Islington Green has just welcomed its next viral hotspot in Kanazawa, a niche, inventive bakery flaunting Japan’s iconic curry bread. Tucked between the sparkling trinkets and clothing rarities of Camden Passage, and familiar chain establishments of Essex Road, this gem is easy to miss – but doing so would be a crying shame.
Since opening on 1 March, the bakery has enlightened the public, taking them on a journey through a street staple of Japanese fare. Staff are knowledgeable and boastful about the authenticity of their specialised recipe – according to them, other Japanese bakeries in London have been doing it wrong – they’ve been baking curry breads. But here at Kanazawa, they are changing the game; wrapping moist, curried fillings in dough, before coating them in breadcrumbs, sesame seeds and tossing them in the deep fryer.
The business first appeared as a pop-up truck in 2022 in Kings Cross’ Coals Drop Yard. They have now dug their heels into the foodie hotspot of Islington at their first ever store.
Arriving at its opening time at 10am, the take-away bakery greets you with pleasant notes of fryer (not the cheap fairground kind), and a nostalgic smell of freshly baked goods. There are slow, calming elevator-like melodies playing in the background, and a minimal menu of five varied curry bread flavours, chicken teriyaki specials and Earl Grey cream-filled doughnuts. Sure, choices are slim, and so is the space, but meticulous craft is fed into these vibrant breads – there is no need for much more.
It was a bit early to indulge in their best-selling bread filled with Japanese beef curry. So, I went for the vegetarian one, a spiced mix of carrots, onion and potato, which was warm, crispy, and resembled a large golden nugget. Royta, the opening shift worker, was warm, helpful, and a clear expert, explaining the flavours of each ball and emphasising the importance in their tactic in deep frying this street food.
The Japanese staple held a crispy exterior, a moist, doughy interior and a fragrant, lively curry – the only issue being it was gone too soon. Kanazawa provides a fresh education on the art of Japanese cooking, introducing customers to one of their most iconic street foods, and leaving them with a desperate longing to return.
Martha is a MA Newspaper Journalism student with a desire to craft well-reported, insightful and original stories on cultural, environmental and local issues.