JULY 11, 2014-UPDATE: CLOSED!!! IT CLOSED A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO AND HAS BEEN REPLACED BY ANOTHER RESTAURANT. WELL, IT WASN'T VERY GOOD TO BEGIN WITH. STRANGE HOW WHEN IT FIRST OPENED THAT PEOPLE WERE LINING UP TO FEAST HERE.
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.
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 18th 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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