Saru Cafe: For a Tasty Japanese Tex-Mex Dish (Closed 2019)

Although Tex-Mex is not easy to find in Japan, they do have a dish that can be considered Japan's version of Tex-Mex. It is called taco rice and you can find it in cafes, family restaurants or on the tables of home-cooked meals. To get my Tex-Mex fix, I went to try a cafe version at one of Nagoya's long running popular chain stores, Saru Cafe.

On Sakuradori road

Taco rice is basically the fillings of a taco put on top of a bed of rice; usually you'll find seasoned ground meat, lettuce and tomatoes. Saru cafe adds to the regular toppings with flavoured tortilla chips (much like Doritos) crumbled on top, fresh avocado and an onsen egg (runny egg, similar to poached). The chips made it more like an actual taco with a nice crunch (except after a while they get a bit soggy or stale). The meat was well-seasoned with chili powder and reminded me of the Te-Mex I’ve eaten back in Canada. The combination of the meat, the chips, the grated parmesan cheese and cesar dressing made it very salty overall, but that’s why the plain rice underneath it is necessary. The runny egg is also a nice addition to mellow out the saltiness a bit. The lettuce and avocado add some lightness and refreshing flavours making the dish easier to finish the last bite.

Taco Rice

Topped with an onsen egg

This particular branch (on Sakuradori road, just east of Nagoya Station), was busy on the Saturday of my visit. Saru Cafe tries to cater to the young working class, so it is open for lunch and late dinner and has a more lounge/bar type vibe. Their dinner menu is extensive with various appetizers (hot and cold), salads, hamburger skillets, pastas, pizzas and rice dishes as well as a complete alcoholic drink list. It was lively with the voices and laughter of other customers drowning out the music playing over the speakers. A good place to get together with friends for some chat or a celebration. 

Seat located at the entrance

Area: 5-minute walk east of Nagoya Station 名古屋駅
Restaurant: Saru Cafe 猿カフェ
Map: www.hotpepper.jp/strJ000739522/map/
Hours: 11:30am-11pm (LO 10pm), open on holidays