Cozy35
・Aigake European-style Curry ¥1,188 tax included *Lunch drink service: Iced coffee selection
Located in the Lumine department store inside JR Chuo Line Tachikawa Station, this cafe is a brand operated by Cafe Company, known for its cafe operations and food and beverage establishments. They have a well-established presence mainly in station commercial facilities. The cafe maintains a stylish and spacious atmosphere without disrupting the floor's ambiance, making it a very relaxing place. Given its location, it attracts a clientele of housewives with young children during the day, and the staff is attentive to this, ensuring good customer service that would appeal to women. As all the staff are young, it's hard to say if they can fully meet the expectations of housewives, but as a dad who is constantly being criticized on weekends, I don't have the qualifications to judge. In any case, I made the mistake of assuming that the cafe in the station building would be less crowded during lunchtime on weekdays, but it was quite busy. I had to wait outside, but luckily there was a spot for one person available, so I was seated first.
Now, onto the cafe meal. Ideally, I would have liked to have the dessert French toast, but since it was lunchtime, I opted for a rice dish. There were options like Loco Moco and Taco Rice, but being a curry addict, I decided to try the Aigake European-style Curry. It's not clear from the photo what "Aigake" means, but it's curry, so I went for it. The curry was served promptly, and I dug in right away.
[Aigake European-style Curry]
This was a European-style curry with a thick, sticky curry sauce topped with sweet and savory braised beef and a fried egg. When you hear "Aigake," you might imagine a dish with two types of curry, but in the end, this curry had only one type. It was a rich, thick, sweet, and salty curry roux made by simmering beef, vegetables, and a demi-glace-like sauce. Truly European-style curry. The aroma of the curry spices was subtle, and the spiciness was mild. At times, it almost felt like Hayashi Rice? But this rich curry roux was delicious. As for the ingredients, the beef on top was similar to the beef bowl at Yoshinoya. Since the curry roux was rich, the seasoning was gentle, and it blended well with the ingredients. There were no solid ingredients left in the curry, as everything was simmered to a smooth consistency, making the ingredients quite valuable. The fried egg, a true fried egg, with its yolk blending smoothly with the curry roux, was also a perfect match. Unfortunately, the slightly burnt edges of the egg white were a bit distracting and slightly detracted from the smooth texture of the curry roux. Perhaps a soft-boiled egg would have been better. Additionally, the avocado and pickled cherry tomatoes with a tangy flavor were effective additions. The Japanese rice was also quite good. If I had to say something, I would have been even happier if they offered a larger portion. It was a standard amount, but I found myself quite hungry by snack time. I could have used a bit more. However, I think this rich curry is definitely worth trying. Thank you for the meal.