Curry House: End of an Era
February 24th, 2020 marks the day when we lost an icon, Curry House. For reasons unknown to us. All Curry House locations in North America were shut down. This information has devastated me. I have been a patron and loyal fan of Curry House for the last 15 years. To hear that one of my favorite restaurants had just shut down shocked me. I could never again enjoy the curry that defined my youth.
For those who don’t know, Curry House is a Japanese-American restaurant chain all over California. Serving their take on Japanese curry and spaghetti the chain was incredibly popular with the Asian-American community in California as the flavors were familiar yet exciting.
My first experience with Curry House was back in 2005 at their Puente Hills location, in the City of Industry. I remember eating there for the very first time, getting the kids set with the complimentary corn pottage and kids toy. I had exclusively dined at that Curry House location growing up. I knew the manager, and some of the senior wait staff by name as my family and I frequented the restaurant several times a month. At one point, Curry House was my favorite restaurant. I loved the variety on the menu, you could get curry or their interpretation of some basic Italian dishes.
To be frank and objective Curry House is just a pretty decent curry restaurant. It's nothing special or great for the large franchise that it is. But to me, Curry House holds a special place in my heart. I remember all the family dinners I had there, the birthdays celebrated at the restaurant and the meals I had after hanging out at the Puente Hills Mall. So it pains me to have to say goodbye to what used to be my favorite restaurant.
If I knew this was coming, I would have visited one last time to say a proper farewell but unfortunately me and many others who loved Curry House won’t get that chance. So farewell Curry House, you will be missed but not forgotten. You will live on in the memories and hearts of your loyal fans.
-Alex Tsai
“Where am I supposed to get my curry now...?”
Admittedly, I am no expert when it comes to Curry House. I was an infrequent guest, at best. However, no matter my position in regards to the restaurant, I believed it to be a reliable place to get good Japanese curry, as other options are too far or do not focus on the dish, in itself. Were it not for Alex, I would not have known of Curry House. He was the one who introduced me to the place. I remember the day; it was cold and overcast, maybe slightly windy. Both of us were rather tired after doing a drive and a grocery run and were hungry. I was shooting out suggestions left and right, but as soon as those thoughts left my mouth, one thing came to mind: nothing sounded good because I was craving Japanese curry. I asked Alex whether there was anywhere we could get a good bowl of Japanese curry, and he suggested Curry House. Hence, my first memory of the place. The first order I got was a hot, spicy bowl of beef curry. The fragrance from the turmeric-heavy curry mix wafted through my nose as the dish was brought to me. It was so hearty and nourishing that I had to take some of it home just to eat for later. I just could not forget the flavor.
Looking back at it, yes - the quality did dip from the first time I went. But, all the memories that place has held for me since the first day I visited have lasted in my mind. Even though I found the curry decent at best, after first impressions, it, alongside the experiences that came with it, was consistent; and that, at the end of the day, is what really matters.
-Colby Liew
“I couldn’t have its delicious curry one last time but I’ve made long-lasting memories. Thank you for everything, Curry House.”
