Golden Week Wrap-Up (and before)

Gobbled gobs of great grub this Golden Week and in recent days gone by.   

First off, I apologize that this is a rather late notice but Baskin-Robbins 31 Ice Cream currently has their 31% discount off any double scoop of ice cream.  This works out to 280 yen for a small double or 400 yen for a regular double.  This campaign will end on Thursday, May 9^th.

Next, a special shout out to my favorite pizza in Japan, amo la pizza, who is celebrating their one-year anniversary this weekend.  My wife and I feel so fortunate that amo opened up within walking distance to us, and they seem to be flourishing!  Extra staff has been hired and they often sell out of their course sets and, unfortunately, pizzas.  But they have been very kind and gracious to us and we hope for their continued success.

I’ve forgotten to mention that amo now offers a point card!  You receive one point per meal.  Due to our numerous dining experiences at the amo, we have received a free soft drink and a free dessert, and are now six visits away from our 500 yen discount.

This was sometime before GW, but we recently returned to Koan Bakery while out for a drive.  I ordered the Koan Special Plate lunch for 850 yen, which came with a hot sandwich of mustard chicken on a cubed croissant roll, drink, salad, soup, cheese toast, and a sampling of fruits.

The salad was mainly cabbage with some red and yellow bell pepper slices, but it was quite nice.  The soup of the day was minestrone, which went down nicely.  Despite me not caring for cheese, I would rate the cheese toast as not bad, mainly due to the softness of the bread.  I’m sure someone who liked cheese would rate this much higher.  The highlight was the cubed croissant chicken sandwich.  This was very good, the croissant possessing a flaky and crispy outside with a wonderful taste.  The mustard chicken was tender and delicious.  The fruit sample rounded out a nice variety of flavors on one platter.  Oh, and I forgot about the rich coffee!

こうあん特別プレート

My better half ordered the hearty pumpkin chowder soup set with extra bread for 650 yen.  There was also an option for vegetable corn chowder, as well as only the regular serving of bread for 550 yen.  My wife really enjoyed her pumpkin soup, and was quite happy that she was given three different rolls to try.

具沢山スープセット

And although I was quite full, I forced upon myself a delightful lemon danish.

Lemon Danish

We’ve also stopped by on a couple of occasions to another of our favorites, Bistro Ampoule, where we’ve tried a couple of new items.  First off was the pork and duck rillete as an appetizer.  Despite me savoring every morsel, I’m afraid that my description of this plate will not sound very flattering:  it tasted like an exquisite Underwood Deviled Ham.  That was the first thought that entered my mind upon first bite.  But the rillete was really tasty and I would not hesitate to order it again.

豚肉と鴨のリェット

My wife ordered the “Perfectly Round Hamburger Steak” that she absolutely loved!  I sampled it and found it to be extremely soft, almost creamy, and flavorful.

まん丸ハンバーグステーキ

On another visit, Bistro’s Spanish omelette was the appetizer of choice.  I keep saying that I’m not a fan of omelettes, but I did like this Spanish version.  I don’t recall the ingredients, but paired up with the accompanying salad made a nice starter. 

Spanish Omelette

And a special update that my friend, Tony, told me about me.  Barbaresco Pizzeria has a special half-price discount on all their pizzas on Sunday and Holiday evenings.  This sounds like a great deal!

I hope you've enjoyed your Golden Week as much as I have, but hopefully, you haven't packed on the weight like I have. 

April Cat エイプリルキャット 022-246-1140

Website:   Can’t seem to find one, yet.

Address:  仙台市太白区長町南4-12-16.  About a ten-minute walk from Nagamachi-minami Subway Station or a four-minute walk from the Sendai City Gymnasium.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Lunch:  11:30 am – 2:00 pm.   Dinner:  5:30 pm – 10:30 pm.

Closed Sundays and the 3rd Monday of the month.

My wife and I have passed by this place quite often, not noticing what it was because of its hidden-like façade.  When I realized it was a restaurant, I was hoping that it would fall in line with other hidden gems such as Café de Mieux, Bistro Beouf d’Or, and Bistro Ampoule.

