Restaurant search site for food minorities

Supervisor / Recommender

Takako Doki

General Incorporated Association Japan Halal Business Association Secretariat Public Relations / Director

Click here for introduction

I am currently working as an editor. However, I experienced working as a cook in restrunts, hospitals, and catering industry. Looking back now, I was connected to the Idea of Hala, since then.
At one point, few decades ago, I worked in a cafeteria at an auction site. More than 60% of the visitors to the venue were foreigners, including many Muslims (There were mosque in the venue as well). I remember many people asked me about the food we serve, the types of meat and whether they are Hala qualified.
At a certain time, the cafeteria becomes lively like a festival. Because the Indian restaurant next door to the venue served food for free. Indian dish, such as biryani, curry and sweet drinks were served to the visitors. Over 100 foreigners dressed in red turbans, garabayas and folk costumes gathered in the cafeteria, and everyone had a great time surrounding the same table. Now I learned about Muslim culture, it was a fast-starting Iftar.
Also, I remember that many participants were only eating curry from the Indian restrunt, eventhough there were choices of other food. As I study about Halal, I learned that they did not chose to eat curry, but they did not have a choise. I personally think that they wanted to try some of the Japanese food, if they had a chose. I still regret that moment, when I could not do anything because of the lack of information. “Inconvenience” of food is quite different based on their cultural background, and therefore, I understand now, that it is crucial to create an environment where all people can enjoy delicious meal, regardless of their backgrounds.

In Japan, Halal food is still a minority. Many people from Muslim background visit Japan, but they fell enconvininet about it. Japan Halal Business Association advocates in the halal business: HAVO (Halal, Organic, Vegetarian, Allergy).
The idea is to aim to create products and services that many people can eat and use, regardless of their religion and various backgrounds.
Seeking for delicious, safe and secure meal is commonly shared through the nations. The time demand us to find new ways of living that transcend borders and religions. We hope that Halal will help eliminate food inconvenience and contribute to the harmony of the world where you can respect, coexist, and co-prosper with a more liberal idea to eating and enjoying food.

Vegetarian natural lunch with Komatsuna vegan naan for free refill!

Natural Indian Cuisine Nataraj is a vegetarian Indian restaurant that incorporates the wisdom of Ayurveda. Also, they use the fresh organic vegetables from its own farm.

It is a restaurant that can accommodate a variety of vegetarians, from lacto-vegetarian menus that eats dairy products, oriental vegetarians without five vegetarians, and vegans.
In addition, they do not use any chemical seasonings, synthetic preservatives, coloring agents, genetically modified foods. This is because the store wishes for the health of their customers.

Nataraj’s Indian curry, which features vegetables, has only a “delicious & healthy” menu that combines organic vegetables with vegetable ingredients such as beans and soybean meat. Moreover, even if your stomach is satisfied, you will not feel the oiliness that are typical of Indian curry, because all the ingredients are plant-base.

Natural and Organic Indian food Natarai Ogikubo

We recommend the curry buffet (990 yen), which is the best lunch at excellent deal! 4 kinds of daily curry, natural yeast naan, Komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) vegan naan, turmeric rice, salad, dessert, coffee, and tea for 90 minutes, you can refill as many times as you like.
Watermelons served here are harvested at the store’s own farm. Small but fresh, satisfyingly sweet and juicy! (The menu varies from day to day.)

Curry buffet

There are four types of curry on this day: mixed beans, tomato al-with potatoes, bean dal tadka, and nataraj eggplant. It’s wonderful that the food has different taste and spiciness. It cannot be simply described as “vegetable curry.”

4 types of daily curry

Nataraj Curry, which is also the name of the restaurant, is a medium-spicy curry with seasonal vegetables and soymeat. The elastic texture of soy meat is like eating actual meat. It also looks like meat, but it’s all vegetarian.

Nataraj curry with soy meat

Tomato-based potato curry

The store is very particular about the ingredients of oil, sugar, and seasonings, so there is no cheap or bad thing added that is common in all-you-can-eat stores. They use cane sugar for Chai.

Chai and dessert rice kheer

In addition to daily curry and lunch buffets, vegetables harvested at Nataraj’s own farm may offer menus unique to seasonal vegetables such as spinach curry fair and pumpkin curry fair.

A harmonious shop that naturally practices HAVO (halal, allergy, vegetarian, organic)

It is said that there are fewer vegetarians in Japan compared to other countries. Usually, like in the US or European countries, vegetarian people can be certain customer base. But since the number of vegetarians is small in Japan, most of the people who come to the Nataraj Ogikubo store visit here because the food is simply delicious. This means that vegetarians and non-vegetarians are also fully satisfied for the food in Nataraj. The taste is not too spicy and not too sweet. It has an elegant taste, and the balance of staple food, main dish and side dish is excellent, and this may be the reason for Japanese people to accept the taste.

The Japan Halal Business Association is promoting the development of HAVO, a product that combines halal, allergies, vegetarians, and organics. The concept is to expand the market by incorporating adjacent fields and aim for developing a menu that can be eaten by as many people as possible.
Nataraj is naturally practicing this concept because of the Indian culture and feature. In India, there are many vegetarians in the first place, and unlike Japan, there is no menu to add alcoholic beverages to dishes, so there is a natural halal & vegetarian menu to begin with.

In addition, allergy support such as organically grown vegetables on its own farm and gluten-free menu are also dealt with, Nataraj may be said to be at the forefront of food diversity. Even if you look at the menu, you can check, at a glance, whether it is vegan compatible with pictograms, whether wheat, eggs, dairy products are used, etc., so everyone can eat comfortably.

Delivery menu

Feel the comfort after eating! Additive-free, organic, home-grown fresh vegetarian menu that pleases the body

Nataraj supports the unwavering concept of “a healthy vegetable dish that makes your body happy and leaves you feeling comfortable after eating, fills body and mind.” Unlike shops that simply serve vegetarian menus, there is a hospitality here that cannot be imitated by other shops, such as natural yeast naan using domestic wheat, home-grown vegetables, and additive-free rapeseed oil.

Komatsuna vegan naan and vegetable curry

And, according to the concept, many people will feel the comfort of detoxification after eating. I was actually one of them.
Please come and experience the delicious dishes that bring out the wisdom of Ayurveda and the original taste of vegetables.

「 Natural and Organic Indian food Natarai Ogikubo」Basic information

Store name	Natural and Organic Indian food Natarai Ogikubo
Tel	03-3398-5108
Address	5-30-6 Ogikubo, Suginami-ku, Tokyo Fukumura Sangyo Building B1
Business hours	11:30～23:00 (L.O.22:30)
Holiday	Open all year round (excluding the year-end and New Year holidays)
Budget	Lunch ～1,500yen　Dinner 2,000yen～4,000yen
Payment method	Credit Card Available：VISA, MasterCard, DC, AMEX, JCB, MUFG
Parking Lot	N/A
Language
Advance reservation
Cooking description	Vegetarian, vegan, and organic Indian restaurant
Note	A 1-minute walk from the south exit of JR Ogikubo Station, a charter party is possible (negotiable for 50 to 100 people) Party menu also available Consultation on menus by country / religion
Store HP