Yummy! Yummy! Japanese Curry
And New Days continues its stupidity.
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When one considers Japanese cuisine, curry is not typically the first dish that comes to mind. But Japan has a unique, delicious style that warrants attention. It's nothing like Indian curry, which is full of spice, heat, and color. Instead, it’s a thick, rich, deep brown sauce more sweet than spicy. Paired with rice and pickles, it is stupendous. Topped with tonkatsu (fried pork), it is a revelation.
The British introduced curry to Japan in the late 19th century following its forced reopening by the USA. Having ruled over India for over a century, the British had acquired a taste for the local cuisine, though they naturally adapted it to suit the British palate. The Japanese further modified it to appeal to their own taste buds, which meant further toning down the heat, adding a roux to make it thick, and adding sweet elements like apple. By the 1960s, grocery stores began offering curry roux, which is how most people prepare curry today. Find your nearest Asian grocer and grab a box of Golden Curry. The cooking couldn’t be easier, and the dining couldn’t be more satisfying:
Slice onions, carrots, and potatoes.
Sauté until onions are translucent.
Cut the roux into small pieces.
Add water and roux to the vegetables and stir until the roux is dissolved.
Simmer until it’s achieved the desired thickness.
Serve with rice.
This is the perfect meal on a cold winter day when the kerosene heater is just barely keeping you warm. For busy parents struggling to find the energy to cook a homemade meal, it's a lifesaver.
There are even restaurant chains built on curry: CoCo Ichibanya and Go!Go! Curry. If you’re visiting Japan on a slim budget they are great options for a cheap, tasty meal. Saddle up to the counter, order the wiener curry or the tonkatsu curry, and savor every bite.
Lawson has collaborated with a hospitality company called Nakamuraya, which operates various food service establishments, including curry restaurants. There are four options, but there’s a clear best choice: the tonkatsu curry. Similar to curry, tonkatsu is often overlooked by tourists, yet it's utterly delicious. Thick pork cutlets are breaded in panko and deep fried until golden brown. The crispy panko married with the fatty pork yields an unholy unctuousness. Pour a thick bath of curry on top and you’ve achieved peak life.
Lawson’s campaign gets better because the four curries are Machikado, whereby everything is cooked fresh. These are not pre-made and pre-packed in some giant factory. Lawson shops cook fresh rice, pork, and curry then stock them on shelves.
Japan always separates the rice from the curry. A sort of demilitarized zone exists where the curry and rice touch. But this thin line is as close as the two ever get on the plate. The correct way to eat is to scoop some rice (curry is eaten with a spoon), scoop some curry, and take a bite. It’s like squirting a pile of ketchup next to the fries versus spraying it all over. Both the rice and curry remain in a perfect state through the meal and the diner can control how much curry to pair with each bite of rice.
Don’t wait. Go get some.
Item of the Week
Move over Swedish Fish. The squid gummy has arrived.
This gem is from the Kanro candy company's Candemina series, which focuses on extra chewy "hard" gummies. The company also sells the popular Pure Gummy, which is known for its soft texture.
According to the brand’s director, the target market is teenagers. Nothing says cool like ferociously ripping the head off of a giant squid. Actually, that does sound pretty cool!
From the Dumpster
New Days has made waves over its Sugo-Onigiri series. These are rice ball abominations stuffed with everything from an entire bento box to a bowl of ramen. A new croissant suggests they might be exploring a similar concept for sandwiches.
The Cheese Croissant Sandwich is stuffed with sliced ham, potato salad, and sliced cabbage, then topped with melted cheese. It’s an entire picnic inside of a croissant. Japanese potato salad is sopping wet. It’s more mayonnaise than potato. The ooze spilling over the edge of this sando tells us New Days didn’t hold back.
I may be biased because I worked at a breakfast and lunch spot for a couple summers in college. I made chicken salad, tuna salad, egg salad, and potato salad 3-4 times a week. The chef always told me, “Make it wet,” which meant add plenty of mayo. I’d take a gallon jug of the stuff, tear the lid off, and tip it upside over a bucket of boiled chicken breast. The stuff would be so lubed up you could have waxed a water slide with it.
Zoom in on that potato salad and try to find any sign of potato. There are shards of something. But it’s mostly a sloppy pool of mayo. Wear a bib because the first bite will blast you with mayo.
Conbini Haiku
Deserves more respect
All attention on sushi
Japanese curry
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Lawson has a CoCo Curry collaboration curry pan lately that has been a breakfast go to.
That new day’s sandwich looks unfortunate
CoCoIchi has some branches here in Manila and for some reason it’s the worst Japanese curry I’ve ever had. I’ve cooked better... and I use House Foods!