Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on August 2009

Courtesy of 10 Zen

If the old wives’ tales are to be believed, when it’s hot, you should eat something hotter. On a sweltering day last month, we were willing to give anything a shot, and 10 Zen sounded like just the ticket. Billed as a “Vegetable Esthetic Restaurant,” this Shinagawa eatery takes the tenets of yakuzen—a form of cooking based on Chinese medicine—and applies them to the spicy world of Japanese-style curry rice.

Though the restaurant is only a few minutes’ walk from Shinagawa station, we were already dripping with sweat when we arrived, and expected to be greeted by an air-conditioned breeze on entering. Instead, our sanctuary-to-be was on the warm side, and we had to fan ourselves down as we waited at the cash register to order our lunch.

10 Zen’s interior is stylishly minimal, with wooden tables, moss-green sofas and off-white walls. Turning up at half past 12, we didn’t even have to fight for a table—in fact, there were more than a few vacant seats, and we were able to snag a plum spot by the window overlooking the street.

Courtesy of 10 Zen

While its dinner menu puts the emphasis on detoxifying and beautifying foods, 10 Zen is, at lunchtime, all about the curry. Yakuzen curry rice is available with a chicken, seafood or vegetable base—yes, the latter is suitable for vegetarians—and a choice of toppings including okra and natto, summer vegetables, teriyaki chicken and mixed cheese (¥900-¥1,000 each). Indecisive eaters can order two different curries for an extra ¥100, while greedy ones can pay the same to get an extra-large helping. Cold tomato curry pasta and nabeyaki udon curry are also offered (¥1,000 each).

We plumped for the mild vegetable curry base with teriyaki chicken and summer vegetable toppings, throwing in an extra ¥200 to get the optional dessert. Our numbers were called a few minutes later, and after adding a sprinkling of sesame seeds and oats from the selection of healthy toppings lining the counter, we headed back to our seats.

Sizzling away in a black iron pot, the curry got our mouths watering immediately. Rich but also somewhat light, it was perfect for a hot summer day, and we polished it off despite the generous size of the portion. Diners can also help themselves to free servings of purple rice and medicinal tea, but our stomachs were already bulging, so we politely declined. Dessert barely felt necessary, either, though it did help to freshen up our mouths after the main meal.

Although 10 Zen has a very health-conscious concept, the menu is more varied and a lot less pretentious than you might expect. We left feeling well-fed, healthy, and extremely curious about the nabe menu. Perhaps a return visit is in order this winter.