A bar where you can finish the night with proper curry or ramen.
Wine and Bar Yakouchu TEXT/KAGEHIRO WATANABE, PHOTO/NAOKO TAKAHASHINo need to head to a second spot for one last bite before calling it a night — that’s “Yakouchu.” The name is sometimes mistaken for a snack bar, but this is actually a wine bar. Bars usually go by Western-sounding names, and owner Nakamoto, who wasn’t fond of that convention, deliberately chose a Japanese name instead. Having curry on the menu might be another expression of his desire not to run an ordinary, run-of-the-mill shop. The interior has the chic look you’d expect of a proper bar, but the quietly placed old books, clocks, and telephone reflect Nakamoto’s own vision — he wanted it to feel “like someone’s home.” The generous spacing between tables and chairs is also deliberate, meant to let customers feel as relaxed as they would at home.
The shop opened in 2000, and curry has reportedly been on the menu since day one. The goal was something hotel-restaurant style. Order it, and a steaming curry arrives in a metal dish, its delicious aroma drifting through the shop. It's easy to see why, once one customer orders it, others soon follow. And it's not just the smell that's good. The key to the flavor is a soffritto of finely chopped celery, carrot, and onion, sautéed until soft. Thanks to the generous amount of vegetables, the curry has a gentle flavor — spicy, but never harsh. It normally comes with rice, but bread is also available, so choose based on what pairs best with your drink.
This shop even has ramen — and remarkably, its own custom noodles made to order at a noodle factory. Customers have taken to calling it "garlic ramen" for its bold flavor, and it's perfect after a few drinks. Which raises the question of what to drink beforehand. Naturally, being a "Wine and Bar," wine is the recommendation. Since the shop sources directly, bypassing liquor wholesalers, you can enjoy better bottles than the price would suggest. Asked what pairs best with the curry, Nakamoto begins with "water, honestly..." before settling on, "if I had to pick, Scotch" — especially an Islay single malt like Bowmore, whose distinctive aroma he says complements the curry beautifully. Why not head to Yakouchu for a slightly unconventional kind of indulgence: slowly sipping a drink while looking forward to a curry or ramen finish?
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