Mr. Japanese Curry

With all the different versions of curry around the world, it is pretty hard to choose a favourite.  I personally love them all in their own way as they are all unique.  One of the most approachable forms of curry is the Japanese one.  It is usually not spicy and has an appealing sweetness to it.  Definitely won't blow your mind like authentic Indian or Thai curries.  Yet, it is much more flavourful than the yellow stuff they call curry in Chinese cuisine.  So it was with much interest that I visited Mr. Japanese Curry on 8th at Cambie.

We tried a bunch of curries including the Beef Curry with Chicken.  Yes, it was only the curry that was beef flavoured while it was paired with chicken.  Interesting contrast between meaty umaminess and buttery soft chicken.  There was lots of depth as I could taste the earthiness of the curry as well as a background sweetness (that was quite muted).  Love the side of pickles as it helped add a sweet crunch to compliment the rich flavours.

Shockingly, I really enjoyed the next curry even though it was vegan!  Yes, the Pumpkin Croquette Curry itself was vegan, but was still silky and rich.   It was more sweet with less spices coming through.  I was surprised at the creaminess, but it was definitely welcomed.  As for the croquettes, they were awesome!  Beyond the uniformly crispy breading, the pumpkin was delicate and soft.  The natural sweetness really came through.

 

Now my favourite item we had was the Omu-Cheese Curry.  Oh where do I begin?  First off, the curry was smooth and had an appealing viscosity.  It was mildly sweet and I could taste the spices.  But the real draw here was the silky soft cooked eggs.  They were fluffy and had a great mouth feel.  Just the right amount of melted cheese graced the dish so it wasn't overwhelming.  Combined with the chewy rice, each bite was a delight.

To get a sense of the other proteins that can be had with the curries, we had the Fried Ebi as well as the Chicken Karaage.  The ebi was crunchy while buttery inside and the karaage was crispy with juicy meat.  Those would've gone well with the curries as well.  All-in-all, I was rather impressed with the food at Mr. Japanese Curry.  It doesn't seem like complex food, but they were able to make distinctive curries that worked well with their accompanying proteins.  I would definitely eat it again.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Delicious curries, well-balanced
- Well-prepared proteins
- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:
- Seating is real tight