Épice Mai

Authentic Curry Restaurant with a Young and Gifted Chef Coming from a French Restaurant.

Walking for eight minutes from the north exit of Tachikawa station, you will find a very popular curry restaurant near Tachikawa Fare. Many customers are waiting in front of the restaurant. The restaurant offers delicious and healthly spiced dishes that incorporate French techniques. Let’s talk to the chef.

The chic exterior is surrounded by greenery of curry leaves and herbs. Although facing a main street, it has a relaxed atmosphere. Épice, the name of the restaurant, means “spice” in French.

Isamu Suzuki is the chef and the owner of the restaurant. Hiromi Suzuki is his mother. Yousuke Hasegawa is a staff member.

Woody floors and furniture and white walls give us a natural and warm atmosphere. The restaurant with counter seats and table seats are spaciously arranged. Hand-made dry flowers arranged by the owner’s mother are beautifully decorated.

Counter side. Nice open kitchen with sunlight coming in from outside. You can see the chef cooking from the seats. What an exciting moment while we wait for the order!

From the picture on the top left; homemade yogurt, bean soup, chicken curry, keema curry. Inside the large plate are, from top to bottom, fermented tomato achar, radish achar, savory vegetable achar, fried greens with cumin, lactic fermented purple cabbage achar, eggplant and carrot tarkari, 17 different kinds of vegetables, and rice with five-quintupled brown rice. The price is 1,800 yen.

“I wanted to be a backpacker who travels around the world,” said Isamu. He was born and raised in Tachikawa. He entered Tsuji cooking school and went to France to learn French cuisine. Coming back from France, he worked for a French restaurant in Osaka and a Nepal restaurant. Then, just when he was finally ready to go backpacking, the Coronavirus broke out. Most restaurants suspend business. Isamu’s grandmother, who ran a restaurant called “Mai” on Tachikawa Street, was one of them.
“I wanted to help her, so I open my curry restaurant,” said Isamu. He rented a part of her place to serve his curry. After one and a half years, in December 2021, he opened his restaurant at this place. He served only 30 dishes at lunch time. At dinner time, he served a course of curry. He used vegetables from Tachikawa and fermented food. He pursues a harmonious taste with a different “once-in-a-lifetime curry” every week.
Additionally, he actively communicates with local restaurants and holds a spice festival with them. “With good tastes of spices and curry, I want to create a business model that can make Tachikawa more energetic.” The young chef’s challenge will continue.

※The content of the article is as of the time of publication. (Posted in February 2023)