Place

My First Experience of Thai Cuisine

As the City of Kawaguchi becoming one of the cosmopolitan cities in Japan, food culture here also became colourful and now you can easily spot restaurants and grocery stores of each country. Me, living in such a community, decided to try one of the Asian foods that I cannot explain why but for some reason I have never had before. That is, Thai cuisine! Since I did not think I could cope with something hot and spicy, this is the first time I try Thai food. I hope I can send a report that stimulates both curiosity and appetite to all the fellow readers who have never experienced Thai food like me.

The place I visited was “KAWKEN”, which has been beloved for almost twenty years in Nishikawaguchi. A compact-sized restaurant with only five counter seats. As I opened the door to the restaurant, Ms. Onuma, the owner chef, welcomed me with a warm smile. It opens from 11:00 to 22:00. My visit there was at around four in the afternoon, so I had no trouble in finding a seat. When the restaurant is crowded with customers, you may need to wait in a queue outside. The name “KAWKEN” means a home-cooked one-dish meal on which main dish and rice are served together, just like a Japanese one-bowl dish.

I told Ms.Onuma the purpose of my visit and asked her to introduce some dishes recommendable to us who are not good at having something hot and spicy. On the countertop, they have condiments such as chili powder, soy sauce like condiment in Thailand called num pla, chili pepper-soaked vinegar, and sugar, for you to adjust the sharp taste to your own taste.

Here are dishes I ordered that day.

【YUM-WUM-SEN】Vermicelli salad

Despite its whiteness from the colour of glass noodle which gives the impression of simple flavour, I found it tastes mildly hot. Exquisite balance of shrimp, wood ear mushroom, celery, onion, coriander, etc., dressed with sauce stimulates your appetite. “YUM” from “YUM WUN SEN” means “dress something with condiment”.

【SOM-TAM】Green papaya salad

If you imagine a fruit papaya to come to your table, you would be betrayed by the difference of them. Crispy texture and sweet-and-sour flavour. You also enjoy the different textures of other ingredients as tomatoes and peanuts. It has no “Hot!” taste at all, as I could enjoy it as an appetizer. Cooking utensil used to make this dish was a long and narrow unglazed ceramic pot called “Krok”. I found it is quite original way to cook something when I saw she put ingredients and seasonings into the pot and began rhythmically crushing them together, pop-pop-pop, with a rolling pin-like cooking tool.

【PU-PAD-PONG-GA-RI】Stir-fried swimming crab and egg with curry powder

“PAD” from “PU-PAD-PONG-GA-RI” means “to stir-fry in oil”. This dish is a curry flavoured stir-fry of bite-sized pieces of swimming crab coated with fluffy egg. Curry-flavoured spices have a mild taste, tinged with mild sweetness of coconuts. For a moment, I completely forgotten about my on-site reporting and kept enjoying this dish in silence appreciating its extraordinary tastiness.

【BPIK-GAI-TOT】Fried chicken wing tip

“BPIK” from “BPIK GAI TOT” means chicken wing tip, “GAI” means chicken, “TOT” means deep-fry. By the time you finish this dish, you may be able to speak a bit of Thai. Crisply fried pre-seasoned chicken wing tip. Sweet chili sauce comes with this for you to change the flavour if you like. This makes you feel like to have a pint….

【KAO-PAD & TOM-YUM-KUNG Soup】Shrimp fried rice and soup

　You remember the word “PAD”? It was “to stir-fry in oil”. I ordered this because I thought I cannot miss to have one of the Thai rice meals. Just like rise in rice price in Japan, price of Thai rice is having the same situation. Typical fried-rice has become one of familiar menus in Japan, but this “KAO- PAD” was beyond my expectation. Not greasy, but has refreshing aroma, and its soft texture with appetizing smell of Thai soy sauce wafts through the nostrils. A tip to enjoy this dish is to drip a squeeze of lemon before you eat. “Have the scales fall from one’s eyes”, this is what popped up in my mind.

