JapaCurry Truck

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With JapaCurry Truck now found and eaten, I think I've completed the main Japanese curry spots in the city.  Although someone just referred me to one on the outskirts, but I'm not counting that one..  The JapaCurry Truck was a hard one to knock off my list since 1), its a truck and I don't really chase after trucks (I prefer to let fate take its course), 2).  its usually only around weekday lunches in downtown SF.  I found this one on a Tuesday on Howard and 1st.  The line wasn't too bad and it moved pretty quickly.  From lining up to food in mouth time was probably 10 minutes so its definitely doable for lunch.
The menu consists of pretty much all things curry related from the traditional tonkatsu (pork) to karaage (fried chicken) curry.  For the non curry people, they do have a bento option.

First of all, the portion size, while workday lunch appropriate, isn't your traditional Japanese curry sized plate.  It's about half the size and a noticeably smaller amount of rice so you don't fall asleep during your afternoon meetings.  The curry comes in a separate container and can be made in regular or spicy.  I opted for the spicy and its not spicy at all.  The curry sauce is not as thick as some Japanese curries and has no chunks of vegetables.   

The chicken katsu is very lightly breaded so it doesn't have a coat of crispiness surrounding the chicken.  Even though the curry isn't that thick, it does coat the juicy pieces of katsu nicely, but there isn't too much flavor going on.  I still prefer Muracci's (see post HERE) over this. 

 The pumpkin croquette is a distinctly different item at JapaCurry.  Usually croquettes are made with the standard white potato as their starch, but JapaCurry uses pumpkin.  The pumkpin croquette doesn't have the fried crust that I prefer in most croquettes.  It's a little more apparent in the croquette because the inside is so soft so one bite is just a mushy mess, but the flavor is good.  The pumpkin reminds me of the sweet potato tempura that I love so much.  Also, there is a little too many vegetables included, even for me.  I would have preferred one more piece of croquette and a little more rice. 

A bite inside thec croquette exposes its orange, sweet filling.

Address:                JapaCurry Truck

                               various locations

                               San Francisco, CA 

 

Type:                      Japanese

Popular chomps:    pork katsu
                               pumpkin croquette
                                
Chomp worthy:      pumpkin croquette