In a conference room far above the celebrity impersonators and other cacophony of Hollywood Boulevard, the air was thick with the fragrance of Japanese curry.<\/p>\n
Mild, lightly peppery and highly aromatic, it wafted from the tasting stations spread around the room at Japan House, the Japanese cultural organization that hosted a curry workshop earlier this month. <\/p>\n
All Japan Curry Manufacturers Assn. \u2014 a 1941-founded trade group devoted to the homey, comforting dish \u2014 led the workshop and a tasting highlighting the ingredient that forms the backbone of one of Japan\u2019s most iconic dishes. <\/p>\n
A handful of notable L.A. chefs and shop owners sipped the brown gravy from sample cups, comparing flavor notes. <\/p>\n
Typically served over rice or udon, Japanese curry is nostalgic and hearty. It\u2019s also the ideal dish for the cold, rainy spell in which we find ourselves this week.<\/p>\n
Often mild in heat, it\u2019s rich with flavor, studded with vegetables and available throughout the L.A. area if you know where to look. Champion\u2019s Curry, in Pasadena, is a Kanazawa export that serves a thick, deep brown variety, often with katsu. The version served at downtown and Chinatown gem Suehiro is a little lighter, but simmers for 10 hours. <\/p>\n
At the curry workshop, Kagura, a family-run local chain with outposts in Torrance, El Segundo and Monterey Park, among others, served its heady signature curry, which can also be ordered as noodle soup.<\/p>\n
Preparing Japanese curry at home is a breeze. My pantry\u2019s always stocked with curry roux cubes, one of the two chief methods for making the dish. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s a holdover from growing up in West L.A., where my mom would often bring me to grocery shop around Sawtelle. Usually from the Nijiya tucked into the ground-floor corner of a strip mall, we would pick up a box or two, then brown some meat, add some vegetables, toss in the roux cubes (or powdery curry flakes, if you prefer) and pour in water or broth. <\/p>\n
Let it simmer until it perfumes the entire house.<\/p>\n
At Japan House, the chefs, restaurateurs and representatives of Japan\u2019s curry companies shared their own tips and tricks. Steep LA co-owner Samuel Wang mentioned he prefers to finish his curry with fresh banana for a thicker consistency and hint of sweetness. Chef David Kuo pondered a Taiwan-meets-Japan curry special he might run at his Mar Vista mini-mart, Little Fatty. Cookbook author and Toiro owner Naoko Takei Moore discussed the many ways \u2014 new and old \u2014 that Japanese curry has taken shape over the decades (including, more recently, as the sauce base for pizza).<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking for comfort in food form during these cold, rainy days, try Japanese curry. Here\u2019s a whole-chicken recipe to get you started, written by a chef devoted to Japanese cuisine and his heritage. Included, too, are a few other Japanese recipes for hearty, cozy fare to warm you.<\/p>\n
Eating out this week? Sign up for Tasting Notes to get our restaurant experts\u2019 insights and off-the-cuff takes on where they\u2019re dining right now.<\/p>\n
Yakitoriguy\u2019s Whole-Chicken Japanese Curry<\/p>\n
Local chef and online personality Yakitoriguy gained a following<\/a> through his educational series and dinner events devoted to yakitori, or grilled chicken, but he also holds the iconic Japanese curry near to his heart. Here, he shares his recipe for whole-chicken Japanese curry, which feeds a small army and freezes beautifully. (Stephanie Breijo \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Dashi-Maki Tamago (Home-Style Japanese Omelet)<\/p>\n Just as comforting and beloved as Japanese curry is dashi-maki tamago, a fluffy, light, savory omelet made complex with a hint of dashi. Diep Tran\u2019s Buttered Spaghetti With Dried Shrimp And Sake<\/p>\n For another Japanese recipe that\u2019s a comforting, cold-weather winner, look to journalist Diep Tran\u2019s spaghetti inspired by mentaiko pasta. Swapping dried shrimp for cod roe adds new depths of flavor in a sauce that comes together quickly with butter and sake. (Zoe Cranfill \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You are reading our Cooking newsletter Sign up to get a taste of Los Angeles \u2014 and the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":136485,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[84896,84903,84898,146,84901,84897,2026,85,46,84895,23019,6376,40142,84902,84900,54495,84899,762],"class_list":["post-136484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-caribbean-recipe","tag-curry","tag-dish","tag-entertainment","tag-good-caribbean-restaurant","tag-hot-sauce","tag-hour","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-jerked-catfish","tag-l-a","tag-los-angeles-times","tag-minute","tag-restaurant-expert","tag-scotch-bonnet-pepper","tag-spice","tag-spice-courtesy","tag-time"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136484"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136484\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/136485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Get the recipe.<\/a>
Cook time: 1 1\/2 hours. Serves 6 to 8.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Get the recipe.<\/a>
Cook time: 1 hour, 15 minutes. Serves 4.<\/p>\n
Get the recipe.<\/a>
Cook time: 20 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n