Many visitors to the Toyosu Fish Market are looking for places to eat sushi and other seafood. However, don’t let that blind you to some of the other excellent options at Toyosu. Those in the know join the market workers at the shops efficiently serving a wide variety of cheap eats, like the exceptional curry rice at Nakaei.
Curry was introduced to Japan by the British during the Meiji Period. Having evolved and japanified, it is now a much-loved b-kyu gurume dish.
Nakaei, established in 1912 (the final year of the Meiji Period), first opened when the fish market was located in Nihonbashi. They later moved to Tsukiji, and now their excellent curry can be experienced at Toyosu.
The curries are hand-made according to original recipes handed down through generations, simmered for two days in a rich mix of onions, pork ribs and more. The flavour profile that links all the dishes is best described as ‘comforting and nostalgic’.
Currywise your choices are Indo Curry (pork), Beef Curry, Hayashi Rice, and Seafood Curry. You can add some chashu topping to the first three. Vegetable egg and miso soup are also available.
The Indo Curry is mildly spicy, the Beef Curry slightly less so. The tomato-based Hayashi Rice stew has a mild flavour with a hint of tartness. For an additional 100 yen you can have each dish made spicier.
All of the curry dishes and hayashi rice come with cabbage. The typical curry toppings are available at your table, including some delicious fukujinzuke relish. The Nakaei way is to mix them with the curry.
The Aigake combo dish is highly recommended, Choose two from the Indo Curry, Beef Curry, or Hayashi Rice.
If you are still fixated on seafood, you can order the Tsukiji Uogashi Seafood Curry made with a mix of snow crab, shrimp and scallop.
They sell their curries as souvenirs, each containing about 5 servings.
Be aware you need to pay immediately after you order. Choose, pay, eat… and come back and repeat!
Address: 6-5-1 Toyosu, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Tel: +81-3-6633-0200
Website: www.nakaei.com
Reservations: No