Zen Curry

Food was phenomenal! I sat down and placed my order of boba, seaweed salad, chicken karaage and curry to get my entire meal delivered swiftly. The crystal boba was super sweet with a strong brown sugar taste, and a steal for their pricing. My appetizers were at my table 5 minutes after I ordered and the chicken karaage was divine. Juicy, good flavor in the breading, and served with the perfect amount of sauce. I asked for suggestions on the curry choice from the staff, and the garlic chips added on were a great touch. For my own preference I ordered a potato croquette as well to get more of the curry off my plate and even that was delicious. I got a level five and the heat was there, but definitely a flavorful heat- not just for impact but added to the dish's flavor. Great service, spectacular food, definitely will go again!

Didn’t expect to find such great Japanese curry place in SD! The restaurant is located in a nice plaza that’s easy to park and right across the street from 99 Ranch supermarket. Takoyaki served with pleasant layout and great temperature. I ordered shrimp katsu curry rice with an extra croquette, all were amazing! They also have ~10 levels of spicy level you can choose from, which I liked it a lot!

Wow. I don’t eat curry based foods often, but decided to give it a go. Start off with attentive service. The waitress patiently answered all my questions and made some good suggestions. The plate was exceptionally good. Beef patty over rice, with veggies, fried egg drizzled with brown vegetable based curry. Great comfort food.

The quality of the curry is very good, however the portion size makes this a very expensive restaurant. Got the Oyster Curry at a heat level of 4. It was very tasty, but not very filling. Nearby katsu restaurants have double the portions, provide miso soup, salad, and macaroni salad along with their entrees, and all at a lower price.

I just checked this place from my bookmark list. Yes, I’m craving for Japanese curry for a while already and finally got to try this pretty high review place. Yes, I usually trust Google and yelp’s review pretty much. Zen Curry didn’t disappoint me at all. The Curry is rich and flavorful. The quantity is very nice, right good for me. I orders beef stew curry with mixed vegetables. I’m happy with that. The next time, I will give the fried pork a try. Also the Takoyaki is yummy!!! Great side options.

I wanted curry and Cocos ichibanya messed up on the waiting list and I decided yo come to Zen. Located in a big but little shop center, I wanted to find Curry spot and better than Cocos(it's not the same compare to Japan/Hawaii). A simple decor, zen wasn't busy(2pm). I ordered the beef stew curry, garlic Nan, and takoyaki(still can't find an authentic takoyaki spot in SD). I'm not big on spicy food and I got a level 3 and that was good enough for me. Good flavor and tender meat. Maybe I didn't see the menu more, I think I had to add the potato and carrots. Nan bread went well with the curry and the tokoyaki was fried but top with bonito(not alot of other spots do this). After looking at the menu, there wasn't additional toppings of potatoes or carrots. In all, it's okay curry. Wish they had that options or maybe I didn't ask. I'd go back only cause Cocos isn't the spot. It's just well known. After curry, you can get some milk tea next door. On to the next.

Great idea for a speciality restaurant! The food is amazing along with an ever growing list of toppings. The restaurant is very clean, even for how busy it is. The seating is very nice with handmade benches along with artwork on banners along the walls. The is very kind and helpful with ordering. I came during the soft opening to take images (thank you for putting up with me) and during the grand opening to see the changes that they have made along with meeting the owners.

Japanese curry spot based in Las Vegas opened here in San Diego couple of years ago. Curry broth made from scratch with variety of vegetables and blend of numerous spices to make up a flavorful dish. Definitely take an advantage of their weekday specials to try out some of their signature curry dishes for a discount! 10 levels of spice level, I first started at 5. Plenty of parkings in this strip mall across from Ranch 99 Chinese supermarket. They have increased their price a bit so checkout the updated menu for the current price. Dinning in is better. Update: 2/2023 Still best Japanese curry place in San Diego. Make sure to get a complimentary red radish to sprinkle over your curry dish. Don’t get it to-go; dinning in is better. 4.2/5 ⭐️

Great Japanese Curry spot on Clairemont Mesa boulevard. I got their Wednesday deal when I went, which was Chicken Katsu Curry Level 4 was good for me which was about a Thai level 3 The chicken was juicy and the breading very crispy

Y'all, come get some before they close indefinitely. I happened across that news on their social media late at night and came the next day for lunch. I highly recommend looking on yelp for their most current hours as there are some shifts to them. Fried oysters is my go to for appetizer, always freshly fried piping hot and juicy. Any of their fried katsu stuff is top notch, oil is always fresh, coating is crunchy and even - the spam, potato croquette, sausage (which is not coated) are my favorite add ons. 5-6 is my preferred spicy level, a good medium that builds and don't forget to ask for pickled radish on the side. Service here is always lovely. I hope they can come back after taking a long and well deserved break!