A restaurant in hiding.

But April Cat is not like any of the above fancy-schmancy places.

April Cat is about home cooking.  Food your mother would make, if your mother were Japanese.  Nothing fancy here: no pâté, no escargot, no quiche, just nice, hot, voluminous servings of home cooked meals.  

We lucked out on the day that we went, April 30^th, as lunch meals, regularly priced at 680 yen, were only 500 yen throughout the month of April as a special homage to the restaurant’s name.

The lunch set offerings were rather limited, with only Spaghetti Neopolitan, Stir-Fry Pork w/Vegetables, and Wagyū Beef Gyūdon listed on the menu for today.  Unfortunately for me, the Karage Chicken that is usually listed was already sold out for the day.

My wife and I both ordered the stir-fry pork and vegetables set that also came with rice, miso soup, pickled daikon, sliced vegetables and a beverage.

豚肉の野菜炒め定食

The pork/vegetable platter serving was quite generous, so generous that my wife couldn’t finish her dish.  Luckily for me, I scooped up her pork.  Hmmm, that sounds a bit like a double entendre. 

The pork was tasty, marinated along with the veggies in a simple, yet flavorful sauce.  Tasty, but again, nothing elegant.  This really seemed like a home-cooked meal.  The accompanying rice, tsukemono, and sliced vegetables all were appetizing and went well with the main dish.  The miso soup was good, but I like my wife's better.

Close-up of the Stir-Fry Pork w/Veggies

The coffee, our choice of beverage, was quite good!  Which seemed to round out the cozy, home-type feeling.

April Cat is a mom & pop operation that just opened in July 2012, and by appearances has yet to catch on to a lunchtime following, or perhaps I just haven’t noticed it.   I took a peek at their dinner menu and it seems as if they are continuing with the “Welcome home!” ambience.  The evening menu consists of a variety of  唐揚げ、天ぷら、おにぎり, and お好み焼き type foods as their highlights, with light snacks and a couple of pasta offerings.  Oh, and a WIDE selection of intoxicants!

They do offer a point card but no parking.  I didn’t see any ashtrays around but I also didn’t notice any “No Smoking” signs.

April Cat seems like a place where it would be nice to become a regular.  I would say their demographic audience is single men, aged 35 and older, who want a place that feels like home.  Oh, and people who like pictures of cats.  There are pictures and things of cats all over the place.

We plan to go back and try their spaghetti and karage chicken one day.  I recommend you give this place a try.

**I'm having some difficulties with Google Maps.  For the exact location, please click HERE and click the Search button again. 

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Kamakura Weekend

My wife and I recently enjoyed a wonderful getaway weekend in Kamakura, timing it perfectly with the sakura in full bloom.  But along with the cherry blossoms, we indulged ourselves in the local goodies that Kamakura has to offer. 

Our first find was at Café Campanella.  Please click on the restaurant name for a detailed post.

Later, while strolling down one of the main touristy avenues (click HERE for a map), I noticed a crowd of people congregating at a little hole-in-the-wall croquette shop.  I believe the name of the shop is 鳥小屋, which fries up an assortment of breaded goodness, each for only 200 yen:  meat, purple sweet potato, black sesame,  chocolate, maccha,  yuzu, and ume-shiso.

Crispy goodness!

I’ve never really been a fan of croquettes, but apparently Kamakura croquettes are a local specialty so I decided to try one, and I’m sure glad I did!  

I chose the meat croquette and found it to be delightful!  Fried to crispy perfection, the breaded coating crunchy and flaky, with the meat and potato minced filling seasoned nicely, yet surprisingly, not very greasy.  I would’ve loved to try another one but I decided to save room for any other specialties I would run into.  Click on the name of the restaurant for more information about it:  鳥小屋.

鳥小屋コロッケ

My next discovery was just down the street (click MAP) at 腸詰屋, or Schinken & Wurst Hot Dog Bar.  I’m really not sure what the name of the place is, but it seems to be quite popular as there were two other locations that I saw in my short time in Kamakura.  Schinken & Wurst grills up five different varieties of sausages (plain, chorizo, curry, parsley, and paprika & herbs).   Each cost 350 yen for a sausage sans bun, but if you’d prefer it with a bun it’s 400 yen.  I only wanted the protein and not the carbs so I opted for a bunless plain link.

