Who’s it for? Anyone who thinks the only good Japanese dish is sushi.
What should I order? The Japanese fried chicken curry with tamago sauce.
How much? €11-12.80 for mains, and potato croquettes for €2.
A few metres from Marché des Enfants Rouges, on rue du Pont-aux-Choux, is Taeko Inaï’s Japanese curry joint. This pint-sized address has only four tables and eight seats, so it’s not the kind of place to while away the hours – but it is sublime for a quick lunch.
The Kezako curry is served in a metal bowl with Japanese rice and a choice of beef, breaded pork or fried chicken. Simmered for hours, this syrupy, spicy sauce is made with a curry paste of twenty different spices, carrots, apples, soy sauce and even a dash of chocolate. Perfectly cooked fried chicken is moist and tender inside – but go even bigger on the protein with a tamago egg, marinated in soy sauce, sake and sugar. Restorative, delicious and a little bit naughty. We’re big fans.