I've been wanting to go here for awhile and finally got the chance a few weeks ago. Smaller than I thought but lots of parking, which is a nice change from that other popular curry place down the street. Food came out really quick and lots of servers checking up on you. We had the fried oysters appetizer and that was real yummy. I had the Beef Moco with Mushroom curry and it was delicious! It had a fried egg over the beef patty, on top of white rice and smothered in curry sauce with mushrooms. I love mushrooms so this was right up my alley. They also have bowls on the menu, like unagi, karaage, katsu, or pork belly, if you don't want to any curry. I'll definitely be back to try their other items.

Stopped by on a weekend evening after a friends recommendation and I'm so glad I did! Service was friendly and they were very accommodating. There's a few outdoor tables and they were able to set another one up for me because I brought my dog (who also got offered a water bowl). I ordered a Curry Moco spice level 5. The curry itself was rich and flavorful! My only complaint about the dish was that only the rice was hot when it came out, the rest was warm. Overall, one of the best curries I've had! The staff were so kind. It's quite affordable and the portions are generous.

This place is good, but not great. I say this because their katsu is average, but curry is good. They don't give you enough rice, & I feel like I didn't have enough katsu to rice ratio when eating (I don't even eat that much rice). I was left with big pieces of katsu & sausage, & craving rice... so I boiled the pieces & gave them to our dogs. We ordered the Zen Special, Fried Oysters, & Takoyaki to go. The appetizers were so much better than the katsu, which was disappointing. I think they could have put thicker batter because the meat & batter ratio was also off. I don't think they have a great grasp on ratios here, which is a shame because the curry is great. I got a spice level 8/10, which wasn't too spicy at all. I could have gone for the 10/10 even. Overall, I'd still come back for a quick bite but nothing I'll be craving. They should offer Japanese style omelette & tomato curry dishes. Those traditional items are what a lot of people crave!

This spot is amazing! They offer authentic Japanese curry and they do NOT miss! I ordered the chicken katsu curry and the serving size was perfect. I don't like spice, so I ordered mine with no spice but you have the option to tell your server what spice you'd like, from a level 1-10. Their curry is homemade, full of flavor, and overall delicious. Their chicken katsu is the perfect balance of moist chicken and a crispy outside! You can also order the curry with vegetables if you like. The service here is great and you're transported to Japan when you walk through their doors. This place is a hidden gem in San Diego and I recommend everyone tries it out for themselves!

I usually am not fond of curry, but this time it was amazing! The gyoza was so crispy, it made a loud noise whenever I bit into it. The chicken inside was so tender and surprisingly juicy. The pork katsu was crunchy and succulent, complimenting the Umami curry. I didn't come here for the eel, but the Unagi bowl was the best dish by far! The eel was fall-apart tender and had the most delicious teriyaki sauce ever. The service was also above average. Our food came out fast and hot. The waiter was very interactive and made sure our experience at Zen Curry was good, which it was! Definitely recommend this spot.

After an average experience at Coco Ichibanya, I was hoping to have a better experience at Zen Curry. We were getting tea next door at Tea Station and noticed this joint. A quick Yelp look up gave me more confidence that I would have a positive experience. At the time of our first visit (January 2022), they were still take-out only due to Covid surge. We quickly browsed the menu and ordered the tonkatsu (Japanese pork cutlet) curry for me, the wifey ordered veggie curry with added eggplant, and we got some naan to share. Whenever we visit a new place we usually go low on the spice scale because each place is different. A 2 or 3 spice level might be a 5 or 6 somewhere else (on a scale of 1-10). I got a 1 and wifey got a 3. I liked the kick on the spice level. I think 1-3 is good for me. I'm not a super spice guy because I feel like if the food is too spicy, you won't be able to really taste the flavors and enjoy your food. Everything tasted good and fresh. I liked the curry flavor and as previously mentioned, the kick was good. My only knock on this place is the naan. It was just okay and portions were not fair for the price. I would expect more naan for what we paid. Service here was good. The employee that took our order answered questions we had and was nice. Parking was not a problem here and this place is easy to find (right off the 805 freeway). 4 / 5 - Curry 3 / 5 - Naan (I say pass on it) 4 / 5 - Cleanliness 3 / 5 - Atmosphere 4 / 5 - Service 3.6 / 5 - Overall (rounded up to 4.0)