Notice the little piggies?

At first glance, it seemed as if the sausage had barely been near the fire, as there were hardly any grill marks on it.  But upon first bite I realized that it was hotter than it appeared, and the snap of the outer casing of the sausage was quite nice.  Who likes a limp, cold sausage?  I don’t know if it was worth 350 yen, but it was a mighty tasty wiener!  For more info, please click on the name:  腸詰屋. And just to confirm its tastiness, I went the next day to another of its locations HERE.  It proved to be just as delicious as its sister location.

Wonderful Wiener!

Another nice surprise was the apple pie at Little Mermaid (click name for information).  Tart Jonathan apples, butter and caramel mixed with an almond cream baked inside a wonderful crispy and flaky crust for only 280 yen.  This provided ample nourishment as we were trekking from temple to temple.

Little Mermaid Apple Pie

While on our return trip from Kenchōji Temple, we treated ourselves to some of the best vanilla soft cream I’ve licked in Japan at いも吉館.  Only three flavors are available at this ice cream joint, vanilla, purple sweet potato, and mixed, and the cost is 300 yen.  But after the many trails behind Kenchōji Temple, this luscious soft cream was a welcome treat.  Click HERE for a map.

おばあさん sneaking out with her ice cream.

Velvety Smooth!

We ate a satisfactory bacon and egg breakfast at 上島珈琲店.  This chain restaurant also has a Sendai location on Higashi-nibancho dori near Chuo-dori.  The buttered toast was quite nice, with the bread being soft and fluffy.  However, the egg was lacking salt and pepper, and I seemed to throw the staff into a panic when I asked for some salt and pepper.  Click on the name of the restaurant above for the Kamakura location.  

Good, but needs salt & pepper.

I saved the best for last, as our greatest discovery was Burosso in Ofuna.  Burosso deserved its own posting so please click on the name to link to that page.

We had a wonderful time savoring the sights and flavors of Kamakura and its surroundings.  Although cherry blossom season may be over by now, the great tastes still remain.

KAMAKURA: Ōfuna Burosso 大船ブロッソ 0467-50-0525

Website:  http://www.burosso.com/

Address:  神奈川県鎌倉大船1-20-14三友ビル１F.   Located about a five-minute walk from Ōfuna JR Station.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open:  Lunch: 11:30 – 2:30 Dinner:  6:00 – 10:30

On a recent trip to Kamakura my wife and I were at a conundrum on where to dine for the evening.  I Googled 「鎌倉食事」and narrowed down our choices to what was in the vicinity of our hotel.  Burosso looked interesting so we called and made a reservation.

Though the restaurant appeared easy to find on Google Maps, we walked up and down nearby streets and couldn’t find it.  We called Burosso again and were instructed to walk down a small side street where the kind waitress came out of the restaurant to look for us.

I have a theory that inconspicuous restaurants are very often hidden gems.  Well, Burosso took the hidden part to a whole new level.  I advise you to look closely to the map on the Access page of Burosso’s website for the most accurate directions, as Google maps had us on the wrong street, but less than twenty meters from the place.

Ordering turned into a huge ordeal for me as I was quite overwhelmed by all the tantalizing selections available.  The menu board listed twelve varieties of pastas, fourteen different pizzas, eighteen appetizers, along with a slew of meats, gratins, risottos, and salads to chose from.  Burosso’s Menu page on their website is currently under construction, and I can see why due to the wide assortment of entrées they serve.

We started off with a green salad (600 yen) that came with Romaine lettuce, red cabbage, big chunks of tomato, and as a pleasant surprise, thick avocado slices, all topped with parmesan cheese and an excellent tangy Italian dressing.  

新鮮野菜のもりもりサラダ

I ordered the grilled pork roast (1400 yen), while my wife decided upon a margherita pizza (1100 yen).

