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"Curry in Morioka!" (Part 1) 3 Curry Restaurants, from Long-established Restaurants Loved by Locals to Up-and-Coming Restaurants! [Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture]
"Curry in Morioka!" (Part 1) 3 Curry Restaurants, from Long-established Restaurants Loved by Locals to Up-and-Coming Restaurants! [Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture]
Curry rice is a familiar dish that is almost always on the menu at any restaurant
There are many restaurants throughout Japan that serve delicious curry, including specialty shops, set meal restaurants, soba restaurants, and coffee shops
In this article, I will introduce three popular restaurants in Morioka that I would like to recommend, all of which are known for their delicious curry
Please note that the prices in this article are current as of early December 2025
Curry Factory Chalten (Nakanobashi-dori 1-chome)
The Azumaya main store of "Wankosoba" is next door to the left. There are many coin parking lots around the area
Chalten is a log cabin-like restaurant located next to Azumaya Honten, which is famous for its wankosoba, and is particularly popular for its keema curry .
The interior has a warm wooden feel
The restaurant is small, with two seats at the counter and ten tables that seat two and four people, but you can enjoy your meal in a bright and calm atmosphere
You can choose the spiciness of the curry roux from 0 (medium spicy) to 10, and levels 1 (hot) and 2 (very spicy) are free, but anything spicier than that requires an additional charge
The menu has 14 types of curry (the photo does not include pork and vegetable curry, so there are only 13 types)
Rice is available in large (150 yen) and extra large (200 yen) sizes, and half a serving of rice is 50 yen off, but if you order "less rice" it will cost the regular price
In addition, a large portion of curry sauce costs an additional 150 yen, and a large portion of keema curry sauce costs an additional 250 yen
The menu has detailed descriptions of each curry
The lassi (yogurt drink) at this restaurant is also popular, and if you order curry during lunch time, you can get it for 150 yen instead of the usual 500 yen
Keema curry with soft-boiled egg (1,130 yen)
This is a keema curry that will make you addicted once you try it, and the soft-boiled egg adds an even deeper flavor
The keema curry, made with plenty of minced meat, is a popular dish that could be called the restaurant's signature dish
Keema means "minced meat" in Hindi, and is made by stir-frying chopped onions, tomatoes, carrots, etc. with spices and simmering them thoroughly
We recommend topping it with a soft-boiled egg, as it changes the flavor and makes the spiciness milder
All curries come with a mini salad
The vegetable keema, which is packed with vegetables and has a sweet vegetable flavor, is also popular
Chicken and pork double curry (with salad, 1,150 yen)
The left is chicken and the right is pork. Two small dishes of spicy seasonings make it even spicier! Garnished with fukujinzuke pickles and pickled radishes
W Curry allows you to taste two different types of curry , and has a mound of white rice in the middle of the plate to prevent the curry from mixing.
On the day I visited, I ordered the first dish, and instead of the spiciness being added to the curry sauce, it was brought to me on a separate small plate so I could adjust the spiciness to my liking
Have a lassi after your lunch!
Enjoy a cheaper lassi at lunchtime!
During lunch time, if you order curry, you can add a lassi (500 yen) for 150 yen or a mango lassi (550 yen) for 200 yen
Lassi is a yogurt-based Indian drink made by mixing yogurt with milk and sweetening and flavoring it with sugar and lemon juice
We recommend ordering it after your meal, as it will deliciously tone down the spiciness of the curry that lingers on your tongue
Curry Factory Chalten ＜Information＞
Store name: Curry Kobo Chalten
Address: 1-8-1 Nakanohashi-dori, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture
Phone number: 019-651-1223
Business hours: Tuesday to Saturday 11:30-15:00 (last orders 14:30), 17:45-20:00 (last orders 19:30)
The parking lot is located to the right of the store entrance and goes to the back of the building, and has space for five cars
This popular curry specialty restaurant has been in business for 40 years, and since its founding, has been offering a richly fragrant and flavorful curry sauce made with 17 different spices at a reasonable price
The handwritten menu is plastered all over the walls, and the prices are reasonable
You can choose the spiciness level in almost any even number up to 20x, with 20x being considered "so spicy you'll faint," and many regular customers order this
The bright and spacious interior is run by the husband and wife owner
Run by an elderly couple, the shop has 10 counter seats and 14 table seats, and is stocked with manga magazines such as Shonen Jump, giving it a nostalgic Showa-era feel
The manga and magazines placed near the entrance create a Showa-era atmosphere
On the day I visited, I ordered the following two types of curry
Pork curry (730 yen)
It's simple yet rich in flavor thanks to 17 different spices. It's packed with meat and great value for money!