This is curry! Wow, just absolutely amazing. I went with the Ono Special with a level 4 heat. Heat level was just right, spicy enough for a slight kick. The Ono Combo consists of pork katsu curry, spam katsu and fried egg. The curry shined! I literally could just eat the curry with rice all day. Did I end up wanting more curry and rice ? Yes! The pork & spam katsu were also fried just right. And with the curry, it paired so well. Other things on our table: -Unagi bowl: if your a fan of eel, this is the perfect bowl for you. I was surprised about how big the eel was, especially for that price. It was also glazed very well, which helped carry the flavor -Pork belly bowl: this one is good if you're a fan of pork belly but don't want curry. This one didn't stand out to me as much but I mean we are a a curry place, so you should opt for the curry - Chicken Karaage: this was a great appetizer/starter for the table. You can't for wrong with it. In terms of location, there is plenty of parking but the space is kinda small.

This place is surprisingly good! Very clean, as you walk in that's the first thing I noticed. I assumed the kitchen itself is the same. It wasn't big, a few tables and chairs but cozy. Service- the young man is friendly and helpful. Young lady from the kitchen who delivered our food is also nice and friendly. What's good about this place is you can choose how spicy you want your curry. From 1-6, if you are one of those that loved a good amount of kick for your curry? This is the place for you. Zen special and Ono Combo is really good, quality of meat and the portion is also great. I highly recommend this spot for Japanese curry, they have variety of Japanese food choices here as well if you're not into curry.

This is s Japanese curry restaurant and it is quite good, it looks like the owner successfully started in Las Vegas and SD might be the only branch. The service was good and plenty of parking available. The place is cozy with traditional Japanese atmosphere which I enjoyed. The curry taste was very good, it was on the thick side which I prefer and a little sweet but not overly sweet, it really tasted as a good Japanese curry. We ordered; - Chicken Katsu curry. - Fried oysters. - Beef stew curry All of the dishes were were good so I highly recommended this place.

Love this place so much! The best Japanese Curry in San Diego. Curry is not too watery and not too thick, it's the perfect consistency. The interior is really cute and Japanese theme. There is also indoor and outdoor seating. They have an assortment of different curry dishes and you can choose your spice level 1-10 without additional charge. I would get 4-5 for a nice regular hot cheeto level spice. I love that you can go on certain days for a curry dish special for a lower price. I tried the following dishes today.. Zen Special - comes with chicken katsu, sausage, cheese, curry and rice. This combination is heavenly and everything tastes really good together. Chicken katsu is cooked nicely and breading stays intact with the chicken. Brisket curry - beef brisket with curry and rice. The beef is really tender and cooked well. This combination is great! Loco moco - love how they add a bunch of mushrooms to the gravy it's really good with the burger steak and egg. Karaage chicken & takoyaki - chicken is fried perfectly nice and juicy with crunchy exterior! The takoyaki was also really good would recommend both appetizers. Pork belly bowl- great option if you don't want curry. The pork belly is cooked and seasoned very nicely! Melon soda - this tastes like melona ice cream it's really good and refreshing! Overall an amazing place to eat Japanese curry I would def recommend!!!

Zen Curry is a go-to for Japanese comfort food. Parking is an open lot but the stalls are kind of small, ambiance inside is intimate and staff were welcoming. Food-wise, their curries are vegetable based, and menu has something for everyone. This time I decided to try their new spam musubi. It's $6.50 for 6 deep fried, thick spam musubi pieces, but kind of dry. The sauce on the side was somewhat of a spicy mayonaisse, but we felt it would be better to have a more sauce-based (like the sweet soy tare) instead to balance the heaviness of the musubi. Unagi bowl and pork katsu curry were delicious, and the curry portion size was enough for me to take some home. Great on a cloudy day, hearty meal or a dinner date. Would recommend coming throughout the week for their daily specials.

