time.
The amount of curry and rice you get is a perfect amount for lunch - not too much, not too little. The salad is good, and necessary to cut the heat when your curry is as spicy as mine was. It wasn’t spicy in an unpleasant way - sometimes the heat comes from spices that ruin the taste, but that wasn’t the case here. It did, however, set my lips on fire for about 20 minutes, forcing me to drink my chai as well as Eriko’s mini chai, and put lots of Carmex on my lips.
Japanese curry is thick, rich, and brown, great for a cold day when you need something hearty with some hefty Japanese rice. Indian curry is thinner, lighter, and, at least in America, often srved with chicken. Nepalese curry rests in the perfect middleground between these two. It’s not runny, but not thick. It’s not overly meaty, but has some deliciously tender meat (especially this lamb) in there. It’s not bland, but not gritty either. This was an absolutely perfect lunch meal.
I hope Nepalico stays open for a long time. Every time we’ve gone there, I have not regretted it. They’re always nice to us, the prices are decent, and we leave content. There’s also the added bonus that I experienced relatively little revenge later on that night. If you’ve never had Nepalese food before, don’t be scared. Come to Setagaya and try some at Nepalico.
Where is Nepalico? Map and location & info
Address: 〒154-0011 Tokyo, Setagaya City, Kamiuma, 4 Chome−2−6 サンシティ
Phone: +81 3-6804-0576
Hours: 11:30 AM–3 PM & 6–11 PM
Nepalico is just a short walk from the Komazawa-Daigaku Station on the Den-en-toshi line. Just hop aboard at Shibuya, ride three stops, go out the west exit, walk north one block, and you’re there!