　The last dish I ordered was TOM-YUM-KUNG, the only Thai cuisine I know of. When I saw it, I thought “the hottest!” has finally arrived. But in here, “KAWKEN” adjusts spiciness on your request. For that reason, every dish I had there had mildness in its spiciness. Solid pieces of food in this soup were shrimp, shimeji mushroom, and some ingredients unknown to me. Thai ginger tastes hot and spicier than that of Japan. Lemongrass was like thinly cut long white asparagus, that I could enjoy not only its aroma but also its crispiness. They told me that this ingredient was to give the aroma to soup and there was no need for me to eat it. Green ribbon-like shaped herb ware kaffir lime leaves. Citrus fresh aroma refreshes you in this hottest season. These kaffir limes are home grown in Ms.Onuma’s garden. She also grinds pork herself after choosing the best part for the restaurant’s menus. Her thoroughness goes so far as in choosing spices with her own eyes and palate that meet all her requirements. I could feel her, one of the cooking enthusiasts, sincere passion towards cooking.

Lastly, here are some essential Thai languages she taught me. “Aroi Kha! (be used by females)”・Aroi Khrap! (be used by males)”. Both mean “Delicious!”.

I think we can cope with the hottest summer season with Thai food of “KAWKEN”. Would you like to have some dishes here at “KAWKEN”?

Thai Stall Food KAWKEN Nishikawaguchi restaurant

Address ：1st floor, Nishikawaguchi Bldg, 1-4-19, Nishikawaguchi, Kawaguchi City.

Open hours：11:00〜22:00 (21:30 Last order call)

Closed on Wednesday (have occasional long term・unfixed closings) ※Reservation not accepted

Editor’s Note

How about enjoying worldwide foods in Kawaguchi?

by Zunko

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Vietnamese Restaurant＆Grocery Phúc Khang

I visited an authentic Vietnamese Restaurant & Grocery ‘Phúc Khang’, 5 minutes of walk from Nishi-kawaguchi Station West Exit.

This establishment, marked by the Vietnamese national flag and huge yellow sign, has a grocery store on the first floor and a vast restaurant on the second floor. Inside the store, a row of Vietnamese national flags were welcoming customers. The day I visited was just a few days before the April 30^th, the 50^th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day of Vietnam. “On this commemoration day, the whole country would get carried away by the festive mood”, said Ms. NGUYEN, who always has fantastic smile on her face. She, who fell in love with Japan so much, has been working at this Vietnamese restaurant ever since she came to Japan 11 years ago from suburban town of Hanoi.

Firstly, they let me check the restaurant menu. When it comes to Vietnamese dishes, ‘Pho’ and ‘Fresh Spring Rolls’ are the most famous ones in Japan. But remember, this is a genuine Vietnamese restaurant. Not only tropical delicacies of ‘Papaya salad’, ‘Watermelon juice’, but also an array of such ingredients that are not common in Japan as bullfrog, escargot, boar, goat, etc., as well as dishes of which taste goes beyond your expectation were all in the menu. On Ms. NGUYEN’s recommendation, I ordered ‘Mixed Steamed Glutinous Rice’ and ‘Stir-fried Eel with Lemongrass flavor’ from the menu. Steamed glutinous rice was topped with seasoned mashed-meat, pork, ham, and eggs and sprinkle chili sauce on them when you eat. Stir-fried eel tasted sweet-and-sour with refreshing flavor of lemongrass and tamarind. Both were incredibly good. I also ordered ‘Bahn mi’, Vietnamese baguette sandwich, to take home. With smooth taste seasoned with Num pla, my takeaway Bahn mi was all finished by my family before I knew it.

