Japanese Curry – INDIAN CURRY
Let me introduce my recommended curry shops.
Currently, I have two recommended curry shops.
This time, I’ll introduce the first one.
The first one I’d like to introduce is ‘Indian Curry’ [https://www.indiancurry.jp].
Although they’ve recently opened shops in Tokyo, it’s mainly a curry shop centered around Osaka.
Despite the shop’s name, it serves typical Japanese-style curry (commonly known as curry rice).
It’s hard to explain in English, but the Japanese spelling is “インデアンカレー (Indean Curry)”, not “インディアンカレー (Indian Curry)”.
This shop name cannot be converted entirely into katakana, which is its distinctive feature.
It seems to have been founded after the Great East Asia War, and it’s the same as how “ビルディング (building)” became “ブリヂング (Bridging)”.
Personally, I think it’s nice that it remains unchanged, like the old “大名古屋ビルヂング (Dai Nagoya Bridging)” in front of Nagoya Station.
By the way, even if you search for “Indian Curry” today, it still shows up in search results, so no need to worry.
The first time I ate Indian curry was during my student days.
I happened to walk into Indian Curry with a friend in Sanbangai, Umeda, Osaka.
I remember being utterly amazed by how delicious it was the first time I ate it.
I remember there was another curry shop right behind it at the time. However, with two curry shops so close together, they naturally became competitors, and the other curry shop eventually closed down.
Currently, Indian Curry has 7 shops in Osaka Prefecture, 1 shop in Hyogo Prefecture, and 2 shops in Tokyo.
The Indian Curry website lists their product menu, so I’ll list it here.
Somehow, it feels like the number of products has increased over time.
・Indian Curry — The curry rice introduced this time
・Indian Spaghetti — Spaghetti sauce made with Indian Curry, absolutely delicious
・Hayashi Rice – A Kansai-style Hayashi Rice.
・Pilaf – I haven’t eaten this one.
・Meat Spaghetti – I haven’t eaten this one.
・Jambalaya – I haven’t eaten this one.
Indian curry is served at all shops.
Other menu items are different at each shop.
If you want something other than Indian curry, we recommend checking before you go.
Sanbangai shop in Umeda, Osaka
Marunouchi shop in Tokyo
I write about Indian curry here.
This curry is Japanese-style, specifically the beef curry rice that’s mainstream in the Kansai region.
While many spice curry shops have recently opened in Osaka, Indian curry belongs to the category of curry rice known as “sweet-and-spicy curry” that’s been around for a long time.
And within sweet-and-spicy curries, this one belongs to the quite spicy category.
Sweet-and-spicy curry means it tastes sweet the moment you put it in your mouth, but the spiciness comes right after.
Some people trying it for the first time even say, “Sweet, spicy!”
First comes a substantial sweetness. But immediately after that, the spiciness hits. (It might be too spicy for people who aren’t used to spicy food.)
This combination of sweetness and spiciness is incredibly exquisite and delicious.
If you can’t believe this sensation, please visit the shop and try it for yourself.
If you don’t like spicy food, I recommend adding an egg.
Even though it’s called an egg, it’s just the yolk placed on top of the curry rice. The yolk’s richness envelops the curry rice.
I personally like quite spicy food, but I always add an egg to Indian curry.
I think it’s a truly delicious combination.
If you absolutely can’t eat spicy food, you had better to order the so-called “MEDAMA (eyeballs)” option, which comes with two yolks.
Also, the pickles here use a cabbage base, unlike the Fukujinzuke(Sliced vegetables pickled in soy sauce) or Rakkyo pickles commonly used at other curry shops.
The cabbage in these pickles is seasoned with a sweet vinegar, making them the perfect palate cleanser for the spicy curry.
I absolutely love these too and always order a large serving.
This is Indian Curry. This photo shows the ‘DAI-TAMA ROUX-DOUBLE’. It contains of a large serving of rice, double the amount of curry roux, topped with a raw egg yolk.
I usually can’t eat large servings of rice, but when I come to Indian Curry, I can eat as much as I want, as if curry were a drink.
I usually order the “DAI-TAMA・ROUX-DOUBLE・PICKLES-OMORI.”
This contains a large serving of rice, a large serving of curry roux (less than a double amount) on top, and a yolk as a topping.
Also, the cabbage pickles are served in a large portion.
Whether you’re a curry lover or not, we highly recommend trying it at least once.
We also encourage visitors from overseas to include this shop in their sightseeing itinerary.
The secret phrase is “Large rice, double curry roux, and large pickles.” Memorize this phrase like a spell and tell us when you order.
Honestly, I’d be perfectly fine eating Indian curry for lunch everyday.
Reference: Indian Curry (2024/11/16) [In Japanese]
https://www.indiancurry.jp
Reference: ：Asahi Shinbun (2024/11/16) [In Japanese]
https://www.asahi.com/and/article/20211216/412262072
Thanks.
2024/12/05