The grilled pork was thick, tender, and basted in a savory gravy sauce, alongside a risotto-like rice serving with cheese flavoring.  Due to my pickiness, I really don’t care for cheese but I found this to be palatable.  My wife helped herself to a couple of generous spoonfuls of my rice and loved the cheese flavor!

もち豚ロースのやわらかグリル

The homemade Margherita pizza’s crust, which was made with whole-wheat flour, was very crispy, and this tactile feeling with the crackling sounds made it even more delectable.  Again, my wife raved about the rich mozzarella cheese flavor.  We sprinkled a little olive oil with togarashi chili pepper that was in a bottle that was brought to us, and this proved to be a stunning supplement to the pizza.  

フレッシュトマトとハジルのマルゲリータ

My wife appreciated that they offered her two wines to choose from when she asked for a glass of house red wine.  She chose the Italian wine over the Australian and praised its flavor.  

If Burosso was located in Sendai, I’m sure it would make my Favorites list quite easily.  It’s unfortunate that I probably won’t be in Ōfuna again, but I feel fortunate that I feasted on their fine food!

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KAMAKURA: Café Campanella カンパネラ 0467-22-6798

Website:  http://2-14-12.net/menu

Address:  鎌倉市長谷2-14-12.   Located about a 30-second walk from Hase JR Station in Kamakura.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open from about noon till around sunset.  Closed Wednesdays and Thursdays.

It was the perfect combination.  We were starving, and Campanella was the first restaurant we saw open after getting off the train at Hase Station in Kamakura.  Luckily for us, things worked out well!

For me, it was a tough choice between the honey and cinnamon crêpe with vanilla ice cream set (1050 yen) and the Kamakura ham with buttered toast set (950 yen), but since I felt that my body was craving protein, I went with the ham, toast, and the Kamakura blend coffee set.

鎌倉ハムトースト

My better half was eyeing the chocolate, banana, and caramel crêpe set (1050 yen), but she also opted for a more protein enriched meal and chose the Kamakura ham and cheese toast set (1000 yen).

The buttered toasted bread was light, fluffy, perfectly toasted, and delicious!  The ham slices were slightly thick and also scrumptious.  A small, tasteful sampling of pumpkin paste was served alongside pickled vegetables that went well with the toast and ham.  This felt more like a snack than a meal, but it did tide me over for an hour or two until my next opportunity to snack.

My wife loved the flavor of the cheese on her toast, and was quite satisfied that we found such a convenient eatery to gobble down a light snack.

鎌倉ハムチーズトースト

Capanella was quite busy on the Saturday we ventured in.  I was quite surprised and happy that the kind and helpful waitress was a fellow foreigner.  It’s rare to see a foreigner working as a staff member in a restaurant in Sendai.

I’d love to come back to try Campanella’s dessert crêpes some day, hopefully come next hanami season.

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UPDATE #2: amo la Pizza 022-395-5317

Website:  http://ameblo.jp/amolapizza/

If you haven’t read about amo la Pizza before, please read my earlier posts at:  amo la Pizza and HERE.

Address:  宮城県仙台市太白区鹿野2-14-14、グローリアス鹿野102.   Located about a four-minute walk from The Mall Part 2, next to the giant Paradiso Pachinko Parlor in Nagamachi-minami.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open:   Lunch:  11 am – 2:30 pm  Dinner:  5:30 pm  - 9:00 pm

Closed Mondays.

We simply LOVE this place and because of our nearly weekly visits, my wife and I have become regulars at the amo (they don’t capitalize the “a” in “amo”).  But getting a table is still a feat since amo was featured on the 仙台放送 program あらあらかしこ.

The skillful owner, Yoshiki Katsuta, has totally revamped the menus for both lunch and dinner and has taken his restaurant into a new, exciting direction, going from a simple pizza joint to a refined choice for dining.

