When asked, "What food comes to mind when you think of Osaka?" you might think of "flour-based foods," but Osaka is actually also the birthplace of spice curry, where enthusiastic fans from all over the country gather.

Just one train stop from Umeda, Dramatic Curry Golden Nakazaki opened in Nakazakicho, an area that is a stark contrast to the cosmopolitan streets, with rows of shops renovated from old prewar houses, creating a mix of Osaka's past and present.

We spoke with Mishima Tatsuya, the restaurant's producer and a leader in Osaka's spice curry culture.

Spice curry is a food culture that was born in Osaka

Curry made from spices and with a unique twist is called spice curry, but the flavors vary widely. Mishima has this to say about freestyle curry culture:

"I think spice curry is a dish that could only have been born in Osaka. It's a place where freestyle is key, and the 'aesthetics of excess' comes from a spirit of service. And where that individuality is accepted as 'fun.' There were people who treated the plate as a canvas and went through a process of trial and error to express their own curry."

Mishima also describes spice curry as "a universe on a plate." Various ingredients mix together to create a world (dining experience). Its immeasurable possibilities invite many fans to explore spice curry.

The reason why spice curry was born from an obsession with the flavor of stock and soup

Dramatic Curry Golden Nakazaki, which opened in April 2022, was created by a collaboration between curry producer Tatsuya Mishima and Ramen Kozo's Daichi Horikawa.

The curry and ramen makers met by chance. Though they were into different types of food, the two hit it off and exchanged spices and soups to create collaborative products. A few years after they met, Mishima brought the idea of a full-scale curry restaurant using "Ramen Kozo" soup to fruition, and it's a truly dramatic restaurant.

"We had talked many times about how ramen and curry would be the best together. I was confident that I could create a curry that would be enjoyed by as many people as possible."

The signature dish, "Aigake Curry"

A fateful encounter with "dashi and soup" inspired Mishima to create curry. However, it was not easy to use ramen dashi and soup for curry. It took a lot of trial and error before the signature dish, "Aigake Curry," took its current form.

"The flavor needs to be right as a curry. There's no point serving curry if it makes people feel like they're eating ramen. We've achieved a perfect balance between the flavors of the stock and soup."

When the mixed curry is served, the first thing that catches your eye is the clear curry on the right. It is thickened with a broth made from boiled eight kinds of seafood. On the left is Nakazaki curry, which is based on the umami of pork bone soup. You can feel the harmony of spices and umami.

In addition, there are three flavor-changing items on the table: extra spicy oil, 100% yuzu vinegar, and booster sauce. Enjoy changing flavors by adding them to your taste.

I want to make spicy curry familiar to everyone.

Mishima is a leading figure in curry culture, running the curry fan community "My Catchphrase is Curry" and speaking at numerous curry events.

Mishima has been at the center of fans and has helped to liven up the industry, but he says that in the future he would like to reach out to a wider range of people and help spice curry become a popular food.

"Some people feel that spice curry is intimidating. We aim to be a restaurant that is accessible to everyone so that even those people can discover its appeal. We hope that our restaurant will be an opportunity for people to discover a spice curry restaurant that suits their taste."

Spicy curry has opened a new window into Osaka's food culture, which has been dominated by flour-based foods. Dramatic Curry Golden Nakazaki will continue to focus on the delicious flavors of the stock and soup, exploring the connection with flour-based foods, and pursuing dishes that will wow customers who eat them.

ドラマチックカリーゴールデン中崎
電話：06-6359-8006
​​住所：大阪府大阪市北区中崎1-6-18
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HP：https://dramatic-curry.com/
SNS：https://www.instagram.com/dramati.nakazaki/
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