Emmett T.
Yelp
It's the same ownership as the previous curry shop at this suite in the Independence Square of Kearny Mesa. They decided to separate from that chain brand and have recently opened The Curry Club. Posted on the front door was a sign that said they were in a soft opening phase with limited business hours. When I asked our waitress when the grand opening would be, she said it already occurred. If that was true, then the signage needed to be updated along with any expanded operating hours (i.e. beyond just 5 to 9 pm from Tuesday to Sunday?).
There was seating for about two dozen customers. To my surprise, the place was fully occupied when we arrived. We added our party name to a short waitlist. A two-sided 'soft opening' menu was provided. The front showed the eight types of curry rice along with toppings and extras. The back displayed the starters, donburi (only one bowl choice for now), and drinks. An order of the Chicken Karaage was split between us. About ten small pieces of deep fried chicken were served with kewpie mayo. I felt the portion size was small, and the chicken wasn't hot out of the fryer like I have tried elsewhere.
I picked the Spam Katsu Curry as an entree. Four pieces of panko breaded Spam were served with a scoop of white rice and brown sauce. The sauce was made up of a beef base broth blended with vegetables, fruits, and an 18-spice garam masala. Because of the fruits, the curry tasted naturally sweet. There was no preset or adjustable spice level available as common with other curry shops. Instead, three types of complimentary spices were placed at each table in different shakers. You could sprinkle however much you wanted on your food to heat up the taste buds.
The spice type and respective Scoville units were printed on each label. I tried the first two listed below and found the Cayenne Pepper provided sufficient kick to my curry. The ability for a diner to customize the spiciness was unique. Maybe a fourth choice could be added for those who enjoy burning their palates.
* Ichimi Togarashi (Japan): 500 to 2500 units
* Cayenne Pepper (French Guiana): 30,000 to 50,000 units
* Wiri Wiri Pepper (Guyana): 100,000 to 350,000 units
I would like to have seen a larger base of rice in the dish to balance the amount of curry. I finished the Spam and the rice with plenty of sauce still available. If I had known the carb to sauce ratio, then I might have ordered extra rice. Our food did come out quickly from the kitchen, and the service was adequate. Based on our dinner at The Curry Club, I gave a 3.5 star rating for the experience.