People

Do you know there is an Ukrainian restaurant in Kawaguchi City? 

Today, I am going to introduce a restaurant called “Pelmeni Boutique” and its owner/chef, Ms. Lyuda. 

１　Story of Ms. Lyuda

Ms. Lyuda, always keeps radiant smiles, is from Donetsk oblast, Ukarine, to learn Japanese. After worked at a hotel, Italian restaurant, etc., she decided to open her own restaurant. In March 2022, she opened this restaurant. 

２　Story of “Pelmeni Boutique” 

“Pelmeni” is one of the popular Ukrainian home cooking. It is a kind of pasties stuffed with ground meat, like Chinese boiled dumpling. Currently only two kinds (ground meat and salmon) are on the menu. With the hope of widen the variety of Pelmenis on the menu, she named this restaurant as “Pelmeni Boutique”. Comfortable, relaxing atmosphere is guaranteed, in this cozy place with 6 counter seats and a table for 4 and a table for 2, with nice background music and placidness. 

３　Lunch menu ; “Pelmeni Set”

I had “Pelmeni Set”, consists of salad, Pelmeni, Borscht, drink on the day I visited. Borscht may be changed to Solyanka depending on the day (That was what I had on the Interview day). 

“Solyanka”

Tomato based soup with vegetables such as onion, zucchini, olive, etc., and lamb, salami as ingredients. Taste and ingredients vary with each family.

“Pelmeni”

Ground beef and chicken are stuffed in dough. Broth comes out when you take a bite. Served with sour cream and dill to add a freshness sensation. Endless loop of eating it is almost guaranteed.

Editor’s Note

This interview made me feel Ukraine much closer than ever before. Her family, relatives are still in Ukraine. Cannot stop praying from the bottom of my heart that peace be back to Ukraine as soon as possible.　By Y・Ｋ

Walk 3 minutes from JR Kawaguchi Station East Exit, find the sign “UNiSHOP” and walk up the narrow stairs. And there, an exotic space full of foodstuff, various spices, chickpeas, lentils, spicy hot snacks, etc., that you will never be able to find at any Japanese supermarkets welcomes you. 

Today, I interviewed the owner of this “UNiSHOP”, Mr. Choudhury Sujit, and asked him about the story of this shop and himself.

Mr. Choudhury from Kolkata, India. Came to Japan in 2011, and first settled in Tokyo, then moved to Kawaguchi City where lots of people from the same town live and opened this “UNiSHOP”. 

The name “Uni” is derived from “universal”. True to its name, the shop is frequented by people from various countries. He says people from India, Nepal, Bangladesh are the largest number as customers, but these days people from Senegal, Ghana are also increasing. 

Among countless shops that deal with ethnic foods in Kawaguchi City, this shop distinguishes itself in its multilingual services. He speaks Hindi, Bengali (Bangladesh language), Urdu, Nepali, English as well as Japanese!

Taking advantage of his language skill, Mr. Choudhury also supports foreign residents who cannot understand Japanese when they need to go to municipal offices to go through procedures or need to go to a hospital. Not only dealing with foodstuff foreign residents in Kawaguchi City need, but also reaches out his helping hand for people in need. What an encouraging person he is!

I have tried to make authentic Indian curry with spices I bought at “UNiSHOP”. I have attached a video and recipe with this report. I really recommend you to give it a try!

2-types of authentic Indian curry recipe (serves 6)

【Ingredients】

Spice A (1 Cinnamon stick, 6 Cardamoms, 6 Cloves 1-teaspoon of Cumin seeds）

Spice B (1-tablespoon of Coriander, 2-teaspoons of Turmeric, 1-tablespoon of Cumin powder, 1-teaspoon of Chili powder), 2 Onions, 150 g. of Canned chopped Tomatoes, 400 g. of Chicken thigh, 100 g. of Moong lentil, 100 ml. of Yogurt, 1-teaspoon of Salt, Garlic, Ginger, Water.

【How to cook】

① Soak moong lentils in water (for 2-3 hours). Sprinkle salt and pepper on chicken thigh. 

② Stir-fry Spice A with oil (in order of cinnamon/cloves, cardamoms → cumin seeds)

③ Add finely chopped onions and a pinch of salt into ②, keep stir-frying until the color turns brown. 

④ Add grated garlic and ginger. Keep stir-frying.

⑤ Add Spice B, blend well.

⑥ Divide the contents of ⑤ into two pots (Pot A・Pot B)

⑦ Add chopped tomatoes and chicken thigh to Pot A, stir-fry it, add yogurt, water. Simmer it for about 20 minutes.

⑧ Add water and moong lentils to Pot B. Simmer it for about 30 minutes (till lentils got soft). 

Editor’s Note

As well as serving as communities for foreign residents in each area, ethnic food stores and restaurants are also playing a role of connector that enables Japanese to know more about foreign cultures. We might be prone to pass by “UNiSHOP, but once you get inside the shop, I am sure you will be blessed with new discoveries and encounters. Why do not you pluck up the courage to come in?

For your information, Mr. Choudhury is running an Indian curry restaurant in Kawaguchi city. If you have got an interest in it, start searching “spicestory 川口” now!　By Kishida