Tasty Japanese cuisine at Shokudo, Kilimani
Shokudo Kilimani is located behind the Astrol Petrol Station on Lenana Road.
What you need to know:
- Shokudo Kilimani is located behind the Astrol Petrol Station on Lenana Road. There is a second location at the Craft Centre in Gigiri. The setting is more Tokyo than Kyoto, which is to say, modern.
- While Indian curries are complex and burst with flavour, Japanese curry is understated.
When you think about Japanese food, it’s usually sushi or ramen, not curry. However, the Japanese have a classification for food with Western features called Yoshoku. Many popular dishes in Japan are Western-influenced, for example, omu-rice (fried rice with a soft egg omelet), tonkatsu, and Japanese curry. You must have seen these foods in various anime.
You can find these and other Japanese favourites at Shokudo. Shokudo Kilimani is located behind the Astrol Petrol Station on Lenana Road. There is a second location at the Craft Centre in Gigiri. The setting is more Tokyo than Kyoto, which is to say, modern.
I went during Sunday lunch hour. It was calm, with much of the bustle coming from delivery orders. As a result, the service was welcoming and prompt. I was seated and had my order taken within a minute of arriving. While I waited, I received a complimentary salad to whet my appetite.
I ordered the chicken gyoza and pork katsu curry. I wanted to discover the difference between Indian and Japanese curry. Curry came to Japan through the British in the form of curry powder, and you can taste it.
While Indian curries are complex and burst with flavour, Japanese curry is understated. The pork katsu provided most of the flavour of the katsu curry, and then much of that flavour was in the breaded coating. The pork cutlet was bland.
The chicken gyoza looked amazing. Unfortunately, it was only a feast for the eyes. The gyoza didn’t have the umami factor. They were just OK.
The miso soup, on the other hand, definitely had the umami factor. This was surprising because I don’t like miso, yet I couldn’t get enough of it. It was warm and comforting, like a clean towel straight from the dryer.
It was unfortunate the restaurant didn’t have matcha. I was looking forward to the matcha affogato.
All in all, I had a good experience at Shokudo Kilimani. I can see how the Yoshoku dishes will be popular with less adventurous eaters.
However, for those looking for a deeper cultural immersion, I suggest choosing the more quintessential Japanese menu items. I prefer the latter.
