Fine. Here’s some curry.
When the Japanese embrace outside ideas and run with it (like washoku pasta) you get interesting ideas, and occasionally it can be very tasty. Just remember that just like hamburgers, ramen or udon, it's a fast/comfort food found throughout the country that ranges from spectacular to serviceable, and sometimes, even Japanese serviceable will beat overpriced stuff made overseas.
I find the Japanese concept of curry to be amusing. Tt's a dish introduced by the Royal Navy to Japan, basically as a spicy stew made with some kind of seasoning powder that is similar to, but not the same as Garam masala…
Did Japan literally got cooking tips from the Brits of all people?
When you see its current regional and style variations, and the fact that you can actually get bona-fide Indian cooking easily in most major population centers, they really own this stuff proudly and make it their own.
Anyways, yeah, here's a few curries I had recently, some are great, others are merely okay, all are Japanese, and I enjoy each and every one of them.
Photo 1: Katsu-curry on the flight to Japan (JAL long haul economy).
Serviceable/okay.
Photo 2 / 3: Curry shokudo Cocoro in Akihabara, Hokkaido style soup curry (they are a participant in the 2025 Kanda curry rally) – very decent/excellent, but only if you like Hokkaido style soup curry.
Photo 4 / 5: Kissaten curry from Murufuku Osaka Sennichimae Honten
Serviceable/okay.
Photo 6 / 7: Kissaten curry from Hoshino Hiroshima station – considering that Hoshino is owed by Doutour, their coffee is meh and their curry is only so-so, runs a little too sweet for my tastes.
Photo 8/9: Yaki-curry from Mojiko Retro yaki-curry honten, first one is the classic while the second is the oyster curry with roasted bananas (a Mojiko thing, surprisingly good) and shrimp on top (posted previously).
Very good and complex, will come back.
Photos 10-13: Kure JMSDF support facility canteen: JMSDF navy curry served by naval reserve personnel. That croquette on the plate on photo 11 was supposed to be whale meat but I got it substituted for beef. The chocolate curry bun on 12/13?
Both it and the navy curry sounds and looks better than it was…really a bit “meh", but I guess if you have to spend 4-6 weeks in a diesel-electric sub, it's probably the only joy you can have.
Photos 14/15: Takaratei Atami, curry-katsu plate with an egg on top. Possibly one of the better Japanese curry I had up to this point. Complex with rich flavors.
Photo 16: Cocoro in Akihabara for the second time.
It was also good enough to warrant a return trip.
Photo 17: Hokkaido soup curry kaki-no-tame from Seicomart, Komba in Saitama. Limited availability, pretty okay flavor.
Photo 18: JAL beef curry rice at the Sakura lounge, Haneda Airport. Their beef curry rice is kinda famous but it tastes better in-flight as an ala-carte item. The lounge one is so-so.
Photo 19: Washoku style curry served as part of a Washoku meal (got an unexpected business class upgrade on the flight home). Honestly only “okay”, not worth the boughie packaging.
Photo 20: Hokkaido style soup curry I made using an Instant-pot with the veggies done on an air fryer, served with some Olive Fougasse from Trader Joe’s. it was fine but the flavors didn’t come out until day 2 to 3 or so.
by WangFury32