*Pre-Covid* This Japanese-style curry place is pretty good! We went when they had just opened a couple of years ago, and their sign wasn't even up yet. My plate was scrumptious, with chicken karaage drenched in that savory and sweet curry sauce. I also added croquette, which tasted ok. Since I'm a heat wuss, I ordered level 0...and I may be weak sauce, but the curry definitely wasn't. Curry was mild but luckily not bland. I liked that it went well with everything I got. Veggies would have helped to make the plate more balanced, so maybe I'll add them next time. It's such a simple dish of rice, meat, and curry, yet it's so tasty and comforting! We enjoyed our meals, especially since Zen Curry doesn't skimp on the curry! I'm glad it's still up and running despite the pandemic.

Food: chicken katsu curry and croquette curry, spice level zero, with white rice. Delicious, authentic, Japanese curry and always consistent. This is a chain that was started in Las Vegas and that we go to regularly. Imagine my surprise when I searched for Japanese curry during our visit to San Diego and this came up! Score!

This place is located in the shopping center across from Tea n More and Ajisen ramen. The parking is shared with other business in the center. The restaurant is between Tea Station and Lolita's Mexican. The entrances of Clairemont Mesa Blvd are slight steep for lowered vehicles. The entrance off Ruffner is more lowered vehicle friendly. Was greeted and seated right away. Came in before the rush on a weekday before 1900 (7pm). There are 2 TVs that we're playing a history of the owner of the restaurant. They had Christmas tree and decor. Christmas music playing in the background at a low level. Ordered the following. Chicken katsudon, Ono combo and French fries with the spicy Mayo. The Ono combo was ordered at 4-5 spice level. It's comparable to the Samyang Spicy ramen in the black package. It was a mild spice with some heat that continued. Would probably prefer a 6-7 next time. The heat was enjoyable at 4-5. The katsudon was good as well. The chicken was well done and not dry. The french fries were crispy and not to salty. I would recommend this place to my family and friends. I will be returning soon to try different items.

New favorite spot for curry in San Diego!! The restaurant is located in a big plaza with ample parking. The inside is cozy and nicely decorated. My family was able to get seated pretty quickly. The staff were very kind and attentive as well. We ordered the beef brisket curry, chicken katsudon, and the curry moco. Portions were perfectly sized, especially the meats. The chicken in the katsudon was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. We ordered the two curries at level 3 and level 4. Don't underestimate the spice if you're not a big fan of spice lol. I wasn't expecting the level 3 to be that spicy. Definitely coming back again soon!!

Definitely one of the better places for Japanese Curry. Zen special: It comes with chicken katsu, sausage, cheese, curry, and rice. The curry is rich and flavorful. Chicken katsu is cooked perfectly and breading stays intact with the chicken. I also ordered some Garlic/Cheese Naan. It was okay. I don't think it's worth the price you pay for. They have an assortment of different curry dishes and you can choose your spice level 1-10. I went with the level 7, and it was perfect for me. It was enjoyable and not too spicy. I will probably go with level 9 next time.

We have eaten here quite regularly and it has become a great stop for lunch after hiking throughout SD county. I have tried the Katsudon, pork katsu, chicken katsu, veggie combo, croquette curry, and oysters. Today, since it kept intriguing me, I got the Ono combo which had a fried egg, chicken katsu, and spam katsu. My partner had the croquette katsu and our joining party had one pork and one chicken katsu. The Ono was a great mix of salty creamy and chicken. The croquette was really tasty and just creamy enough inside to alternate between a nice crispy crunch of the breading. The server brought out a chicken bowl for my little boy which was really cool, and even brought a bowl for ice water for him. This was extremely accommodating as I have never brought my dog companion to a restaurant before. We have never had a bad lunch here, and the food is way more consistent and tasty than the other hype joint in the area. It is our preferred Japanese curry place in San Diego. Service is great, and the food is always good. We'll keep coming back.

