EDITORIALS
Curry from "Indian" is a must-try when you visit Tokachi. Why is this extremely popular soul food loved by the locals?
It is no exaggeration to say that the curry of "Indian" is a local gourmet food with a 100% recognition rate among Obihiro citizens. It is so popular that some people end their lunch, dinner, or even drinks with a curry from Indien, but the restaurant is only located in Obihiro City, Tokachi-kenai and Kushiro City. In this article, we will introduce the taste of Indian, which is favored by many people, and the charm of the restaurant itself.
History of "Indian" opened in 1968
Located in the center of downtown Obihiro, about a 5-minute walk from the East Street North Exit of JR Obihiro Station, the curry store "Indean" is a conspicuous building. Its history can be traced back to 1899, when Kumasaku Fujimori, who settled in Hokkaido to pioneer the island, began selling light meals to passengers of Obihiro Station, which had just opened at that time, and entered the restaurant business in earnest in 1930. This later developed into "Restaurant Fujimori," where curry rice was a popular menu item.
JR Obihiro Station opened in 1905
Teruo Fujimori, the president at the time, sensing a positive response, opened "Indian" as a stand-alone curry store in 1968. Not only the taste, but also the reasonable price, starting from 500 yen per dish, is very attractive.
Three types of roux with rich individuality, including the "Indien Roux.
Three types of original roux are used, including "Indian Roux," which uses a lot of beef and concentrates its umami flavor, "Basic Roux," which slowly brings out the sweetness of onions, and "Vegetable Roux" (limited quantities), which enhances the flavor with the power of Hokkaido vegetables. All the spices are handmade, including the spice mixture, and the roux is aged to give it a deep flavor. All recipes are top secret, known only to the president, but no special spices are used. Perhaps that is the reason for the familiar flavor.
Signature dish "Indian" using Indian roux: 550 yen (540 yen for take-out)
The signature dish, "Indian," is a mild roux with a rich, beef-derived flavor. One bite of the roux is filled with a rich, flavorful taste and a wave of spices. The beef is plentiful at a reasonable price.
Shrimp" using basic roux: 792 yen (777 yen for take-out)
The reason for using different roux is to serve it with the roux that best suits the toppings. The "Shrimp" curry with plenty of peeled shrimp has the rich sweetness of vegetables in the basic roux, which is beautifully blended with the flavor of seafood to create a deep umami taste that lingers in the mouth. The roux and ingredients are fixed for each menu item, but regular customers enjoy their own unique combinations. The "Katsu" curry is usually served with a basic roux, but some customers enjoy ordering a simple "Indian" curry and adding katsu (cutlet) as an additional topping.
A variety of toppings such as fukujinzuke (pickles), gari (pickled ginger), and aojiso (green perilla leaves) are also available.
From right to left: Fukujinzuke (pickles), Aojiso (green perilla), and Gari (ginger)
Fukujinzuke is the standard garnish for curry, but Indian has its own unique garnish. Aojiso, a mixture of finely chopped cucumber, radish, and other ingredients based on aojiso seeds, adds depth to the curry flavor with its fresh aroma. Gari," a staple of sushi, brings a refreshing spiciness from the ginger and a softness from the sweet vinegar, bringing a mouth-watering aftertaste to the curry. We hope you will enjoy this combination, which is not easily found in ordinary curry stores.
Be careful not to overdo it with the hot oil.
In addition, there is something that looks like raayu (Chinese chili oil) on the table. This is an original spiciness-adding item called "hot oil. Since it is oil-based, it adds spiciness without significantly changing the flavor of the roux. It blends well with the roux, and many people become addicted to it. When ordering, you can choose from five levels of spiciness, from "normal" to "extremely spicy," but you can also increase the spiciness. The spiciness is doubled for extremely spicy and above, and at the "Machinaka" restaurant, there have been people who have tried spiciness up to 36 times hotter than the normal level.
A "hometown of taste" for Obihiro residents, loved at home as well.
Poster in the concourse of JR Obihiro Station
The number of Indian restaurants is still increasing, with the opening this year of the Esta Obihiro branch in Esta Obihiro, adjacent to JR Obihiro Station, but they are only available in limited areas. Although customers come not only from within Hokkaido but also from all over the country, most of them are locals. This shows how much they are loved by the local community.
Mr. Arai, the employee in charge of the Machinaka store. He says he prefers Indian curry to be very spicy.
Bringing your own containers, such as Tupperware and pots, to take out is also a staple at Indien. It is no exaggeration to say that the taste of curry has been a part of the daily lives of local people for over 50 years. We hope you will enjoy it when you visit Obihiro.
All prices include tax.
Curry Shop Indean Machinaka
Location: 10-1-1 Nishi 2-jo Minami, Obihiro City
Business hours: 11:00 - 21:00 (L.O.20:45)
Closed: Open every day
Click here for details and map information of Curry Shop Indien Machinaka.
Check it out as well!
Writer Profile
Magazine/Book Editor & Writer Kyohei Yamashita
While working as a program producer at a radio station, he began producing mini-comm magazines and writing for magazines. Later, he joined a publishing company as an editor and has worked on various articles, mainly for town information magazines. His favorite things are cooking, mountain climbing, river fishing, and stone monuments in Sapporo. He lives in Minami-ku, Sapporo, and loves Minami-ku very much.
