Gil Riego, Jr.
Curry Up Café is an Americanized version of one of the most common restaurants found in Japan, the curry house.
Compared to any other curry from India, Thailand, Vietnam and China, Japanese curry tends to be the thickest — depending on how spicy you want it.
Enjoying the environment with a friend, I noticed that this place had a very modern feel. It didn’t feel as homely as my old stomping ground for curry, E&E Café, nor did it seem as “traditional” as a regular Japanese restaurant. It may have been the large high-definition TV hanging over the entrance to the kitchen and cashier.
The appetizer of the night was an order of calamari rings. While chewy, it was still enjoyable as it started to settle my appetite. When asked what I would have for the entrée, I ordered the Pork Cutlet Curry, at a spice level of “Hot” (the levels offered are Mild, Medium, Hot and “Freakin’ HOT!”).
As soon as the meal arrived, my anticipation boiled over. It had been almost a year since I had E&E curry, and three months since I had Japanese curry at all.
The portion of pork cutlet was pretty big; the curry was a beautiful, glowing bright red, showing its spiciness. I poured the thick, gelatinous liquid from the bowl onto the plate of rice, smiling at the thought of devouring this dish that I had been waiting for so long.
Plunging the spoon into the mixed pile of curry, rice and pork, I shoveled a large heap into my salivating mouth. The moment the flavor hit my taste buds, I was pleased, yet disappointed.
The taste was nothing like what I remember from my past. Not even close. But it did have its own special flavor that was just as good, although different. This version tasted sweeter than any other I’ve had before. It was a sweetness that stayed until the very last spoonful.
Overall, this café is somewhere I would definitely come back to. It’s not something that could replace the good memories I have had in E&E, but it seems to be a fantastic place to make some new ones.
