Thursday, June 18, 2009

Go!Go!Curry

Guerilla guards the GoGoCurry.

Attack! Attack! Go!

To Go!Go!Curry, at once! If only all lunches could be like this...


Colorful menu board.

My friends and I arrived there around 12:15 p.m. to a relatively empty store. Not more than ten minutes later, a nattily-dressed Japanese couple entered (they were speaking Japanese - I hope I'm not making a false assumption here), along with polo shirt-clad Asian guys in their 20s and 30s who were sitting all by their lonesome. Curry seems to be a popular choice among the younger set.

One of the first things I noticed about Go!Go!Curry was how friendly the two waitstaff were. Clad in their yellow uniform shirts, the ladies giggled when I requested a picture with just the two of them. The one with plump cheeks tried to hide her face, claiming her cheeks were too fat. Too kawaii.

The left-hand wall was transformed into a vortex of curry and Japanese regalia pasted collage-style, hiding almost every inch of the original white paint. A veritable shrine to the Yankees' Hideki Matsui (well, in a place that harps the Grand Slam and Hideki Matsui chips, it's to be expected, neh?).

Oh, FYI in Japanese, "Go" means five. So, put together, "GoGo" stands for 55, or Matsui's number. Total coincidence? I think not.


Katsu Curry (mine).

I made a beeline for the Katsu Curry, which is what I came for. Go!Go!Curry serves three sizes: Walk (S), Single (M), Double (L) and Triple (XL). For $8, I had a good-sized portion of pork cutlet over rice, with some shredded lettuce on the side. But seeing how oishii the curry was, I could have used seconds on the rice to savor the curry. Bring on the sauce!

The "Grand Slam" consists of two fried shrimps, a breaded and fried chicken cutlet, a breaded and fried pork cutlet, two fried sausages, a hard-boiled egg, lettuce, a large mound of white rice and thick curry drizzled over it. I'll definitely come back for that when I have a bigger appetite.

Side dishes include Natto (fermented soy beans), Fukuzinzuke (pickled daikon) and Rakkyo (pickled shallots). Every 5th of the month, enjoy a free topping of your choice!


L-R: Katsu Curry and Chicken Curry.

Just so you can see the size difference...


"The only thing she thinks is about Grand Slam Curry!!"

Handwritten customer feedback notes lined the wall, crammed in next to copies of Matsui's smiling face. One note in particular, written in black marker, stood out to me:

"To GoGoCurry

Thanks for letting me USE your place as a shelter from the big bad city.

(Scribbled signature: R----- L----)"


Exactly my sentiments.

Rating: 4.5 stars.

Location:

Go!Go!Curry
273 W. 38th St
New York, NY 10018
212.730.5555
www.gogocurryusa.com

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