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This page is about one day out in Tokyo by one of the site's writers. The author went to the Kanda Curry Grand Prix (神田カレーグランプリ) near Kanda Station (神田駅) and tried three curries. After that the author went to a sweets buffet at Marble Lounge (マーブルラウンジ) in Hilton Tokyo (ヒルトン東京) in Shinjuku. The visit was in November 2024. Everything here is from the author's Japanese article, written in July 2025.
The day at a glance
| Order | Place | What the author did |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kanda Curry Grand Prix 2024 (神田カレーグランプリ決定戦2024), former Imagawa Junior High School site (旧今川中学校跡), near Kanda Station | Tried three curries from a field of 20 stalls |
| 2 | Marble Lounge, Hilton Tokyo (ヒルトン東京 マーブルラウンジ), Nishi-Shinjuku (西新宿) | Sweets buffet during a themed event |
About the Kanda Curry Grand Prix
The Kanda Curry Grand Prix (神田カレーグランプリ) is an event that picks the No. 1 curry shop in the Kanda (神田) area. The author describes Kanda as a place often called a holy land of Japanese curry.
The author also mentions the Kanda Curry Street stamp rally (神田カレー街食べ歩きスタンプラリー), held every year.
- If you collect a set number of stamps, you earn the title of "Kanda Curry Meister" (神田カレーマイスター).
- The Meister rank goes up through Bronze, Silver and Gold as you collect more stamps.
- If you visit all the shops that take part, you earn the title of Grand Meister (グランドマイスター).
When the author wrote the article in July 2025, the stamp rally was expected to be held again that year. Dates and rules can change. The original links to the Kanda Curry Grand Prix official site.
The Grand Prix day
The venue was the former Imagawa Junior High School site (旧今川中学校跡), close to Kanda Station. It rained that day, but the event was busy anyway. 20 stalls took part, and the author describes them as distinctive and skilled.
The author tried three curries:
- Restaurant 1899 Ochanomizu (レストラン1899お茶の水): Japanese-dashi keema curry (1899和出汁キーマカレー)
- Beppin-sha (べっぴん舎): two kinds of curry served side by side (2種のべっぴんあいもりカリー)
- BAR CAFE Sangatsu no Mizu (BAR CAFE 三月の水): waterless coconut Wagyu beef-tendon curry (無水ココナッツ和牛牛すじカレー)
The author says all three were good. There were stalls other than curry, too. One of them gave out a sample of Meiji Bulgaria frozen yogurt dessert (a frozen yogurt bar). There was also a short live show by artists.
The 2024 Grand Prix went to BAR CAFE Sangatsu no Mizu, the third curry the author had eaten.
The sweets buffet at Marble Lounge
After leaving the Grand Prix, the author went to Hilton Tokyo and visited Marble Lounge.
- Place: Marble Lounge, Hilton Tokyo (ヒルトン東京 マーブルラウンジ), 6-6-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo (東京都新宿区西新宿6-6-2)
- Official page: Marble Lounge, Hilton Tokyo (Japanese)
On the day of the visit, the lounge was running an event called "Marie Antoinette: The Queen's Masquerade" (マリー・アントワネット－王妃のマスカレード). The buffet corner was decorated for the event, and the food looked festive too. The author notes that this event had ended by the time of writing and a different one was being held. Buffet themes change, so what is on now may differ.
The author says that at a buffet they put quantity before looks, and that cakes are hard to plate neatly. There were sweets, of course, and there was also a fair amount of other food, including roast beef. The author was glad of that: after a lot of sweet things, you sometimes want something salty.
The original article does not give the time slots, the price, how to book, or the number of seats. Check the official page above before you plan.
Things to know before you plan
- The author went in November 2024. The original does not say when the Grand Prix is held in other years.
- Rain did not keep people away. The author says the venue was busy even in the rain.
- The three dishes above are the ones the author tried in 2024.
- Buffet events change. The "Marie Antoinette" theme the author saw has ended. Check the Hilton Tokyo page for what is on now, and for booking details.
- This page does not give prices, opening hours or directions. The original article does not give them.
More detail (Japanese)
The original article is in Japanese. It has no affiliate links.
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