[Kurume] A famous curry restaurant that moved from Ginza, Tokyo (Tanushimaru-machi) that's definitely worth a visit!

Hello! I'm Taiki Beef Curry, a curry fanatic who searches for delicious curry every day!

This time we would like to introduce a famous curry restaurant located in Tanushimaru-cho, Kurume City, about an hour's drive from Fukuoka city.

A popular restaurant in Tokyo has moved to Fukuoka! The famous South Indian restaurant "Dharmasagara" (Tanushimaru-cho, Kurume City)

Dharmasagara opened in October 2003 in Higashi Ginza, Tokyo as a restaurant specializing in South Indian cuisine.

At the time, Indian food was limited to North Indian cuisine. Typical North Indian dishes include butter chicken curry, green vegetable and cheese curry, and other rich curries using dairy products, as well as tandoori chicken, naan made from wheat flour, and chapati made from whole wheat flour.

Meanwhile, as a pioneer of South Indian restaurants, Dharmasagara became popular for its passion and carefully prepared dishes that suited Japanese tastes, and was featured in numerous media outlets, including on television and in magazines, and was loved by both Indians and Japanese living in Tokyo.

As a result, the restaurant has been selected as a Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide Tokyo for five consecutive years since 2016.

In 2021, the restaurant moved to Tanushimaru-cho, Kurume City, Fukuoka, the owner's hometown.

Image: Taiki Beef Curry

By the way, the store name "Dharmasagara" means "the ocean of Buddhist teachings" in Sanskrit.

South Indian cuisine and the spirit of "Dharmasagara"

Southern India has a particularly hot climate, and people don't like to eat too much oil, so low-oil foods are preferred.

There are also many dishes with sour flavors such as lemon and tamarind, as well as spicy dishes.

South Indian food is easy on the stomach and is often suited to Japanese tastes.

Image: Taiki Beef Curry

The chef at Dharmasagara trained in a high-end hotel restaurant in South India and serves authentic South Indian home cooking.

Her mother cooks carefully, with the health of her family in mind.

The reason for the move to Fukuoka is to look to the future and grow their own vegetables and herbs without the use of pesticides.

Image: Taiki Beef Curry

Now I open the menu to see what I should eat.

In addition to curry, there is a huge menu, including dosa (a crepe made with rice and beans), Indian-style croquettes, tempura, fried beans, spiced stir-fried meat and vegetables, salads, and soups.

When in doubt, try the "Meals"!

Enjoy the South Indian set meal "Meals"

"Meals" is a South Indian set meal that includes curry and many side dishes on one plate. There are also vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.

This time, I chose the "Meals A Set Meat Course" (4,180 yen). *The Meals meat and vegetable courses are also available with a 500 yen discount during lunchtime on weekends and holidays.

First, the tomato soup was brought out.

The rich sweetness and sourness of the tomatoes are combined with a savory flavor, accented by the spiciness of the black pepper.

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And now for the main dish, the meals. You might be wondering how to eat them.

Image: Taiki Beef Curry

We'll start from the top of the photo above and go clockwise.

• Rasam: Sour and spicy soup
• Chicken Keema Curry: Minced chicken curry
• Chicken curry
• Mint paste, lemon pickle
• Chicken Fry: Fried chicken breast with spices
• Jasmine Rice
• Writer: Yogurt Salad
• Bean and Komatsuna Curry
• Poori: The fried bread in the middle
• Papad: Bean crackers hidden under the poori

This is the menu for today's meal. Each dish is served in a bowl called a katori and on a large plate called a thali.

You can choose two types of curry from chicken curry, mutton curry, chicken keema curry, and chicken kurma.

I chose chicken curry and chicken keema curry.

I choose these two types of curry because it helps me understand the restaurant's flavors, and they are my favorites.

The chicken curry is made with chicken thighs, plenty of onions, and coconut, but has a refreshing flavor.

Image: Taiki Beef Curry

Keema curry is wet and has the flavor of chicken, onions, and spices.

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This is rasam.

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A sour, spicy and watery soup with the sweet and sour taste of tamarind, a sweet and sour fruit commonly used in Thailand and India.

This is bean and komatsuna curry.

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Bean curry is called dal. It may sound a bit bland, but I really liked this dal. According to the owner, it brings out a strong flavor from the vegetables.

This is the lighter. Yogurt salad with red onion and cucumber.

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The curry and side dishes are delicious on their own, but it's also fun to pour them over jasmine rice on a thali and eat them while mixing them together.

The refreshing lighter flavor is perfect for changing up the flavor.

The fried bread poori sits on top of papad, a lentil cracker.

Image: Taiki Beef Curry

Papad is broken by hand and poured over rice. However, since papad is often salty, it is best to check the taste before eating.

Poori is a deep-fried bread made from whole wheat flour, and it is soaked in oil and is so juicy that you will want seconds. It is delicious to dip it in curry or just eat it as it is.

This dish is fried chicken breast with spices, topped with mint paste and lemon pickles.

Image: Taiki Beef Curry

The mint paste has a refreshing spiciness from the green chilies and the aroma of coriander.

Dessert is also served after the meal.

You can choose between ice cream or the Indian sweet of the day, and choose between chai or coffee to drink.

The Indian sweet for the day was rice kheer, a sweet milk porridge with the refreshing scent of cardamom.

Image: Taiki Beef Curry

This time, I have broken down and introduced each part, but to be honest, I don't really know how to eat meals, so I was a little hesitant to do so.

However, every single dish at Dharmasagara was delicious, and it was the first meal I've ever had where I was so engrossed in eating from start to finish.

Meals are a dish that you can make and enjoy by choosing what side dishes to pair with white rice, and by choosing the flavors you like, such as spiciness, sourness, yogurt flavors, sour and spicy soup, or mild bean curry, so I think they are a familiar "set meal" for rice-loving Japanese people.

As we chatted with the owner over chai, he told us that what he wants to convey through Dharmasagara is the appeal of South Indian cuisine, about the chef, and about his hometown, Fukuoka. He said that even now, regular customers from his time in Tokyo come to Fukuoka regularly to eat.

We would like to introduce this South Indian cuisine to you in the hope that you will go and try it, which has been recognized in this highly competitive area of Tokyo!

Please enjoy the dishes made by the chef and owner, who are full of passion for South India. (Text by Taiki Beef Curry)

＜Click on the store name for more details about the store ↓＞
■ Dharmasagara
Address: 83-3 Ishigaki, Tanushimaru-cho, Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Business hours: 11:30-15:00 (LO 14:00), 17:00-22:00 (LO 21:00) *From April 2025, 17:00-21:00 (LO 20:00)
Closed: Wednesdays (※If Wednesday is a public holiday, the shop will be open and closed the following Thursday)
*This article is current as of the time of publication. *Prices in the text include tax.
* Any secondary use of the content of this site (images, text, etc.) such as duplication, reproduction, conversion, modification, etc. without permission is strictly prohibited. If found to be in violation, legal action may be taken.

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