Kanagawa Kamakura: The Day I Ate Katsu Curry Instead of Shirasu at 'Kamakura Shokudo' in a Narrow Alley

The back alley I walked into from Kamakura Station had a different atmosphere from the typical wide pilgrimage paths of tourist destinations. Weathered wooden eaves and freshly pai…

Kanagawa · Rakuen

The back alley I walked into from Kamakura Station had a different atmosphere from the typical wide pilgrimage paths of tourist destinations. Weathered wooden eaves and freshly painted white walls were crammed together barely a hand's width apart, and a single bicycle leaned against one wall. It was evening in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, when the alley was beginning to darken from the inside. The first thing that caught my eye in that alley wasn't a restaurant—it was a stained glass workshop.

Stained Glass Workshop DANSHAKU with Green Awning at the Alley's Entrance

A triangular gabled roof with green awning, its color faded as if moss had crept over it. A sign that looked handwritten saying 'STAINED GLASS DANSHAKU' hung there. Four octagonal window frames were embedded in the wall, each containing a stained glass piece—a cat's face, a sunflower lamp, a landscape with a deer. The door was half-open, and inside I could see Tiffany-style lamps glowing in layers. Outside it was already growing dim, but beyond the glass it was warm and orange.

Two candle-like lamps were lit on a small iron table in front of the door. They don't show up well in photos, but standing there in person, this is the only point of light in the alley, so your feet naturally stop. On the right wall was a sign saying something like 'There are stairs ahead.' Kamakura alleys often suddenly lead to stairs like this.

Exterior of the stained glass workshop DANSHAKU with green gabled awning, with cat and sunflower stained glass visible in octagonal window frames, and Tiffany-style lamps lit inside — The stained glass workshop at the alley's entrance. Only this place has its lights on as the sun sets.

'Kamakura Shokudo' with an English Menu Stand Sign

A few steps past the workshop, a narrow entrance appeared with Kamakura Shokudo in black letters on a white wall, and 鎌倉食堂 in red letters below. It's the kind of shop you could easily walk past—just one door wide. A '5% cashless refund' sticker was on the glass door, and an OPEN sign hung there.

The crucial thing is the stand sign placed outside. Photos of 生しらす丼 and 釜揚げしらす丼 were posted prominently on a yellow background, and on the adjacent panel was a full English menu with photos. Even the phrase 'English menu available.' Anyone who has hesitated in front of a restaurant with only a Japanese menu knows how welcoming this sign is. The orange sign next door was for a '湘南豚' restaurant.

Narrow entrance with Kamakura Shokudo and 鎌倉食堂 signs on white wall, with yellow stand sign and English menu board outside — An entrance just one door wide. The stand sign outside essentially serves as the restaurant's sign.

Menu Prices as Written

The first page of the laminated menu I received after sitting down was the 'Specialties of Kamakura and Shonan' section. The prices are exactly as written on the menu that day.

Two-dish set with boiled shirasu and raw shirasu — ¥1,350
Raw shirasu rice bowl — ¥1,290
Boiled shirasu rice bowl — ¥910
Three-dish set with shirasu and ikura — ¥2,370
Seafood rice bowl with Kamakura ingredients — ¥1,980
Tempura + buckwheat noodle set — ¥1,780
Kamakura vegetable curry — ¥1,190
Premium Japanese pork cutlet curry — ¥1,390

At the bottom of the menu, it said all prices are listed before tax. The menu items on this page can be changed to a drink set for +¥300, and the beverages are chosen from non-alcoholic options. There was also a small note that any rounding up after tax is donated to TABLE FOR TWO. These are based on the prices when I visited, so I recommend checking current prices on-site.

Laminated menu page from Kamakura Shokudo with photos and prices of various shirasu bowls, seafood donburi, tempura buckwheat noodles, and curries — The first page of the menu. The boiled shirasu rice bowl at ¥910 is the cheapest signature dish here.

Raw shirasu is only available on days when they're caught. During fishing closures or if they can't operate that day, even if it's on the menu, you'll hear 'We don't have it today.' I didn't get to eat raw shirasu at this restaurant either. If you come all the way to Kamakura specifically for shirasu, it's better to keep that in mind and decide on an alternative menu item in advance.

