New York/ Food & Drinks
Published on August 30, 2018
Jonesing for Japanese curry? Try one of these 3 New York City newcomersPhoto: Curry-ya/Yelp

Interested in trying some new spots for Japanese curry in New York City? You're in luck: we've found the freshest businesses to fill the bill. Here are the newest places to check out the next time you're in the mood for the Japanese take on this South Asian dish.

Suki

86 E. Seventh St., East Village

Photo: Jack M./Yelp

Suki is a fairly narrowly focused Japanese curry joint located at 86 E. Seventh St. (between First and Second avenues) in the East Village. In addition to curry plates, it serves curry ramen, curry udon and tea drinks.

The standard curry plates come with a choice of protein like tonkatsu, shrimp tempura or beef, plus rice, salad and curry sauce (of customizable spiciness) served on the side. Diners can accompany the meal with a beverage like matcha, regular green tea or a "matcha lassi" drink.

With just two reviews on Yelp, giving it five stars, the signs look bright for Suki.

"Despite being a small space, the interior felt thought out and extremely comfortable," wrote Yelper Jack M., who was the first to review Suki on August 2. "I definitely recommend going the spicy route because it truly added a nice depth of flavor to the already flavorful Japanese curry."

"The food portion was great considering the price," Yelper Sue L. added. "Food was delicious! I got chicken curry katsu and curry ramen with pork belly and they were amazing."

Suki is open from 5 p.m.–10 p.m. on weekdays and noon–10 p.m. on Saturday. (It's closed on Sunday.)

Curry-ya

746 Ninth Ave., Hell's Kitchen

Photo: Carol L./Yelp

Curry-ya, located at 746 Ninth Ave. in Hell's Kitchen (between 50th and 51st streets) is a spot to score curry, salads and more. It joins three other New York locations for the chain.

Its curries, which are spice-adjustable and served with rice, come with a choice of protein like Berkshire pork tonkatsu, seafood, or the Japanese classic: beef, potato, carrot and pumpkin. Salads include a seafood salad and a tofu-skin (yuba) salad.

Or try the signature baked curry: a choice of curry topped with an egg and cheddar cheese over a bed of rice, then baked and served in a cast iron dish. You can order online, and the restaurant delivers through the Seamless service. (You can check out the full menu here.)

With a 3.5-star rating out of seven reviews on Yelp, Curry-ya is still finding its way, but it's early days.

"I'm impressed," wrote Yelper Li Z., who reviewed Curry-ya on July 31. "The curry is thick and has a lot of flavor and is full of fresh ingredients. The veggies in the curry are grilled separately and added to the curry before serving so they are still crispy."

However, other Yelpers complained of high prices and small portion sizes, like Yining Z., who scoffed, "You get 5 small chunks of beef, some vegetables and rice, and the curry tastes basically the same as the curry sauce you can get in Japanese supermarket."

Curry-ya is open from 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m. daily.

Wanpaku

621 Manhattan Ave., Greenpoint

Photo: Amily N./Yelp

Wanpaku, located at 621 Manhattan Ave. in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, is an eatery focused on ramen, classic Japanese comfort food and small plates — including curry, as we recently reported.

The pork katsu curry comes over rice with a Scotch egg, while small plate options include pork buns, burdock root chips and lotus root salad.

As for the ramen, expect a classic version of chicken-based ramen like the shoyu with pork chashu, fish cake and a marinated egg, as well as less common beef-broth and short rib-based bowls. (You can take a look at the full dinner menu here.)

Yelp users are generally positive about Wanpaku, which currently holds four stars out of 33 reviews on the site.

"Generous portions and really flavorful," wrote Yelper D. L., who was one of the first users to visit Wanpaku on June 3. "The curry was rich and smooth. Loved that it came with a Scotch egg! Service was quick and great."

And Yelper Andy C. agreed, "[The] pork katsu curry was great. The Japanese curry was on point with its flavor and had just the right amount of spiciness."

Wanpaku is open from noon–3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.–10:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, noon–3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.–11 p.m. on Friday, noon–11 p.m. on Saturday, and noon–10:30 p.m. on Sunday.