After feeling completely full, I went downstairs to take a look at the grocery store. They deal a wide variety of products such as vegies and fruits from Vietnam, processed foods, spices, confectioneries, even ‘Balut (boiled duck egg before the hatch)’. Surrounded by unfamiliar products stacked on the shelves, packages and signs that are all written in Vietnamese, I felt as if I was in a local supermarket somewhere in Vietnam. Guided around the store by Ms. NGUYEN, I bought the store’s specially smoked chicken, thick and sweet soup called ‘Che’, and Vietnamese’ beloved ‘Durian che’. While I was there, people from Vietnam incessantly coming for shopping. I could see those people come here for the taste of their home’s food.

If you come to ‘‘Phúc Khang’, an authentic Vietnamese restaurant & grocery, you can get a glimpse of rich food culture and daily life of Vietnam. I guarantee you, whether you have been there for countless times or never have been to, will find yourself enjoying the atmosphere just being there. Why don’t you visit there with your friends and family?

Phúc Khang

Address：Hayashi Bldg. 18-19, Nishikawaguchi 1-chome, Kawaguchi City.

Open hours：11:00 am～12:00 pm（from 10:00 am on Sat, Sun and National holidays）

Open 365 days

Editor’s note

When the season comes, raw durians appear on the shelf there. Though, this time, I got excited by seeing rows of frozen durian, durian che, and durian pies.

By SPRING the durian lover

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〜COCINA GRILL〜Place you can touch with Philippine culture

　Walk ten minutes from JR Keihin-Tohoku line, Nishi-kawaguchi station West Exit, there is a hidden gem called “COCINA GRILL”, those who know it, know it very well. This restaurant has such a magnetic power that once you got inside, you would be captivated by the magic of the Philippines. Through the grapevine, this restaurant became quite popular enough to have customers coming a long way to enjoy meals here. Some even say this is a “place I would like to recommend to someone special”.

　Today, I interviewed Aimi, who is running the restaurant together with her mother and younger sister, to talk about stories and charms of this exquisite restaurant!

COCINA GRILL, definitely the melting pot

　Not only people from the Philippines, but also Japanese, Australian, Vietnamese, Chinese, etc. are frequent visitors here. Whether you come on your own or in a group, you will be warmly welcomed with its homely atmosphere.

　“We would like to be families and friends with our customers”, Aimi said with a charming smile. This place is loved by customers as a “hidden gem” that makes you want to go with someone very special. Also, it gives a homey atmosphere in which family groups can casually enjoy meals.

Not just a restaurant! A hub of the Philippine’s culture.

　Aimi says it is her dream to promote the charms of Philippine food, which is still not generally known to people when compared to Thai food or Vietnamese food. For that purpose, they are holding events on authentic cultures of the Philippines so that even people who are not interested in Philippine food can take a closer look at the quintessence of the Philippines.

　Donating part of the profits of this restaurant to needy children in the Philippines, etc., they also are keen on supporting weak sides of the society. She passionately talked that, “I would like to take on a mission to promote the charms of the Philippines to a younger generation, then become a bridge to connect Japan and the Philippines”. She says her mother and younger sister are also sharing the same dream.

Chef’s recommendation

　Weekend menu, wide selection of meat dishes, etc., all you can see are this restaurant’s specialties. Halo-halo from dessert menu is in good favor with high school students.

　The prices that have not been changed since its opening are token of gratitude to customers.

　 “COCINA GRILL” is no longer a place to enjoy meals. It has become an important place to connect people and culture.

　By all means, find your time to visit “COCINA GRILL”, where you can find the cordiality of the Philippines. I am sure you can spend an exceptional moment there!

Phone：048-229-6722

Open hours：Mon・Tue・Thu・Fri・Sat・Sun 12:00 - 16:00、17:00 - 23:30

Facebook：https://www.facebook.com/shoppe.riches?locale=ja_JP

Editor’s NOTE

　The memorable Philippine is a place I chose to do my very first solo-trip abroad when I was a third-year student at a university. Although ten years have passed, I still remember clearly how I was saved by cordial hospitality from the people and tasty food there while I was in a bit helpless state in my solitary journey.