We checked out this place on a weeknight and were seated pretty quickly. The place is kind of small and only had one server when we were there - service was just OK throughout our meal. There are daily specials so we decided to try the pork katsu curry as well as the veggie combo curry. The spice level is pretty clearly described on the menu and we tried a 4 and 5 spiciness which turned out to be just right. Our food came out quickly and portion sizes were decent. Overall, the tofu katsu and curry sauce itself were delicious but the pork katsu was just average. The menu here seems to have a good variety of options so we will probably be back next time to try some new things.

Love this place!! Was looking for cocoichibanya because we love being able to select spicy level but unfortunately that place doesn't answer their phone lines very much and they turn off door dash ordering quite a bit. Anyway, that's how we stumbled upon this place on Yelp. It's super similar in that you can select your dish, add-ons like garlic chips, okra, cheese, etc and you also select your spice level (1-10 I believe). The taste was so good! Highly recommend. Beware the spice levels are exponential! The 3 was good enough as I learned my lesson from the other place ordering too spicy. The great thing about this place is the ordering system is easy. Order and pay online or phone, and they pick up! We also loved that it was quick, 15 Minutes from time of order to pick up. Must try!

My favorite Japanese curry spot in San Diego! My favorite dish is the karaage curry because the chicken is juicier than the katsu. My only complaint is how expensive the add ons are. $1.50 for mozzarella cheese! But overall, highly recommended this place if you are craving Japanese curry

I've had Zen Curry bookmarked for a long time. I finally got a chance to get takeout from here last month. They have summer weekday specials, I went on a Tuesday and got the Pork Katsu Curry for $10, I had them add a soft boiled egg which was an extra charge. The pork katsu curry was really flavorful and the egg was yummy as well. Great option for Japanese curry!

I haven't had a chance to go to Zen Curry despite seeing the good reviews and their TikToks, but I'm glad I finally got the chance to come. I gotta say that Zen Curry has really tasty Japanese curry! I ordered the Zen Special Level 5 which comes with chicken katsu, two kurobata sausages, and mozzarella cheese. The curry had a nice flavor and thick consistency which I prefer over a thinner curry. Level 5 was the perfect level of spice in my opinion. It gave the curry a kick but didn't overwhelm the sweetness and depth of the curry. The chicken katsu was literally PERFECT. One of the best chicken katsus I've had- it was really juicy and crispy. Sausages were yummy too. And of course, cheese with curry is always delicious. I appreciated the curry to toppings to rice ratio because there wasn't too much rice. Of course, more curry is always nice but good ratio nonetheless. Only con is the price was a little steep at $16.50 for curry. My boyfriend got the chicken katsu curry with garlic chips which he enjoyed too but said he probably wouldn't get the garlic chips again since it overpowered the taste of the curry too much. The chicken katsu was the special for Wednesday so it was $12. They have specials that change daily. Our server was really friendly and checked up on us to make sure everything tasted fine and if we needed anything. We came on a Wednesday night at 7pm and there was no wait. Really great experience at Zen Curry and looking forward to coming back!

My husband and I do not agree on this restaurant, but to his credit, he said he's willing to try them again (while ordering something different). We were on the hunt for some good Japanese-style curry, and were really hoping to find something like the curry we'd get from On the Bridge in San Francisco. I did a frantic Yelp search while my husband drove around, thinking if we were going to find a good Japanese curry, this would be the area to search. Zen Curry came up at the top of the results, and after a brief discussion about the menu, we decided to stop. The restaurant was partially open for indoor dining, but we had a basketball game to get home to, so we placed our to-go order at the door (Spam Katsu Curry for me [$13], Stewed Beef Curry for him [$13]). We were told it'd be about a 10 minute wait, and it was just about that when she called us back over to grab our to-go bag. We don't live far from the restaurant, so the food was still piping hot and crispy by the time we opened everything up. My dish was pretty simple - just panko-crusted Spam pieces served alongside a generous portion of curry and white rice. The Spam was perfectly cooked, though - deep fried and crispy, without being greasy or soggy. The curry itself was spicy (I'm so glad I went with a 3 on the spicy scale!) and flavorful, and the rice was sticky. The hubs wasn't as impressed by his stewed beef curry. He ordered it thinking it'd be comparable to the On the Bridge curry we both love, but it let him down. He said the flavor just wasn't that great; "it was fine", according to him. He used the word "generic", which made me gasp a little. So yeah, I'd go back on my own, but don't know that I'll be able to talk my man into joining me. Not anytime soon, at least.

