Bondy curry, Jimbocho (神保町本店)

There’s a curry-shop rating site in Japan, did you know that? Anyway, Bondy is within striking distance from the office and is conveniently 8th on the list today. (Contrasting, Manten is 7th and Ethiopia is 2nd. I didn’t like Ethiopia, but between Manten and Bondy you should find a place you like.)

There’s a lot of action going on. In fact, today’s theme is ‘action shots’. Here, Todd is illustrating the various condiments available (pickles, pickled onions, raisins and coconut (?!)) as well as the fact that your curry will come with two boiled potatoes. I have no idea why it’s traditional to complement starch-and-muck with more starch, but it is.

Regardless of your order, you’ll get a plate of rice. I think that’s a bit of cheese on top.

And you’ll get a gravy boat (curry boat, perhaps) of curry. Chicken is the recommended thing; I asked the waitress what else was popular and she confessed that she had only ever had chicken. I got beef.

I wish I knew why they call this ‘European-style curry’.

Now let’s get it ON with an shot of some hot curry-on-rice action! There’s a whole group of devotees for that genre. The above shot is misleading; it’s about as dark and lovely as it looks here.

This is about the best Japanese curry, I think. It’s adequately hot, balanced sweetness, lots of spicing…tastes like a real food, much more so than the (delicious) junk-food aspect at Manten.

You know, I think McDonald’s is a real food too, just not a real hamburger food.
03(3234)2080