KOCHI: Cosy, homely and pure comfort. Shintaro Tanaka’s Japanese cafe Ogawa, is a slice of his home he brought to Kochi with him.
As one enters this beautiful cafe, Shintaro welcomes you with a warm smile and a glass of water infused with mint and lemon. After cleaning the hands with the refreshing oshibori, a wet towel, one can peruse the menu, attractive due to its conciseness.
Located on Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road, Ogawa introduces Kochiites to some authentic flavours of Japan, notably its handcrafted Udon noodles — a hearty wheat-based noodle known for its chewy texture. At the noodle booth, one can witness the mesmerising sight of the chef skilfully slicing the noodles from the dough accompanied by loud beats of rock music.
The noodles here are served with curry. The creamy dish comes with either chicken or tomato. “It is a fusion food. Curry is international and Japanese people have embraced the flavour long back. You can find many Indian curry restaurants in Japan,” says Shintaro, who runs the cafe with two partners, Asifali Hassan and P S Sinaj.
This is not Shintaro’s first rodeo. He used to run two cafes back in his village of Ogawa. His journey from organic farming to café ownership in India was inspired by a profound admiration for the country, sparked by the film Gandhi by Richard Attenborough.
In 2007, at the age of 20, Shintaro fulfilled his long-held dream of visiting India.
“I pitched the idea of starting a café in India to my friend who has been settled in Delhi. And without missing a beat, she suggested Kerala as the base,” says Shintaro.
In 2023, he came to Kochi for a cycling journey and solidified his decision to make it the home of his cafe. Teaming up with Sinaj and Asifali, he formed Shintaro Groups Private Limited to bring their vision to life.
At Ogawa, patrons can savour the traditional Udon noodles and chicken noodle soup, and indulge in Shintaro’s special kakiage. The udon curry noodles is thick and flavourful and comes with a side of salad made with carrot, cabbage and black raisins. It provides the much-needed crunch and tanginess while chewing the noodles soaked in curry.
“Udon is mostly served in Japan with broth, dried fish, soy sauce and some sea plants. But people in Kerala would have a hard time getting adjusted to that taste,” says Shintaro.
The kakiage, on the other hand, is a type of tempura. The batter-dipped and deep-fried batch of vegetables is served with some mint chutney. The matcha tea and home brew coffee is one perfect way to finish the fair.
The cafe exudes a homely warmth, along with the meticulous attention to detail that Japanese cuisine is known for.