Betrayed in Kolkata, but still cooking Bengali food: Japanese chef’s tribute to the city he loves

Japanese chef Koji Nakayama, 50, and his wife Sachiko, 45. (Right) A Bengali thali served by the Nakayamas at the restaurant Indian Spice Factory. (Image credit: Moneycontrol)

In a quiet corner of Fukuoka Prefecture, a Japanese couple is serving up mustard fish curry and bhaja muger daal (dal made with roasted moong) — not as a novelty, but as a tribute to a city that once betrayed them.

Koji Nakayama, 50, and his wife Sachiko, 45, run a Bengali restaurant in Kasuga City, called Indian Spice Factory, inspired by their five-year stay in Kolkata. Koji, a trained Japanese chef, first moved to India 12 years ago to help launch a Japanese restaurant.

"I started my life in India-Kolkata by participating in a project to set up a Japanese restaurant in India by the restaurant company I was working for at the time," Koji told Moneycontrol. He added that life in India, and specifically Kolkata, was fulfilling the people around him "were very warm and welcoming".

Japanese chef Koji Nakayama, 50, and his wife Sachiko, 45, pose in their kitchen which is well-stocked with traditional Bengali earthenware. (Image credit: Moneycontrol)

'Indian people I trusted betrayed me'

"Of course, business was difficult due to the differences in culture and thinking between Japan and India, and there were times when Indian people I trusted betrayed me and cheated me out of money. But more than that, life in Kolkata enriched me and I was constantly making new discoveries and learning new things," he said.

Soon, what began as a professional assignment turned into a personal journey — one that would leave him both heartbroken and transformed. elaborating on how he was betrayed in the city, Koji said, "I had trusted a Bengali man from Kolkata, someone I considered a close friend for over a decade. By the time I realised most of what he said was a lie, I had already been swindled out of a large sum of money.”

Despite the betrayal, Koji holds no bitterness. “Life in Kolkata was enriching. Every day brought something new. The people, the culture, the food — it all left a deep impression on me.”

Fish curry and a Bengali thali served by Koji Nakayama and his wife Sachiko. (Image credit: Moneycontrol)

‘It tastes just like home’

Today, the Nakayamas serve dishes like shorshe maach (mustard fish curry) and bhaja muger daal in traditional Bengali earthen vessels to diners from Kolkata and Bangladesh. “They often say, ‘It’s just like the food we used to eat at home,’” Koji said.

Their best-selling item is the mustard fish curry, and Koji’s personal favourite is the same, paired with daal. Signature offerings include the Bengali ultimate thali and a Kolkata biryani and Bengali vegetarian thali combo, both priced at ¥4000 (about Rs 2,300).

A Bengali thali served at Indian Spice Factory in Japan. (Image credit: Moneycontrol)

A kitchen built on memory and resilience

Koji’s story is not just about food — it’s about resilience, cultural connection, and the ability to find beauty even in betrayal. “I owe my love for Bengali cuisine to Kolkata,” he said. “Even if I was hurt there, I carry its flavours with pride.”