Japanese Curry (and Ramen noodle)

Today I made Japanese “curry rice” which is quite different from the original Indian curry. If you’ve never seen it, here is a blog about it. I’ve always wondered what the Indian people thought of it; so I invited one today. She liked it; but then what’s she gonna say to my face, “It sucks”?

Most Japanese people would agree that it’s hard to say which is better since they are quite different. But personally, the Japanese version decidedly feel low-class. It’s like the difference between McDonald’s and a fancy restaurant; sometimes you crave for McDonald’s even if you could afford to go to the fancy one. In Japan, “curry-rice” is commonly cooked at home, and is considered a cheap meal.

Interesting comparison is ramen noodle. Its original is Chinese lo mein noodle in broth. I’m pretty sure “ramen” came from “lo mein”. All the Americans I know who had both versions said they liked the Japanese version better. The Chinese version, they said, tasted too bland in comparison to the Japanese version. Curiously enough, the top-rated ramen noodle restaurant in New York, Momofuku, is owned by a Korean-American chef. [This is a correction; I originally thought he was Chinese.]