　Hope from the bottom of my heart that Philippine food that incredibly palatable to Japanese as well as goes surprisingly well with boiled rice, will one day gains more recognition in Japan along with the fascinations of the Philippines.　Seira

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Nishi-Kawaguchi Station West Side ～Seeking for the Scent of Asia～

　In the City of Kawaguchi which holds a large population of foreign residents, Nishi-Kawaguchi station West side is especially a densely populated area with them. The area radiates exoticism with wafting scent of spices. Lately, Asian-restaurants and foodstuff stores of the area is often picked up by media as “a place you can feel being in a foreign country while never having to leave Japan”. Have you ever visited the area?

　Ever since the streets of Nishi-Kawaguchi station West side area have finished improvement around 20 years ago, residents from Asian countries are increasing. Today, the greater part of the foreign residents’ population of this area is Chinese. Naturally, among all that includes Thai, Vietnamese or other country’s restaurants, the number of Chinese restaurants is most remarkable. From shops specializing in noodles, pre-cooked meals to restaurants serve delicacies of each countryside, you will never miss to enjoy authentic Chinese tastes once got inside the area.

　Among them, one of the most popular restaurants attracting Chinese customers with its authenticity is “Kyoutoushikasai ” . In there, you will have your fill of delicacies from the taste of home-cooked Chinese meals of each region, spit-roasted meals to freshly roasted ducks that are always being roasted in the front kitchen. You can locate this vast eating establishment in the West side area, about 3 minutes of walk from the station. Private rooms with huge round tables with a seating capacity of 7 – 20 are available on the second floor. Weekends will be a hectic day for the restaurant with incessant calls for bookings and placing orders.

　This “Kyoutoushikasai” was opened in 2016 by Mr. Zhao and his wife, Mrs. Xu. They came to Japan in 2008 and moved to Nishi-Kawaguchi area in 2010. Fascinated by Nishi-Kawaguchi, they kept striving for revitalizing the area. Now their restaurant has become one of the most prominent large-scale Chinese restaurants in Nishi-Kawaguchi area to be featured in TV shows and articles in magazines. Mrs. Xu says in early days, the restaurant used to be favored mostly by local Chinese. However, Japanese and Vietnamese customers are now increasing after they knew about the restaurant via media. Nevertheless, they staunchly kept authentic Chinese tastes to keep impressing not only Chinese but also Japanese who are stalwart fan of “Hardcore Chinese tastes”.

“Kyoutoushikasai” is also frequented by local Chinese people on occasions like Mid-Autumn Festival celebration, Birthday party, etc. when they need to sit around tables and enjoy the feast with family or friends.

　Aside from roasted duck, the signature menu of the restaurant, they have meat dishes, seafood menus that are cooked with fresh fishes from an in-house fish holding pool, low-priced nibbles, gorgeous main dishes, etc. on the menu. Menus gathered from all over China accounts for 300 or so. No way you can eat them all at one visit. As for drinks, Chinese alcoholic drinks, sour drinks and cocktails, unique soft drinks from China are all awaiting you. The chef’s craftsmanship, that have won the local Chinese’ confidence, never disappoints you. I assure you will enjoy this restaurant whenever you visit on your own, or in a large group of friends.

No need to worry about not speaking Chinese! You will be welcomed by friendly staff, they even have a Japanese and a Vietnamese staff. I really recommend you this restaurant when you crave some greatest “Hardcore Chinese tastes”, or eager to sit around a table with friends!

　Why do not you visit Nishi-Kawaguchi station West side area packed with restaurants and foodstuff shops from all over Asia, where you can feel the lively exotic sensation without leaving Japan!

Kyoutoushikasai

Address: 1F & 2F, Nishi-Kawaguchi Lion’s Mansion Yamate, 25-3, Nishi-kawaguchi 1-chome, Kawaguchi City

Open hours：11:00 am～12:00 pm

Open 365 days

Editor’s NOTE

There is no better way to feel happiness than sitting around a round table with your dearest ones and enjoy nicest meals.

By SPRING

On SPRING, the editorial staff

I am on an endless diet throughout the year.

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