C&C Curry Shop Tokyo

The Japanese love their curry. Introduced to the country by the British in the late 1800s, when Meiji-era Japan opened its doors to foreigners and their goods, curry rice or karē raisu is now so widely consumed that it can be considered a national dish--curry roux blocks and even boil in a bag curry packs are widely available in supermarkets.

Tokyo's C&C Curry Shop serves up this Japanese comfort food at it's best--sticky rice alongside a breaded and deep fried cutlet of some variety (katsu), all covered in a rich curry gravy. Oh so good. For less than $10, you can eat like an emperor with a rib sticking meal of chicken katsu curry and an Asahi to wash it all down.

We nicknamed the curry house "Chicken ATM", as you have to place and pay for your order on a machine located just inside the door. Some of the machines feature English translations beneath the Kangi but it helps to have your Kangi-English dictionary app with you in case they don't. You want to know what you are ordering. Or maybe you don't. Once you have figured out which buttons to push in the right order, the machine spits out corresponding meal tickets that you then hand to the server behind the counter.

The server will ask you how you like your curry sauce: mild, medium hot, or hot. The curry is not exactly India hot so don't be afraid to go all in if you like spicy food.Pickled vegetables, such as little onions or rakkyo and pickled ginger or beni shoga, sit in front of you on the counter as a garnish for your curry.

Find one of the 21 different C&C Curry Shop locations across Tokyo and you will find yourself seated next to businessmen looking for a quick meal before heading back to the office, or young people looking to fortify before a full night of karaoke.