The savory tomato based curry dish with a side of miso soup served at Black Box Geek. (Janiqua Robinson/Stars and Stripes)
Tucked away in Onohara, a quiet Japanese neighborhood between Iwakuni and Hiroshima, is a boxy, sand-colored building that stands out among the surrounding kawara roofs.
Inside are thousands of “Star Wars,” “Alien,” “Predator” and model car collectibles, books and figurines, many of which have certificates of authenticity alongside them, and some of the best tomato-based curry I’ve ever tried.
Black Box Geek, aka BB Geek, a 9-minute walk from the Ono-Ura Station, is as much a gallery as it is a delicious restaurant and it’s run by Kumi Ishii, a collector with a passion for cooking.
Chicken nanban, a fried chicken cutlet topped with fresh tartar sauce, served at Black Box Geek. (Janiqua Robinson/Stars and Stripes)
The experience was so captivating, I visited twice in one week. The first time, I tried the tomato-based curry, a savory concoction that stuck to my ribs. I finished that meal with some sweet ice cream topped with strawberry sauce and a small coffee.
“The curry you just had was tomato chicken curry, which used only whole tomatoes without using even a drop of water,” Ishii said during that mid-January visit.
Two days later I returned, with a reinforcement this time, and tried the chicken nanban, a fried chicken cutlet topped with fresh tartar sauce. The plate was massive and featured a savory and juicy eggplant, some cut up sausages with roasted peppers and some pasta among many other flavors and textures I thoroughly enjoyed.
Butadon, simmered and succulent pork atop a bed of rice, covered in a dried seaweed topping with an onsen tamago on top served at Black Box Geek. (Janiqua Robinson/Stars and Stripes)
My wife had the butadon, simmered and succulent pork atop a bed of rice, covered in a dried seaweed topping with an onsen tamago, a hot-spring egg, on top. She was thoroughly fascinated by how the egg’s creaminess held together when the yolk was punctured.
Each meal came as a set for 1,800 yen, or $11.68, and we sat in front of “Star Wars” figurines of Count Dooku, Tarkin and Lando Calrissian. Ishii said she started as a collector with toy cars at age 2 and has been at it ever since. Although her figurine collection is vast, car collecting is her first pursuit.
“I live next door and I have over 5,000 cars,” Ishii said. “The first car I owned was [an Isuzu] 117 coupe. My deceased father loved cars and that love runs in my blood.”
Her second favorite hobby is audio quality. She’s used that knowledge to bring high-fidelity sound into the gallery to enhance guests’ experiences as they gape and gawk at the life-like figurines.
Ishii said she designed the building herself eight years ago. “The sound is very important,” she explained. “There are eight speakers above and the ceiling is angled, so the sound swirls and travels down.”
“Star Wars” figurines from across the galaxy on display at Black Box Geek. (Janiqua Robinson/Stars and Stripes)
Portions of the second and third floor of Black Box Geek's impressive gallery. (Janiqua Robinson/Stars and Stripes)
As I moved through the displays on the second and third floors, “Binary Sunset,” more commonly known as the Force theme composed by the legendary John Williams, built and swelled all around me. I was instantly transported to Tatooine, watching the two suns set and feeling there must be more to this vast galaxy than moisture farming.
Collecting “Star Wars” figurines is Ishii’s third favorite hobby. Helmets from “The Mandalorian” to “Clone Wars” and the faces of Darth Maul, Sen. Onaconda Farr and Asajj Ventress barely touch the surface of the lore and deep cuts on display. Even the bathroom features a collection of ships so extensive I couldn’t name them all.
“Episode 4 opened when I was in the second year in high school,” Ishii said. She began collecting “Star Wars” figurines after that and opened the restaurant because she wanted everyone to see her collection, connect and enjoy her food.
Special Ops, 212th Attack Battalion and Imperial Shock Trooper helmet replicas on display in Black Box Geek. (Janiqua Robinson/Stars and Stripes)
Almost everyone. The restaurant and exhibit are open to ages 15 and up only, to preserve the collection and the atmosphere.
“When people have common interests, they can have fun talking,” she said. “I opened this restaurant with the hope that it would be a place where people can talk about their hobbies with each other.”
Black Box Geek
Directions: Exit the Ono-Ura Station on the San-Yo Line, turn right at the motorcycle dealer and walk 700 yards to a rice shop and turn right. Look for the bbgeek sign and turn left. Address is 2-Chome-11-25 Onohara, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima 739-0441
Hours: Open for breakfast 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; parties of seven or more require a reservation. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Prices: 1,800 yen, or $11.68, for most lunch sets, 400 yen for soft serve ice cream and a la carte dishes
Dress: Casual
Information: Cash only; ages 15 and up welcome. Phone 0829-59-3534
