A Homely Japanese Kitchen with a Nostalgic Touch – Rich Cheese-Roasted Curry You Can’t Find Elsewhere

Photos & Text byXiaohu’s Dream Food Blog

Japanese cuisine has been popular in Taiwan for many years and generally has a fairly strong market presence, but “roasted curry” is a flavor that’s rarely seen. It wasn’t until I went to Japan that I realized it’s not just uncommon in Taiwan – in Japan, it seems it’s only available in Moji Port, and even there, it’s hard to come by elsewhere. As for why? Let’s find out.

If you’re not particularly into Japanese travel or aren’t very familiar with it, you might not know much about Moji Port, but you might have heard of “Shimonoseki.” Moji Port is the gateway to Kyushu, the closest area to Shimonoseki, connected by the “Kanmon Bridge.” PS: Just beyond this road is where Moji Port’s famous “Banana Man” attraction is located.

As the name suggests, Moji Port is a harbor. Cross the railway from the port and you’ll arrive at today’s destination, “Nishiki Western-Style Teahouse.” It’s not too far of a walk. As for sightseeing in Moji Port, let’s save that for another article.

That day, we took a nine-seater minivan and got on right in front of “Nishiki Western-Style Teahouse.” The moment I stepped out, I was completely charmed by this old Japanese-style house... Unfortunately, the tree outside had withered, but even withered, it has its own kind of beauty, don’t you think =)

Though Nishiki Western-Style Teahouse is famous for its roasted curry, other dishes, desserts, and even their coffee are also very popular among locals. From a tourist’s perspective though, it may not be a super well-known spot. If it weren’t for the arrangement made by the tourism bureau, we probably wouldn’t have found it or gotten to try it.

Nishiki Western-Style Teahouse has an atmosphere so authentic it feels like it’s straight out of a TV drama. Its vibe is completely natural, without any forced artifice – it feels just like home.

The moment I walked in, I couldn’t stop taking pictures – it felt like every angle deserved to be captured and described. By the way, what does this haiku mean?

Looking closely, many signs in the house are written with a brush. I’m guessing they might have been handwritten by the elderly couple who run the shop. The characters are incredibly beautiful. PS: Handmade |% wheat noodles seem to be their signature – I really want to try a bowl~~~ When I asked what “ten-wari” means, I was told it’s noodles made with 100% |% wheat flour... Oh~~ So some |% wheat noodles actually contain regular flour?

This adorable painting feels like it must be by someone quite notable, though I have no idea who the artist is. The sign below says that all the fruits and vegetables used here are pesticide-free from Kyushu, and the salt is produced and sold by the shop itself.

This sign reads, “We’re inside the shop, please call out to us loudly....” How utterly charming =)

I love Nishiki Western-Style Teahouse because it has such a homey feel. But according to the grandma here, this house used to be a guesthouse specifically for accommodating merchants and government officials staying in Moji Port.

The front section of the first floor is a not-too-large room. Xiaohu used this angle to capture a fuller view, while the passageway on the right leads to the kitchen, which is in the back half of the house.

The main dining area in the room consists of these nostalgic-style sofas, along with two rather ordinary tables in the back. Doesn’t it really feel like being at home =)

The small room is arranged snugly yet warmly. That fireplace is probably used in the winter.

The wooden cabinet holds various small goods: tea, coffee, chocolate, even homemade artisan salt and some small handicrafts.

We climbed up a slightly slippery, slightly warm wooden staircase to the second floor, where the atmosphere is completely different.

Out of sheer habit, I love photographing electrical appliances, like lamps or historic switches... These kinds of switches can still be seen in some well-preserved Japanese-style buildings in Taiwan, such as those at Dadaocheng’s 【Tiger Eats Everything】【Daqiaotou Station】 Bao’an No. 84 Boan - Shuntian Surgical Hospital, or Yilan’s 【Upper Right 45-Degree Food Diary】【Yilan Cuisine】 Hesheng Taiping Cafe Story.

The second floor features a very atmospheric Japanese-style corridor. To the left is a tatami dining room ↓, but since no one was there that day, I didn’t feel comfortable opening the door to take photos, so I could only peek through the slightly foggy glass.

This is the view from the other end of the corridor – it would be beautiful if the garden trees were in full bloom.

At the end of the hallway are the restrooms and the dining space near the outer edge. But actually, in this photo, I wanted to capture the “wooden cabinet” in the corner of the hallway – it really feels like it’s seen some years =)

Each small dining space is decorated with great ambience, perfect for sipping coffee or dessert while sitting by the wooden window for an afternoon.

We entered this private room, said to be reserved for VIP guests, which also has a whole row of very comfortable sofas.

The decor in the room really does have that VIP lounge feel. I snapped a quick photo of what looks like an antique painting and some lacquerware to share with you all – I’m guessing these might be leftovers from when it was a guesthouse?

The menu doesn’t have too many main dishes, and the prices aren’t very expensive either. We ordered the roasted curry set meal.

They served a cup of hot tea and a cup of iced tea – the iced tea is meant to go with the rich, thick roasted curry.

Honestly, before the roasted curry even arrived, I could smell its rich aroma from near the doorway. When it was served, it looked even more appetizing – the thick, slightly scorched curry with the golden cheese in the middle was simply irresistible.

Just one bite... not even half a bite, and I was conquered by this intensely rich, aromatic curry. It was incredibly fragrant and delicious... but soon after, the heaviness started to creep in. That glass of ice water came in really handy then. What’s more, what’s interesting about this grilled curry is that while it looks super heavy, thankfully most of the fillings inside are vegetables and fruits, which helped tone down the “greasiness” and slowed how quickly it hit.

That said, although I felt it could get overly rich if eaten in large amounts, the way the cheese mingled with the slightly spicy curry sauce was just so captivating and satisfying—a flavor you really can’t find in Taiwan. It’s completely different from the grilled curry I had later at Curry Town; the intensity alone isn’t even comparable. (laughs)

Surprisingly, they also sell alcohol here, and there’s quite a selection.

Finally, for the dessert and drink that came with the set meal, Xiao Hu chose coffee, but unfortunately, I don’t remember anything about it...

However, the sugar was quite interesting—it was completely different from what I’ve seen in Taiwan. It had the aroma of brown sugar but wasn’t too sweet, and the texture was uneven, feeling almost like very finely ground handmade peanut powder. PS: The sugar was delicious on its own, and I couldn’t stop eating it—I didn’t even put it in my coffee...

Lastly, there was this carrot-based dessert. It looked like ice cream and indeed had a crushed ice texture, but the main flavor was carrot, paired with a slightly tangy and sweet sauce made from some kind of fruit—it was really tasty and made me want to try other desserts... Unfortunately, I didn’t feel comfortable asking, but if I were there on my own, I’d definitely have ordered every single dessert... only then would I be satisfied leaving the shop.

【Nishiki Western-Style Teahouse】
Address: 2-17 Minatomachi, Moji-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka
Phone: 093-321-2602
Business Hours: 12:00–14:00 (L.O.), 17:30–19:30 (Closed at 21:00) (Closed on Mondays)
More about Nishiki Western-Style Teahouse’s dishes and related info:http://tabelog.com/fukuoka/A4005/A400501/40000937/

Xiao Hu’s Food Dreams
If “eating” is just about filling your stomach, then “food” is simply too boring~~~