Sajilo Clove

Unilocal 100 Challenge 2015 — ⁹⁄₁₀₀
Revisited the place where it all started for the small group of Sajilo restaurants. Was lucky that I chose a later hour during lunch as there were still good seats to choose from. Actually, you have more options if you are alone or a couple — counter seats, a couple of cozy alcoves and of course, traditional square tables.
As my Unilocal tip mentioned, upon arrival I first checked the board outside for the Curry of the Day. Today they featured eggplant, chicken and vegetables, but as I had that during my first visit to the sister location in Kichijoji, I went for the spinach and chicken. Lunch includes main dish, soup, salad, drink (choose from among 3), and your choice of naan or saffron rice — I went for the naan as theirs is always PERFECT.
Side note: What’s perfect naan? First, turn it over and examine the bottom. Any burnt spots and/​or black residue from the oven? No? Good! Your naan should be a nice, light golden brown mixed with the whiteness of the dough. The bread itself should tear easily without falling apart. If it crumbles, that means too little water and it’s overcooked. Crispy in places is OK but you don’t want really crispy, burnt or crumbly. Besides, there’s chapati for that. And finally the taste and sensation in your mouth — light, fluffy, chewy without overpowering flavors of wheat or yeast. Some places brush the top with butter, but plain is best if you are dipping in your curry.
OK, on to the meal. The starter was VERY FRESH green salad — crispy and delicious. The dressing tastes like there’s balsamic vinegar mixed in with light vegetable oil and hint of spices. There are also a couple of curried potatoes on the side as a nice accent.
Today’s soup was a fragrant minestrone-​like vegetable, but obviously, this is not an Italian restaurant so the seasonings reflected a delicate mix of the same accents used in the curry. Very tasty and a nice compliment to the vinegarette used on the salad.
Main course time! The curry was, simply put, excellent! Their curries are seasoned to reveal thick, rich, deep flavors that can only be had after having been slow simmered for at least overnight. A check with the staff afterwards revealed it had been simmering for over 48 hours. Now THIS is a big, no HUGE, difference between the cheap but marginal Indian places scattered about Tokyo. Read the first line again — delectable, thick, deep flavors. Wow, and as you enjoy the curry you’ll find it is indeed very different from the Indian variety. If you’re really astute, you’ll notice the ingredients and spices appeal to more than just your taste buds, mouth and nose. You’ll feel all warm and fuzzy inside as their curries gently warm you up while suppressing, not encouraging heartburn.
Further investigation revealed the curries served here follow an old family recipe and the focus is on serving only high quality, tasty and healthy dishes. Spices are used in careful quantity and balance to how they interact with each other, the «soup» base and other main ingredients as chicken, meat or vegetables. One other secret is they purposely make the curries with almost NO hot spiciness. This allows them to focus on the true flavors of the ingredients. If you need fire, you can always order hotter, plus a small container of red chili powder is provided for flaming accents, if you need them.
Lunch also comes with a choice of lassi, or hot/​cold chai tea. I’ve had all and strongly recommend the chai. Wow, another cup of rich, exotic flavors. Again, they carefully choose the cloves and other spices, then slowly simmer with milk to get a nice creamy beverage that may look like your average chai tea, but one sip and you’ll know it’s different.
Overall summary
— Rating: Five stars
— Service: Five stars
— Food: Ten stars (!)
— Atmosphere: Five stars (it’s an eclectic mix of antique, retro, hipster and chic designer all tastefully presented consistently but with very careful attention to details)
— Staff: Five stars (friendly, very happy to answer any questions, very attentive to timing and details)
— Value: Lunch — ten stars (!); Evening — (TBD — will update later)
I’ll be adding more photos during future visits but after several lunches so far, there is absolutely nothing to be even slightly disappointed about. In contrast, there are always small but delightful discoveries each visit.
Yes, it and the sister restaurants are not located in town or near the station. However, if you make the trip out on the Chuo line, then seek out the locations using the Unilocal app/​map, you’ll be rewarded with a high-​value experience. Definitely worth the trip, time and time again.