I’ll begin with the new and improved lunch menu.  There are two menu choices for lunch:  the Lunch Course or the Pizza Lunch.  The Lunch Course is only offered on weekends and holidays, but I’ve ordered it during the week after calling in and requesting it.  It includes an appetizer platter, salad, soup, pizza, gelato, and a drink, all for 1480 yen.  For an additional 300 yen, an alcoholic drink can be served.  Unfortunately, only the first ten orders for the Lunch Course can be served daily.  If you'd like to try the Lunch Course, I suggest calling ahead and reserving both the course and a table.

The appetizer platter features three different samplers: an Italian omelette with balsamic dressing, a slice of Milano and Mortadella ham in olive oil, and pickled vegetables.

前菜盛り合わせ

I have never been a fan of omelettes, but I have to admit that the combo of balsamic sauce mixed with this bacon bit omelette is outstanding!  The pickles are delightful, and the ham slices with olives round out a great starter to the meal.

Next, comes the vegetable salad topped with the wonderful Sendai miso dressing.  On any given day, the veggies could include red daikon, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, red cabbage, turnips, endive, onions, mizuna, mini cabbage, and romaine lettuce.

Salad w/Sendai Miso Dressing

Following the salad is the minestrone soup.  Along with the salad, the vegetables in the soup scream “freshness” in every bite.

Minestrone Soup

When selecting your pizza from the Lunch Course, there are six varieties of pizzas to choose from (Margherita, Italian Sausage, Four Cheese, Vegetable, Bacon & Mushroom Cream, and Seafood Genovesa), or you can order a half & half pizza.  On some days, I’ll go with the one topping of homemade salsiccia Italian sausage, on other days I’ll go with a half & half pizza.  I’m not sure if it’s because they staff knows I write this restaurant blog, or if it’s because we are regular customers, or if it’s that amo likes to satisfy its customers whenever it can, but my off-menu requests are often fulfilled.  When ordering off the beaten track, I’ve ordered a half & half pizza with either the ham and rucola topping or the grilled chicken with the salsiccia sausage.

A side note concerning the salsiccia (“sausage” in Italian).  To me, this Italian sausage tastes exactly like my mother’s meatballs in her Mexican albondigas soup.  My mother’s albondigas soup is one of my all-time favorite dishes, so to have a 懐かしい moment while dining in Japan warms the cockles of my heart.

The vanilla gelato accompanied with whipped cream and berries is a wonderful finisher to a delightful meal.

季節のジェラート

But if the lunch course seems a bit much for you, perhaps ordering from the regular pizza lunch menu would be more to your liking.

The same six varieties of pizzas are available a la carte or with a drink set.  The pizza sets range from 900 yen to 1100 yen, with the choice of drinks being hot/iced coffee or tea, orange juice, or oolong tea.  Beer or house wine is an additional 300 yen.  A 100 yen discount is deducted if you choose not to have a drink.  Dessert is also available for 200 yen.

Below are photos of the various pizzas I’ve encountered.

Half & Half:  Ham/Rucola and Italian Sausage

シーフードジェノベーゼ

自家製サルシッチャ

マルゲリータ

たっぷり野菜の葉園風

Now on to the restyled dinner menu.  The 1900 yen Set Menu is quite similar to the Lunch Course, but there are a few differences.  First, there must be at least two people ordering the Set Menu.  Secondly, it’s one pizza for two people, but you can still order a half & half pizza.  Lastly, the pasta of the day is included!  

The menu states that, like the Lunch Course, your dining experience starts out with three appetizer samplers.  Again, I don’t know if Katsuta-san was just taking care of us this evening, but we were served four delicious hors d’ oeuvres.   In addition to the lunch course’s Italian omelette and pickles, a delightful mixture of broccoli and shrimp in balsamic sauce plus a refreshing caponata were placed in front of us.  My only complaint was that the caponata was a bit difficult to eat in the spoon/bowl that they served it in.

Dinner Set Appetizer Sampler

The pasta d’jour was chicken and gobou (burdock root) in tomato sauce.  The gobou was soft and delicious, which was surprising to me because gobou has never been one of my favorites, while the chicken possessed a savory soy sauce seasoning to it.

