Ogawa Japanese Cafe — Restaurant in Kerala

We had dinner here, it's a cosy little restaurant that's surprisingly easy to miss if you're not looking for it. The ambience is lovely, warm and welcoming and it's very clearly a place meant for small crowds and couples. We were greeted with some lemon water(which is surprisingly refreshing) and wet towels for cleaning our hands. The server was soft spoken and quick to respond. We ordered 5 different dishes:

Iced Matcha Shake: How does one describe matcha to someone who's never tasted it before? Grassy? Herbal? There's a peculiar taste to the drink which I'd say is going to be either something you love or hate. In my opinion it's an acquired taste and the drink got better as it went on. As a shake on its own its nothing much to stand by, so if you're looking for an exceptional taste and don't like matcha, don't spend your money on it. If you're looking to try this for the flavor of matcha, then go ahead.

Karaage: Chicken fried to perfection. It was juicy and they gave a very decent amount for the price paid. With a side of lettuce and carrots with some type of mustard dressing to give it a kick. Highly recommended if you want a good starter to share.

Beef Udon Noodle Soup: The quantity was excellent for the price. The soup itself was made from beef broth and the Udon noodles were soft and chewy, but not overtly so. The beef was well cooked and they were present in large chunks. This isn't a fancy dish, it's a simple one with simple ingredients, and it works perfectly in that regard. Recommended.

Chicken Tomato Udon Noodles: the best way to describe this is just spaghetti with marinara sauce. If you like that, you'll like this. It's a great dish don't get me wrong, it's just similar. Once again the udon itself was really good. It's a brilliant option for someone who wants a familiar taste, and the crushed tomato pieces you get with it was fantastic. Its a good option if you want to try the Udon itself but with a flavor you already know.

Caramel pudding: Soft, jelly like texture, and tasting of just barely burnt caramel (in a good way), this was a nice little dessert, and considering the price of just ₹80, it's well worth it. Nothing we've not tasted before though. Good little dessert to finish off things.

All in all, cosy, quiet, and with fantastic service. The owner came in halfway through and was soft spoken and kind. The food is interesting and novel for Kochi, and it's worth a try if you've ever enjoyed Japanese food or wanted to see what authentic food would taste like.

TLDR: Cosy, great service, Karaage is a great starter, matcha latte is good to try out for the matcha, beef udon noodle soup highly recommend, tomato udon noodles tasted like spaghetti with marinara and was comforting, caramel pudding is a great dessert...

The experience here was a 𝐖𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐨𝐧𝐞 ! I had been planning to visit this cafe for a lot of months but almost all the time it had a huge queue, but i finally got to get a seat.

𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐡𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐮𝐞.

The menu is a short one but sure is a good one with enough choices to satisfy. The dishes are also perfectly japanese and not at all indianized. The shops ambience is calm and really does have the nihon vibe- can have a bit of rush sometime though.

I ordered the chicken soup udon, mix chicken udon with mayo, some karaage and a plate of kakiage with some iced coffee to wash everything down.

The 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐔𝐝𝐨𝐧- was a very light and warm but filling dish, the soup is very clear but aromatic with the strong smell of ginger and herbs along with its umami flavour from the stock used, yet its perfectly clear. The udon used is thick but light and filling and long. The chicken pieces in the dish was again- light and flavourful. It is an overall very light but very much filling dish that i would call as - calming just because of the aroma which lingers even after you finish it (must be from the aroma oil used).

The second dish- 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐱 𝐔𝐝𝐨𝐧 was filled with veggies and was saucy with chicken chopped into small bits. It will be served as shown in the picture below and we have to mix it by ourselves which is a fun thing to do- to be able to witness all the ingredients come together to become a tasty and saucy dish.

The 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐚𝐠𝐞 was crunchy but not at ALL dry, it was the most moist and juicy karaage i have ever had. It was not tossed in any kind of sauce but the thing on its own is perfectly tasty and is a light side dish. The carrots served was addictive though. Perfectly sweet and can be used as a tongue freshener to cleanse your palette.

The 𝐊𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 was crunchy and tasty and is a perfect side dish.

The 𝐈𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 was not something very special but is literelly what it says- an iced coffee- nothing more or less

𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 it was very filling, delicious, filled with umami, and it felt light. Everything was very afforfable and only reaches upto ₹𝟐𝟓𝟎 𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐡 and the side dishes like 𝐊𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 ₹𝟒𝟓 which was a surprise for me!

The 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 is a pain so i would recommend coming by 2 wheeler

As a note for the guy-うどん美味しだった、あなたの店和まじですごいなのです。でも体お大事二することも忘れるな、...

Ogawa Japanese Cafe – Personal Review Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Food: 8.5/10

Ambiance: 6/10

Hygiene: 9.5/10

Service: 8/10

Value for Money: 8.5/10

This was my first time trying Japanese cuisine, and I must say – Ogawa is a great choice for anyone curious about authentic Japanese flavors. If you're in Kochi and want to explore something different, this is definitely a spot to consider.

We ordered:

Matcha Tea

Matcha Shake

Beef Soup Udon (traditional taste)

Tsuke Beef

Karaage with Lemon Herbs

Taste Experience: Matcha (Tea & Shake): It was my first experience with matcha. The taste is very unique – a real umami flavor that may not suit every Malayali palate. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but definitely worth a one-time try. I recommend starting with just one matcha item to see if you like it.

Beef Soup Udon: A traditional Japanese noodle soup with a clear, mild-flavored broth and tender beef chunks. The portion was quite large – very filling and comforting.

Tsuke Beef: This was delicious! It gave a true sense of tasting something different, far from the regular Kerala-style dishes we’re used to. A great pick for adventurous foodies.

Karaage with Lemon Herbs: Very tasty, juicy fried chicken. The only thing I’d note is that the herb (possibly oregano) topping was a bit too generous, which slightly overpowered the chicken. But otherwise, it was well-cooked and flavorful.

Hygiene & Ambience: One of the highlights was the exceptional hygiene, truly reflecting Japanese culture. The restaurant was neat, clean, and well-maintained.

The only downside is the limited space – the seating area is quite small and can feel a bit congested. Also, parking isn’t available, which could be inconvenient.

Final Verdict: Despite the small space and lack of parking, the amazing food experience makes up for it. Whether you’re new to Japanese food or already a fan, Ogawa is a must-visit in Kochi for a flavorful and clean...