Solid Japanese curry spot, extra perk of having garlic naan and being close to where I was staying. The curry was very much like Coco Ichibanya, got the Zen special and it was on the sweeter side. I also got level 8 spiciness and had a nice kick to it. Japanese spice isn't as spicy compared to some other spicy foods I've had so level 8 sounds crazy but definitely manageable. The portion was decent too, at first glance it looked like it wasn't going to be enough to fill me up even with the side of garlic naan but it ended up being perfect. The only thing is that just like almost every other Japanese curry spot, I'm always left with more rice/katsu than the curry sauce and this always disappoints me a little, but otherwise definitely a solid place and would come back again if I had the chance!

Love this place! Food is delicious and the staff are so nice! Our favs are the mini unagi bowl (totally a full serving in my opinion and not "mini") and Chicken Curry! We've enjoyed that it's not a long wait for a table and outdoor seating!

So tried this place on a whim and have been coming back ever sense. We've actually made this one of default go to places for eating out. It's especially nice to be able to order To Go and get an a relatively quick fashion. Kids also really enjoy the Chicken Katsu level 0 and my wife goes with the Stew Beef Curry (Steamed ham) level 0. I myself the adventurous one orders the Chicken Katsu but bumps the spice to a solid 5. Truly spicy without it being overwhelming. Have order from here plenty of times and the service is always good - wait times are usually around 15 - 20mins. Would recommend checking this place out if your are in the mood for some Japanese Curry.

Everytime I come here, I end up leaving with a sense of satisfaction and Zen, for sure! PARKING: Shares a parking lot with other businesses. Alot of parking spots so you should be able to park with relative ease. One thing about this lot is that spaces themselves are a little close, so be a little careful when opening your car door. LOCATION: Very small and tidy restaurant. Cool Japanese artwork are on display on the walls, and they have TV's that have cool informative videos about the history of Zen Curry. Decently maintained bathroom as well. It's a good place to dine with a partner or smaller group, but I definitely wouldn't bring more than a party of 6. SERVICE: Service is great! Our server was attentive and did a great job explaining the menu. Food came out at a decent speed too. Props to the Zen Curry team! FOOD: Zen Curry Special: Their signature dish consisting of steamed rice, chicken katsu cutlet, two kurobuta sausage, and their special curry with cheese, served with pickled radish. The chicken katsu itself is nothing to write home about - sorta crispy breading on the outside but the chicken was slightly dry. However, the real star of this dish is the curry - rich, bold, and savory flavors that tastes great when you mix in the chicken, sausages, and rice. The sausages are also mega tasty, and you can really taste the high quality pork that the sausage is made of (tastes very much like high quality ham) Unagi Bowl: A marinaded eel (unagi) in sauce served with marinaded egg, rice, and cucumbers. I absolutely loved the flavor profiles of this bowl- the eel is extremely tender and the unagi sauce is both savory and sweet. The rice and cucumbers add a nice balance, while the soft and flavorful eggs are a delicious bonus to every bite. I only wish the portion was a bit bigger. CONCLUSION: Great little restaurant that focuses highly on their curry - but you can also find other deliciously popular Japanese dishes here as well - such as the Unagi Bowl which I am a huge fan of. I wish the portion sizes were a little bigger but otherwise a solid choice to have a meal. I've been here many times before and I don't see any reason to stop coming back.

4.5 stars! After a horrible experience at Coco curry, I was inspired to find better curry places. This place slaps, not only is the food on par but you don't have to wait AND ordering is super easy. Highly recommend Ono curry and Zen curry combo. Combo is the way to go since you get a variety of toppings. The spam katsu and sausages were tasty but I definitely would not be able to eat just that alone. They give you just enough pieces in the combo but I can't imagine eating 5 pieces. Also if you like spicy, level 6 is way to go

Simple but delicious food!! I got the chicken katsu spice level 2. If you just want a bit of a kick, 1-2 spice level is just enough!

