へべれけ商社マン
Starting with the bistro Ata in Daikanyama and the French restaurant Au Deco in Hiroo, I have become a fan of Chef Kakegawa's cooking (although I have not met him yet) ... While saying in some magazine that "I don't really want to do anything too unique. I think there is meaning in things that have been passed down from the past, and I want to cherish them. I respect the techniques of our predecessors," at Ata and Au Deco, he respected tradition while incorporating various techniques to make the food delicious. So, I was excited to try the curry restaurant that Chef Kakegawa was involved in. I had heard that besides the main store in Ebisu, there were also large branch stores in Shibuya Parco and Takeshiba, but I wanted to start with the main store... So, one weekend, I visited the store. Despite being called Ebisu, the store is located between Ebisu and Shibuya, on the second floor of a narrow building in a back alley off Meiji Street. I visited around 1 pm, and the small restaurant with only 4 tables was full, so I had to wait for about 20 minutes before entering. There were two types of curry on the menu that day, but I chose the "Mixed Curry W" (1,400 yen) without hesitation and added toppings of egg and coriander (each 110 yen). By the way, the curry of the day was Kashmiri Keema Curry and Mussels Saag Curry (a curry made with greens such as spinach and rapeseed flowers). After waiting for about 10 minutes, the dish was brought to me. The curry served in a beautiful blue ceramic dish and the colorful assortment of pickles (Indian pickles) looked Instagram-worthy, like a small universe spreading on a blue plate, making my mouth water just by looking at it. The chef had said, "Curry, like French cuisine, relies on the dashi (broth)," and both the Keema and Saag curries embodied this perfectly and were delicious! Especially the Saag curry, with its depth reminiscent of bouillabaisse behind the spinach and spices, was like a sophisticated French sauce, an exquisite marriage! The use of pink pepper as an accent was also brilliant, showing the chef's mischievous yet genuine spirit in fully utilizing the spice aroma. The Keema curry also had a good texture with coarsely ground meat, a nice chewiness, and a moderately spicy taste. The side dishes supporting the main dish were also quite good... The bitter yet crunchy bitter gourd pickle, the crunchy red cabbage and carrot pickle, and the crispy onion chips were all excellent accents. Oh, the taste exceeded my expectations! (It slightly reminds me of my beloved "Spicy Curry Hangetsu" in Shinjuku and Ginza ♪) I will definitely come back!