I stopped by a local Indian grocery store on my way back from shopping at a nearby supermarket. This store is one of several Indian grocery stores in Nishi-Kasai, but it's not the one that Satomi Ishihara promoted in the metro ad. I bought some green papadums (270 yen including tax) in addition to my usual plain ones. Following the advice of my admired home chef, I microwaved them instead of frying and enjoyed them with a beer. The subtle flavor of green chili peppers paired perfectly with the beer. Next time, I'll try the red ones.

Turkish pomegranate juice, 1 liter, tax included, 378 yen. It has a red color close to rose, with a gentle sweetness and acidity. It is known for its various benefits. There is a movie called "The Color of Pomegranates" directed by Sergei Parajanov. I watched this movie a long time ago, and it was filled with poetry but the prose context was hard to understand. However, it left a deep impression on me. When I searched for it again, I found some images that still don't make sense to me but they are memorable. Chosa mango, 1 piece, 432 yen (tax included) has arrived. It is sweet and very delicious! I enjoy Indian and sometimes French cuisine with my female friend.

There are three Indian grocery stores in Nishi-Kasai, with TMVS FOODS run by Mr. Pirai from Tamil Nadu, Swagat Indian Bazaar run by Mr. Prasat from Bihar, and Bapp Bazaar run by the Kumar family from New Delhi. They all carry almost 70% of the same products such as spices, mixed masalas, tea, instant chai in various flavors, snacks, biscuits, health drinks like Milo, various types of rice, flour, beans, frozen meat, incense, hair oil, rose water, soap, and toothpaste. Customers tend to shop at the store owned by someone from their favorite state in India. The stores have a wide variety of products, especially frozen meat and fish. They also have unique items like small ceramic statues of Ganesha and Lakshmi for 1200 yen. Geetu, the charming daughter of the Kumar family, studied mathematics in India and taught high school students for six years. After moving to Japan, she studied Japanese language and culture at a university in Saitama. She is interested in the transition from the Edo period to the Meiji period and enjoys reading books by Akagawa Jiro in both the original and Japanese versions. Pachak for 350 yen is a natural digestive made with pomegranate, cumin seeds, sea salt, citric acid, cardamom, and black salt, offering an exotic taste. There are other flavors available as well. The reviewer enjoys Indian and French cuisine with his female friend.

When it comes to comparing mangoes, it may sound like a scene from "Marie Antoinette in the Streets," but no, the mangoes at the Indian grocery store are cheap and delicious. They cost around 300 to 350 yen each. We bought them one by one, had the cute and fluent Japanese-speaking Geetu from the store cut them for us on the spot, and then served them on a plate. My friend Sano and I enjoyed eating the two types of mangoes served on the plate, although we couldn't tell which was which. The bright deep yellow color was vivid, and the mangoes were sweet, juicy, and delicious. Additionally, I bought Complan brand milk protein (500g for 990 yen) and SAT-ISAGOL, a medicine with three types of dietary fiber to keep the intestines healthy (100g for 290 yen). By the way, Geetu is currently studying hard for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 2. She studied robotics at Shizuoka University and now works at Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. Her older brother, who also works at Yamaha, has already passed the Level 2 test, so she is determined to do the same. On the last Sunday of Golden Week, my friend Sano, a semi-regular at Amdas Ruby, woke up early and came all the way from Sagamihara to have lunch at the buffet that opened at 11 am. The buffet featured dishes like mushroom and green pea pilaf, chicken vindaloo, uttapam, and a variety of beans and vegetables. Interestingly, Sano, who looks like a cute music-loving boy from the manga "Maison Ikkoku," is actually a middle-aged man who is a big fan of funk music. He mentioned various funk and jazz musicians like Maceo Parker, Sam Moore of Sam & Dave, "Bootsy" Collins, Suga Dairo, Ishida Mikio, Shibuya Takeshi and the Shibuya Orchestra, as well as Japanese funk avant-garde band Zazen Boys. He also enjoys live music, which he talked about enthusiastically. We spent the day talking about music while enjoying canned beer at the zoo's table, and later moved to a bench at the Heisei Garden Genshin-an, where we continued our conversation until the sun set in the Japanese garden. My friend and I enjoy Indian and sometimes French cuisine together.

I bought various snacks for my daughters. I purchased coconut-flavored cookies with chocolate filling for 100 yen, which had a simple taste. I also found my favorite snack, samosa, which I warmed up in the toaster. It had a strong spice flavor that exceeded the usual snack experience. There were so many snack options with nuts and fruits that it was difficult to choose. I tried a mixed snack that was not too spicy and I liked it. It was also reasonably priced at 170 yen. Thank you for the meal!

There is a Indian grocery store called Bapu Bazaar in Nishi-Ogikubo. I started using it often on my way back home after a nearby supermarket OK opened. They sell a variety of items such as spices, sweets, meat, rice, and daily necessities. The decorations at the storefront are always like New Year's, which is cute. I bought some papad and samosa-like snacks, each costing around 200 yen. Papad can be fried or microwaved, making it a great snack. The samosa snack is quite spicy when eaten alone, and it can make your mouth dry, but it tastes delicious with beer. Next to this shop, there is a billiards hall with a retro feel. It seems to be quite popular with customers, especially in the evening when I finish my shopping. The signboard looks cool. It's a good thing it's not just couples there, but a mix of people.

It was located next to the coin parking lot I used when going to the street. It seems to have opened on July 15th. I bought Chucky's ATA 1kg (300 yen), MDH Biryani Masala (240 yen), and 1 pack of Turmeric (160 yen).