Location and Accessibility

The coordinates of the shooting location are marked on the map below. The alleys around Kamakura are so narrow that a car can barely squeeze through, so the train is much more convenient than a rental car. Use JR Kamakura Station or the Enoden, and it's better to explore the alleys on foot. Like the staircase signs I mentioned earlier, the terrain changes suddenly in some places, so dragging a suitcase around will be difficult.

What I Ended Up Ordering — Premium Japanese Pork Cutlet Curry ¥1,390

When the plate arrived, my first thought was 'There's a lot of curry.' Brown curry covered the left half of an oval plate, with rice on the right and a thickly sliced tonkatsu in the middle. Parsley powder was sprinkled on top of the rice. In a small two-compartment dish served separately were potato salad and fukujinzuke (red pickled radish).

Katsu curry with rice served on an oval wooden plate, with separate two-compartment dish of potato salad and red fukujinzuke — A plate of katsu curry. The potato salad and fukujinzuke are served separately.

The curry is on the thinner side rather than thick. The color is dark, but the taste emphasizes sweetness and the umami of onions more than spiciness. Small pieces of onion remain mixed in the sauce, so when you pour it over the rice, you feel the texture. Like most Japanese restaurant curries, the intensity is mild. If you're expecting something spicy, you might find it bland.

Close-up of katsu curry with thick tonkatsu topped with brown curry sauce on white plate and white rice sprinkled with parsley on the right — The breading is still crispy before the curry has completely soaked through.

The breading is thick breadcrumbs. When I picked up a piece with chopsticks, the cross-section was cooked white and not dry. It hadn't been fried long, which you could tell from the crispy sound. However, because the curry is poured generously on the plate, if you take your time, the breading at the bottom becomes soggy. I ate the first few pieces with less curry on them, and that turned out to be the right order. The remaining half became completely submerged in curry and turned into something different. That wasn't bad either, but the crispy version was definitely better.

Close-up of picking up a piece of tonkatsu with black chopsticks, showing the white cooked meat cross-section — Cross-section: the meat is tender and cooked through despite the thickness.

Be Sure to Check the Papers on the Wall

If you only look at the menu board, you'll miss something. Two A4 sheets of paper were posted on the wall.

The left one is for dessert. A soft-boiled French toast made with egg yolks from Hayama's 'Koufunomiaooi Tamago (Egg of Happiness),' at ¥2,190 and comes with coffee or tea. In small print it said limited menu available only after 3 PM. If you came during lunch hours, you wouldn't be able to order it even if you wanted to.

The right sheet is more practical. It explained that for menus that come with white rice—tempura bowl, breaded horse mackerel, fried oysters, pork cutlet, and hamburger—you can change the rice to boiled shirasu rice or raw shirasu rice. The additional charge is hidden in the photo, so it's best to ask when you order. This combination is perfect for people who find ordering a shirasu bowl separately too much but still want to taste shirasu. I discovered this paper after I'd already ordered the katsu curry. Next time I visit, I'm planning to get the breaded horse mackerel set and switch the rice to shirasu rice.

Two instruction sheets on restaurant wall, left shows photo and description of 2190 yen soft-boiled French toast, right explains how to change white rice to shirasu rice — Two instruction sheets posted on the restaurant wall: the left shows a photo and description of the ¥2,190 soft-boiled French toast, and the right explains that you can change white rice to shirasu rice.

Things Good to Know Before Going

All prices are listed before tax. Your bill will be slightly higher than the menu numbers.
Raw shirasu depends on whether they're fishing that day. It's often unavailable.
French toast orders only after 3 PM. If you come at lunch, you'll need to skip it or come back later.
An English menu with photos is posted outside, so you can check the prices and decide on your order before you go in.
The restaurant is narrow. Bringing large luggage makes it awkward to find a seat.
The prices and conditions listed here are from when I visited. They may have changed, so I recommend checking on-site.

My evening record from the day I couldn't eat shirasu in Kamakura became a katsu curry. After finishing my rice and stepping outside, the alley was completely dark, but that stained glass lamp from earlier was still glowing.