Turkish Rice @ Cafe Dining Mammy, Heiwamachi, Nagasaki

Being a port town, Nagasaki is a hotbed of various cultures and cuisines to mix. Sometimes with interesting, tasty, a little bizarre outcomes. One such dish is Turkish rice. Called トルコライス ("toruku risu"), it is ironically has nothing to do with its name in question. Rather, its a combination of various dishes, rolled onto one filling plate. The dishes in question is a pork cutlet, a tomato based pasta dish, curry rice and a side salad. It is one of the main symbols of Nagasaki yoshoku cuisine and it is something of a must try. 

  

Majestic

I was fortunate enough to spot a shop that sells this behemoth of a meal while exploring the Peace Park and its nearby historical sites. Located at one of the little streets in between residential areas, Cafe Dining Mammy, or Mammy for short is a cute little cafe that serves cheap and tasty yoshoku dishes. I did a lot of walking at the time and a carb loaded meal is probably something that could solve my energy crisis. 

Cute. Was able to take this once most of the customers left. 

The interior was adorable, with wooden decor everywhere and the kitchen was manned by a group of very capable women. And capable they were. I entered during the peak of lunch during a weekday and all hands were on deck. Food came out fast and everything was on point. I was particularly lucky as I was the final customer they let in as I took the last available seat at the time. They had to refuse new sit-in customers. But despite that, those new customers opted to take out instead. If customers are willing to compromise, then the food must be great! And it was indeed.

Massive

The platter that came before me was a mountain of home cooked comfort and goodness. There was nothing really special here as it is basically katsu curry with a napolitan on the side. Standard yoshoku fare. But they were done well. The cutlet was lightly breaded and fried. It was not as greasy and crunchy as what I usually have. And I may gripe a little on most days. But as I had so much food to deal with, not having a brick made of grease was a godsend. 

Crunch!

It was light but substantial. The curry sauce that came made for a great condiment. It was beefy and rich, so it contrast with a lightly fried piece of pork very well. Naturally, this went down well with some rice. This on its own can be considered a decent meal as it is. However, I have now head on to the pasta side of the plate. The napolitan was rather basic, but it was done well. Spaghetti fried in a rich tomato sauce and heaps of cheese. You do not need to improve on perfection.

Soothing.

To down everything down was a side of soup, which somehow was the highlight of the meal. It was a simple vegetable soup. Crisp and nourishing, it cleared the passageway to the gullet easily. But once that was down, I could not take any more. This plate was unsurprisingly filling and I am not the food fighter I used to be. Gone were the days where I had chicken rice with triple chicken portions. Well, that will be good for my cholesterol though. But I digress, and that is a story for another day.

Tiny. 

Simply put, I was quite satisfied with the meal and I enjoyed what I had. Seeing that so many people come over was good assurance that the food here is top quality. And it was quite reasonable too, as the plate stood for a mere 1000 yen. Do note that there are many shops all over Nagasaki that sells this potpourri on a plate. It may take a while for me to figure out which restaurant makes the best one, but one thing I can guarantee is that Mammy's is pretty good and worth a shot. It is not Michelin star, but it was simple home cooked goodness. And most times, that is what we all need. 

The cathedral nearby. It is so close, getting there is just less than 10 minutes. 

The location is pretty good too, as it is between the Peace Park and Urakami Cathedral. As such, this can be a cool pit stop between site visits as you head off to your next adventure. So if you fancy a go, Mammy's address is as follows:

〒852-8116 Nagasaki, Heiwamachi, 11−19 グロリアヒルズ

Front of the house