Setagaya City, Tokyo, Japan｜Kitchen Green

A traditional, counter-style restaurant, Green Kitchen offers cheap, tasty, curry, cooked fresh on the premises. The chef is a human dynamo, cooking everything behind the counter - a one man show - his routine is timed to perfection. The interior of the place looks like it hasn't changed in decades. There's bar stool seating around the counter, facing the food prep area, and congealed blobs of darkened grease on the wooden facia overhead - to some, this may not appeal but to others it has that 'authentic' feel. Certainly, the chicken katsu curry that I had was tasty in a thick, strong, sauce - and good value for ¥850 (a large portion too).

Visited around 12:20 on a holiday in February 2023. The restaurant was full and I had to wait outside. I entered the store in about 7 minutes and ordered the chicken cutlet and ginger grilled platter for 950 yen. It was served after about 13 minutes of waiting. All the onions involved in ginger grilling are cut to the same size. A glimpse of the store owner's meticulous personality. When you eat it, you can smell the ginger, but the seasoning is rather mild. You can really taste the meat. The chicken cutlet is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The quality of fried food at this restaurant is high. So, I snacked on the macaroni salad that came with it. It has a mellow yet strong flavor, making it a great side dish for rice. The miso soup is made with white miso with a hint of dashi. It permeates throughout the body. The rice is generously portioned, and the amount is average. I was full and satisfied with both quality and quantity. ---------- Visited around 11:55 on a holiday in February 2023. There are about 10 seats at the L-shaped counter inside the store, and there are 4 customers in front of us. The shop owner's one operation is all it takes. I was torn between fried food, stir-fried food, and curry, but I decided on chicken cutlet curry for 850 yen and told the owner. It takes about 9 minutes to complete. It's a pitch black curry. This blackness may be inspired by Kitchen Nankai. When you eat it, you will feel the mellow and deep flavor. It has a strong salty flavor and packs a punch. This curry is very delicious. The chicken cutlet was crispy and hot, and the crispness of the chicken breast and the slight sourness oozed out for a wonderful finish. Best of all, it's cut into dice shapes, which are very well-balanced and allow you to mix the roux and rice together while eating. I realized that just one simple step in cooking can make such a huge difference. By the time we finished eating, the place was almost full. Next time I would like to try the ginger grilled area. Please note that this is a one-time surgery, so please be careful not to leave any change on the bill.

I had the cutlet curry topped with fried shrimp. The fried shrimp is also cut into bite-sized pieces that are easy to eat with a spoon, and you can feel the thoughtfulness of the owner. The taste is black and rich curry roux, and it goes well with the crispy fried food. It is a recommended dish. Thank you for the meal!