Tried Zen Curry for the first time for takeout and it was delicious. Now I make a good Japanese curry at home as well but sometimes you just don't want to cook. Their curry is deliciously savory and very much like the ones I had in Japan. Takeout was quick and food was hot when we got home. The hostess and waitress were both friendly and welcoming. I highly recommend this little restaurant.

Everyone that helped me was extremely nice and attentive. The food was very good as well. Ask for extra pickles radish! It really makes a difference since the curry is rich in flavor. I got their pork katsu curry with potatoes. Hit the spot. The katsu was perfectly fried and stayed crispy the entire time. The potatoes came out a little undercooked at first, but I told the server and they were more than happy to remake it. Rice is fluffy and everything came out piping hot! Would totally come back and try additional toppings with it.

Loved this place! Went with a friend for dinner around 6 on a weeknight and there was no wait. I got the Zen Special and it was authentic curry and had great flavor. I got it at a 5 spice level and it was enough that I could taste the spice but not overpowering with every bite. I will definitely be back!

Decided to visit based on a stranger's recommendation while waiting for Coco Ichibanya. Was definitely looking to compare the two, but I feel like both are delicious in their own right. Something about how the curry tastes, it was delicious, but for whatever reason I couldn't compare it to Coco. For definite pros: 1) Way more parking than Coco. 2) More meat portion than Coco. 3) I got a pork katsu, and the meat was cooked more perfectly than Coco, and the breading was a lot crispier without being heavy. Two cons IMO: 1) Less curry than Coco (but I always get Coco's omelette plate which may come with more) 2) No omelette options. Very delicious curry! Wouldn't mind coming back if I'm not in the mood for my curry omelette.

I am a little addicted to this place. Japanese food The katsu style protein with curry. The katsus that I go for are the Breaded chicken, pork, or shrimp croquet. Curry level go from 0 to 10. While I can handle most spices a 5 is perfect with enough heat that won't over power the food. The bad part is the price increases as the heat level rises. The service is spot on. Very attentive and always checking if everything is OK. Water always refilled. Portion size is spot on and the food not greasy. The inside has about 4 tables and the outside has 3 tables. So it is a small place. A lot if take order are made. You should try this place even if you don't like curry (get it on the side)

Never been to this place before but thought "what the heck, let's give it a try" The place was playing Christmas music (a little early imo) but it was very well lit and clean. I had the curry loco moco and it was delicious! Our server Alivia was very nice and attentive. Great service !

Update: when ordering takeout with a side of steamed veggies ($3), make sure to request it on the side! Otherwise they put it IN the curry, meaning you only get half as much sauce!! I don't know how my husband manages to not use all his sauce...I used to order extra normally. It's the best part.

Great quality curry with exciting options. I love that you don't have to conform to being a boring rice eater (nothing wrong with that though haha) and order fries to put on your curry instead. I honestly never knew cheese and curry went so well together on fries so you definitely need to try it here. But if you're not feeling as adventurous, there are plenty of safer curry options like the katsu. You can then choose your spice level and add-on extra corn, protein, egg, etc. on top until you're satisfied. Whether you choose pork or chicken katsu, I don't think you'll be disappointed as they're all super moist and crunchy. Other than that, the service here is very friendly and the staff are all awesome. You might need to expect a wait, at least that's how it was pre-covid, but overall a great choice for curry in San Diego. Definitely would recommend!

For several months I have wanted to give this restaurant a try and tonight was the night. Called ahead and made a reservation and was seated within two minutes of arrival. I ordered takoyaki and shrimp katsu curry. As I was waiting I watched the video about the making of their curry. They use all vegetables and a blend of 16 different spices. Yum! Everything was delicious! The curry was simply amazing. My friend ordered shrimp shumai and I got to sample two. It was the best shumai. Great flavor and a wonderful crunch. The waitress Sarah was a wonderful server. Our water glasses were always full and she made sure everyone in the restaurant was well taken care of. She is definitely a gem! I will definitely come back and try some different dishes very soon. They have a Hawaiian loco moco that sounds amazing.

Great spot for curry and katsu! Got the pork katsu curry with sausages. Sausages were such a good idea to add (50 cents off toppings when you check in with yelp), I highly recommend them and medium for spice level. My husband loved the eel bowl as well, definitely a lighter choice. We were in the mood for fried oysters and that also did not disappoint. The waitress was also so attentive and nice. Came here on a Sunday afternoon and there wasn't a wait! Will be coming back!