Chicken and Burdock (ごぼう) in Tomato Sauce Pasta

As you can see from the menu photos below, amo la Pizza now offers a fine dining experience with a variety of culinary delights for all. I've yet to try amo's selection of nomihoudai party courses which are available upon request, but their menus are enticing.  And with the lovely waitress, Honami, attending to you, who could ask for anything more?

Dinner Menu

Dinner Menu pg. 2

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UPDATE: Casa del Sol 022-265-7633

Website:  http://r.gnavi.co.jp/t042500/

If you haven’t read about Casa del Sol before, please read my earlier post HERE.

Address: 宮城県仙台市青葉区中央1-7-40 大野第一ビル5F.   Across from the AER Building.  There’s a little walkway entrance next to a gyoza restaurant.  Take the elevator to the fifth floor.  

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open:  5:00 pm – 11:30 pm.  Closed Sundays (except preceding a national holiday).

This is one of my original favorites and an update is long over due, especially since this restaurant receives the most hits on this blog.

But unfortunately, I really don’t have that much to add other than that the guacamole is still fantastic and an enjoyable time is still always had at this Casa.

I haven’t frequented Casa del Sol as often as I used to, but this restaurant is still the first restaurant I recommend when someone asks me for my #1 spot.

Last night, I felt like splurging a little and ordered the carne asada platter that consists of a thin beef steak, rice, salsa, jalapeño, and two flour tortillas, all for 1750 yen.  I know there are cheaper places to find a steak, but the tangible feeling of eating tortillas with my hands is something that takes me back to my childhood, so I don’t mind paying a little more for this.

Carne Asada:  カルネ・アサダ・デ・レス

The beef was tender and delicious, while the rice, though not authentic sopa de arroz, was a nice side.  The accompanying salsa had a nice flavor to it but did not register on any kind of spice-o-meter.  But the jalapeño?  This depends on who you ask.   

I was a sorry excuse of a Mexican as a child as I was never much of a chile eater (nor bean eater, either).  But I find the jalapeño at Casa del Sol to add a wonderful kick to the carne asada.  My wife, knowing my poor impression of being Mexican, was impressed with my ability to eat the jalapeño with ease.  So, she cut a one-centimeter sized cube and put it in her mouth.  I wish I would have had the camera out to capture her expression as she almost tried to spit it out and lunge for her water glass.  So use your own judgment on the jalapeño.

My wife went with her usual Mexican Burrito (and Margarita) and was quite content with both of her choices.

Mexican Burrito

Guacamole and Chips

A couple of months ago we had a small gathering for my friend’s birthday and were treated very well that evening.  I’ve added a photo that my friend Takayo Yamaguchi took of the delicious ice cream taco (my photo didn’t turn out so nice).  This ice cream taco is definitely not an authentic Mexican dessert, but it does make a wonderful finisher to a wonderful meal at Casa del Sol.

アイスのタコス　680円

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CoCo’s Curry カレーハウス CoCo壱番屋

Website:  http://www.ichibanya.co.jp/index.html

Address:  Numerous locations throughout Miyagi, but I often frequent the stores in Nishitaga, Nagamachi, and the one on the corner of Ichibancho and Minami-machi dori.

Open from 11 am till either midnight or later, depending on the location.

Not to be confused with the COCO’S chain of family restaurants, which uses a similar color scheme in its advertising.  Which came first: COCO’S or CoCo’s Ichibanya?  Who knows, but I wish one of them would change their colors.  

I don’t know how many of your acquaintances have tried a CoCo’s Ichibanya before, but upon taking an informal survey of the Japanese people I know, I soon found out that almost none of them had ever tried the curry here, including my wife.  It's a mystery as to why others have passed on CoCo’s, but I became a convert upon my first venture to the Ichibancho store over a decade ago.  In my opinion, CoCo’s Curry has always been a dependable choice for a meal out.  Sure, this is not gourmet dining at the pinnacle of elegance, but it’s always good and filling, and at a reasonable price.  You can’t go wrong with CoCo’s!

Last week, I wrote of my visit to Kanazawa 18 Curry.  Sorry Kanazawa, you may have the gimmicky pricing and the Challenge platter going for you, but for pure flavor CoCo’s is head and shoulders above you.