It's twice as spicy (slightly spicy but normal), and when you put it in your mouth it has a slight spicy kick, but this is what they call "normal," and it's about as spicy as a medium-spicy curry paste you can buy at the store
The dish is topped with a generous amount of the familiar red fukujinzuke pickles, giving you the joy of "eating curry rice."
Explanation of the 8 main spices, curry is said to be good for your health
The roux, made with 17 different spices, has a deep flavor that you won't tire of, and it's packed with a generous amount of pork, making it very satisfying for the price
Cream croquette curry (730 yen)
Two large cream croquettes for this price!
This is also reasonably priced, but it's very filling, containing two large, round cream croquettes
I used four times the amount of sauce (Tabasco spiciness), but the cream in the cream croquette neutralized the spiciness, so it might have been better if it was a little spicier
The spicy roux and cream croquette go perfectly together, and the reasonable price makes this a highly recommended dish
There are many other types of curry and toppings available. Pork cutlet and chicken cutlet curry are also popular
Malpaso <Information>
Store name: Malpaso
Address: Shitara Residence, 3-4-23 Honmachidori, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture
Phone number: 019-623-0114
Business hours: 11:00-22:00 (last orders 21:30)
Closed: Irregular holidays
URL: None
Google Map
Spice Rack (Mitsuke 5-chome)
The store is on the first floor of the apartment, and there is parking for four cars in front of the store
Spice Rack is an up-and-coming popular curry restaurant that has gained popularity through word of mouth since it opened on February 2, 2020, attracting many young customers.
A handwritten introduction to the curry roux at the entrance
Apparently when they first opened they had pasta dishes on the menu, but now they only have curry and gapao rice
A spacious and spacious store
The spacious interior has five counter seats with sofas where you can relax, and only three tables (10 seats), making it a very comfortable space
Chili powder on the table
This restaurant does not have a system for choosing the spiciness level, but there is chili powder on the table so you can adjust the spiciness to your liking
Curry plates vary in price depending on the type of curry
You can choose one to three types of curry roux from several options, and the price of the curry plate varies depending on the number of roux you choose: 1,100 yen, 1,300 yen, or 1,500 yen
Today's curry menu looks delicious
The curry plate menu on the day of our visit featured the following six options, but they may change depending on the season, and new curry roux flavors may be added
Chicken curry: A restaurant staple with the sweetness and aroma of nuts
Kerala Chicken Curry: A light South Indian coconut curry
Eggplant and Maitake Mushroom Keema: Plenty of eggplant and the distinctive aroma of cloves
Pork Vindaloo: A good balance of sourness, spiciness, and the sweetness of pork belly fat
Shrimp coconut curry: The sweet and fragrant coconut envelops the shrimp
Dal curry: A vegetarian curry made with two types of beans, without meat or fish
Chicken, eggplant and maitake mushroom keema (2 types: 1,300 yen)
On the left is chicken curry and on the right is eggplant and maitake mushroom keema
The curry plate comes with garnishes of pickled carrots, onions, and purple cabbage, as well as half a soft-boiled egg placed on top of lettuce
The chicken curry is delicious, with the chicken simmered until tender, and the keema made with tasty minced pork is topped with plenty of eggplant and maitake mushrooms, with the eggplant fully infused with the flavor of the keema
On the left is shrimp coconut curry and on the right is pork vindaloo
The pork vindaloo first has a sour taste that spreads in your mouth, followed by a spicy kick. The chunks of pork belly roll around in it, making it a satisfying meal.
" Shrimp Coconut ," the sweetness and aroma of coconut milk enhances the umami flavor of the shrimp, and mixing the two curries creates a more complex flavor, creating a unique curry roux.
Special chai (450 yen)
Chai is the perfect palate cleanser after a spicy curry
The chai is an authentic Assam milk tea boiled with masala (spices such as cardamom, guava, and cinnamon), and is highly recommended as it pairs well with curry
Spice Rack ＜Information＞
Store name: Spice Rack
Address: 3-18-36 Mitake 5-chome, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture
Phone number: 070-2022-2812
Business hours: Wednesday to Sunday 11:30-15:30 (last orders 15:00), 18:00-20:30 (last orders 20:00)
Business hours: Monday 11:30-15:30 (last orders 15:00)
All three restaurants introduced in this article are extremely popular, and although I visited them as soon as they opened on a weekday, they were quickly filled with customers
All three restaurants introduced in this article serve "Japanese-style" curry, which consists of curry sauce poured over white rice and garnishes such as fukujinzuke pickles
In the next part, we will introduce popular restaurants in Morioka City that serve delicious authentic Indian-style curry
I'm a former Edokko man who loves Morioka and the six Tohoku prefectures, and I also love history, food, travel, sports, alcohol, and singing. I'll be introducing you to the interesting, delicious, and great things about Tohoku!