We've ordered pickup from Zen twice now during Covid, and the process has been super quick and simple each time. The food is always ready to go, on a table for us to grab. They also prepare your food INCREDIBLY quickly. Their curry sauce is thick and flavorful, truly warming and comforting for the soul. We've tried both the chicken katsu curry, as well as the tonkatsu curry. The meat is plentiful, and there is the perfect amount of rice. Highly recommend if you're looking for some comfort food that's quick and easy!

Another bad customer service incident. Drove 20 minutes from home to dine outdoors this restaurant. Was told upon arrival that today they were short staffed and could not accommodate outdoor dining. Asked to speak to the manager. Same story. Apparently the extra 10 feet to the outdoor table was too much, despite the restaurant being perhaps 30% full. I do hope ownership reads this review and recognizes that formulaic policies that are not sensitive to COVID-19 concerns don't really save on workload and are not good for business.

Best katsu curry I have had in San Diego. They give you a lot of curry so you aren't just "scraping by". Chicken katsu was very fresh and thick and rice was cooked well. The curry itself had a great aroma. At Zen Curry you can choose the spice level. I went with seven out of ten and it definitely had a kick but not enough to overpower the flavors. I went on a Wednesday and got the special deal and the friendly lady noticed my Navy shirt and haircut and gave me a military discount. Great food and service!

Would be 5* for the Chicken Katsu alone 3* overall for the curry quality, price, etc. First off, I want to say if you're not getting Katsu here (Chicken, and I'd assume Pork and Spam also) you're doing it wrong. The Katsu was some of the freshest Katsu I've ever had - See attached picture. Otherwise, I got the Loco Moco Curry and was very disappointed. The hamburger patty was cold, overcooked, and felt like it was reheated from being pre-cooked and frozen. The egg was, an egg. I got a level 10 curry and it tasted no spicier than jalapeno. I understand Japanese Curry is usually eaten mild, but the levels seemed kind of off to me. The garlic chips were free after Yelp check-in, but ruined the taste of the curry in my opinion. Super overpowering. The amount of curry itself was lackluster, I had hoped for way more. With an additional serving of their vegetarian-base curry being $6, I passed on ordering more. I do believe Coco Ichibanya is better (even as a chain) apart from the Katsu. Get the Katsu.

I could have made these foods at home. Mid. Nothing too special, just curry with stuff. But I liked how they served it in a pan. Very different and aesthetically pleasing in this restaurant!

We ordered Zen Special, Udon with Spam Katsu Curry, Udon with Stewed Beef Curry with a side of Pork Belly, fried oysters, takoyaki, and strawberry dalgona. The Zen Special was good! The udon, not so much because the sauce was kind of watered down. I think they have to because it's udon and the idea was to have a curry soup base. Other than that, it was really good! We love it! The service was also amazing!

I just checked this place from my bookmark list. Yes, I'm craving for Japanese curry for a while already and finally got to try this pretty high review place. Yes, I usually trust yelp's review pretty much. Zen Curry didn't disappoint me at all. The Curry is rich and flavorful. The quantity is very nice, right good for me. I orders beef stew curry with mixed vegetables. I'm happy with that. The next time, I will give the fried pork a try. Also the Takoyaki is yummy!!! Great side options.

Curry is a little on the sweeter side. I personally am not the biggest fan of sweet curry, but it paired nicely with the saltiness of the cheese and chicken katsu.

I came here as a party of 3 for dine-in before it closed. It was relatively slow - we were the only party dining in but it seemed like they were getting quite a few takeout orders. Our waitress, who was wearing a mask, greeted us immediately then sat us at a table. I ordered the Karaage Curry, which came out in about 15 minutes. The curry was so so good! It was flavorful, had a small kick from the spice (level 6), and the karaage went well with the curry. The portion was quite big and I probably wouldn't have finished it on a normal day, but I was pretty hungry so the plate was clean by the end of my meal.The best part of the experience were the complimentary Cravory cookies we got after paying the bill! Each of us got a cookie, all different flavors - a wonderful way to end a meal. Definitely will be coming back to try out the other items on the menu!