Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2009

Gatemo Tabum claims to be the only Bhutanese eatery in the whole of Japan. And it certainly is tiny. The café only seats about 15 people, which leaves us loitering out on the street for a while when we head there on a Sunday evening. Fortunately, it’s worth the wait. Bhutan’s cuisine is like comfort food without the comfort: rich in umami and absolutely loaded with chili. The star attraction is ema datshi (¥650, or ¥500 for a milder version), a chili and cheese stew that’s apparently a national staple. Gatemo’s menu awards it a seven-chili rating, though that seems excessive: their rendition of the dish is more likely to leave you with a pleasant buzz than a stomach ulcer. Kewa datshi (¥600), a cheese, potato and chili stew, offers a more benign option, while we also enjoy the nosha pa (¥750), a stir-fry of beef, chili and green vegetables. If you’re feeling indecisive, you can order small portions of two dishes together with a serving of rice for ¥900. The menu also finds space for such emphatically non-Bhutanese treats as German sausage (courtesy of award-winning wiener maker Wunderbarhof Ando) and homemade pound cake. The drinks selection is similarly inclusive (read: skittish), running from Bhutanese and Japanese teas (¥600) to homemade ginger ale (¥750) and bottled Kostritzer Schwarzbier and Eku Pils beers (both ¥1,000). Hardcore types can wash their chili down with some Bhutanese Dragon Rum (¥950), followed by a chaser of Turkish coffee (¥600). Mmm, enjoy that heartburn.

1-22-5 Uehara, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 03-3466-9590. Open Tue-Sun 6-11pm, closed Mon. Nearest stn: Yoyogi-Uehara. www.gatemotabum.com