A slice of Kyoto in Kochi: The story behind Ogawa Cafe, which serves up authentic Japanese food

Written by Sumitra Nair

One pleasant evening, as I walked into Ogawa Café, I was greeted by a warm smile and a friendly ‘Irasshaimase’ (welcome in Japanese) from Chef Shintaro Tanaka, who was strumming a melody on his guitar.

The first slurp of Udon noodles at Ogawa instantly transported me back to the small hole-in-wall eatery in Kyoto where I’d first fallen in love with this comforting dish.

The menu at Ogawa is limited —Udon soup with beef and noodles, and a curried noodle dish with chicken and tomato sauce. Both are simply delicious.

My meal began with kakiage tempura or mixed vegetable fritters. This was followed by a fresh salad flavoured with sesame sauce. For the main course, I couldn’t resist trying both the curried and soup versions of the Udon.

The soup version was a clear broth with the noodles and steamed chicken. Flavoured mildly with ginger and chilli, each bite created a symphony of umami. The curried version was flavourful too, or as Charles Boyle in Brooklyn Nine-Nine would call it — “mouthfeel”.

I finished off the meal with a caramel pudding, which was the right amount of sweet and gooey.

A piece of Kyoto in Kochi

Tanaka, who first came to India as a 20-year-old in 2006, fell in love with the country. Seventeen years later, he returned with a dream — to open a Japanese cafe. Thus, Ogawa Café was born in Kathrikadavu, Kohci.

Shinaj, the owner of a cycle dealership, who sold Chef Tanaka a cycle so that he could get to know Kochi up close, says, “The man truly has brought back a piece of Japan. Everything about him — from punctuality and looking at food as art to his dedication towards his work is what makes Ogawa special.”

When Tanaka expressed his wish to start a café and asked if Shinaj could help him find a partner, Shinaj introduced him to his childhood friend Asif Ali.

(L-R) Shinaj, Shintaro and Asif. (Photo by Sumitra Nair)

Ali, an electrician and plumber by profession, was initially hesitant, but “I soon realised that he (Tanaka) is genuine and his passion was palpable.” Initially, there were some roadblocks in getting the funds released. “He was a bit disheartened, but things eventually worked out,” Ali says.

Ali and Shinaj formed Shintaro Grooves Pvt Ltd. Tanaka bought 90 per cent of the shares, and Ali and Shinaj invited the chef to be one of the directors. An agreement was signed in September and Ogawa became a reality.

“It was almost like Noah building his ark,” Shinaj says. The furniture at the café is carefully crafted by Ali and Tanaka. Every accent, including plushies of Japanese anime characters and overhead lanterns, reflects Tanaka’s personal touch.

Both Shinaj and Ali feel that meeting Tanaka was ‘nimitham’ (fate in Malayalam).

“Tanaka isn’t bothered about how many customers come to the café. Even if just one customer turns up, he would keep the café open and serve them quality food. Such is his passion,” says Shinaj.

(L-R) Caramel pudding, and salad. (Photo by Sumitra Nair)

Tanaka sources all the ingredients for the café locally, except for matcha, which he imports from Japan.

Inside the café, with Tanaka himself chatting with customers and occasionally strumming soft rock melodies on the guitar, it truly feels like you are at an eatery in Kyoto or Osaka, where food is a precise art.

In Kochi, Tanaka loves eating chicken curry and parotta. But his favourite food remains the different kinds of noodles his mom would make during his childhood in Kobe. In junior high school, Tanaka was inspired by a character in an anime series Wumpus. “This character was a strong boy and a good cook. So, I wanted to be like him.”

For now, Tanaka, who is content with the things in the café, would one day like to introduce karaage, a Japanese-style fried chicken to the menu.

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