I always order the Chicken Katsu Curry for 680 yen, while my wife orders from either their seafood or vegetable curry selections.

チッキンカツカレー

And talk about selections!  CoCo’s offers a variety of seventeen meat curry platters, five seafood entrées, and thirty-seven topping options!  There are also vegetable curry and allergen-free alternatives listed on the menu.  But a word of warning to vegetarians:  I could be wrong but I believe the curry sauce is always meat based regardless of your selection.  You might want to stick to one of the four veggie salads listed on the menu.

やさいカレー

I forgot to mention that you can also order larger or smaller portions of rice on the curry, as well as the degree of spiciness.

On a side note, the Ichibancho locale will always hold a place in my heart.  A few days after the March 11^th disaster, my wife and I headed downtown in search of food and supplies.  We were astonished on the availability of resources on Chuo-dori and Ichibancho compared to where we lived.  But what really thrilled us was that the CoCo’s Curry was open for business.  It was our first hot meal in days and we were so grateful for it.

If you’ve never tried CoCo’s Curry House Ichibanya, I highly recommend it to you.  

Kanazawa 18 Curry 金沢スーパカレー 022-265-9809

Website:  http://tabelog.com/miyagi/A0401/A040101/4012235/dtlrvwlst/3953096/

Address:  仙台市青葉区１番町3-11-27.   Located on a side street off of Ichibancho between Chuo-dori and Hirose-dori.  Walking from Fujisaki Department Store, turn right on the street where the Coach clothing store is.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open everyday from 11:18 am to 9:18 pm.  (The number 18 is important here).

On a couple of occasions while strolling downtown I’ve seen people lining up down the block waiting to get in to this establishment.  Other times, I’ve seen only one or two customers in the joint.  This peaked my interest so I decided to give this place a try last weekend.

You place your order using an electronic ticket machine, somewhat similar to many ramen and stand-up udon restaurants found here in Japan.  I’ve never had a problem figuring out how to order what I wanted before, as they are all rather clear-cut and easy to operate.  But I found this machine to be a little confusing and had to ask for help to confirm that my selection was correct, which the helpful staff was more than happy to oblige.

Somewhat confusing ... for me.

I ordered the カツ唐揚げcurry lunch special for 650 yen, which came with a salad and curry topped with a fried, breaded pork fillet and Japanese fried chicken.  For this price, this sounded like a very reasonable deal!

First, came the salad with a tangy and tart dressing that I really enjoyed.  So far, so good.

Salad with great dressing!

Next came the curry platter.  “Hmmm … a little on the small side,” thought I.  Though it smelled delicious, I couldn’t help noticing the kid portion size of the pork fillet, as well as the karage looking as if it was left in the deep fryer just a touch too long.  I would’ve appreciated a little more protein in this meal.  Actually, I would’ve appreciated a little more taste with the protein, as well.

The curry itself was good enough, but not really all that spicy.

Petit Protein Portions

This seems like a good place if you're on a budget or a cheap date.  They have special prices on the 18th of every month, with plain curry just 180 yen and katsu curry for 360 yen.  These may have been the dates when I witnessed the long line of (cheap?) eaters.

Can't beat this deal!

They also have a gimmicky チャレンジカレー.  It's 3.5 kg of curry stuff (sausage, karage chicken, katsu, minced katsu, and a hamburger patty) and it costs 2880 yen.  But if you eat it in under eighteen minutes you get 10,000 yen!  That might not cover the cost of your hospital bill, though.

A stomachache waiting to happen.

So far, four people (skinny ones, I might add) have accomplished this feat, including one woman.  Their photos are proudly displayed on the wall.    Well, maybe not proudly.  The photos are cropped at the neckline, perhaps hiding the obvious painful expressions of those who gulped down this obscene amount of food in less time than it takes a Japanese ambulance to take you to a hospital.

The Fab Full Four

If you find yourself on the 18^th of the month hankering for some curry but are still a few days from payday, or you feel like you can pick up a quick 1-man 円 by eating a couple of days worth of food in under eighteen minutes, you might want to give Kanazawa Curry a try.

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