ZEN EATING IS EASY SLOWING DOWN TO SAVOR UNIQUE FLAVORS AT THE CURRY UP CAFE
By Stacey Kumagai
While Los Angelenos are used to rush hour traffic and live life in the fast lane… we’ve forgotten the great art of savoring a meal and truly enjoying its true taste. Curry Up Café in Woodland Hills is inspiring today’s dining crowd to savor the unique and creative flavors of Japanese Curry- the Asian American Fusion way. Curry Up Café takes Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Hawaiian/Polynesian, Vietnamese and Korean cuisines and blends a few familiar traditions together. Whisk in the innovative and creative menu combinations – and suddenly it’s a whole new Asian-fusion level. Owner and Executive Chef, Christopher Wong follows his instincts to know Los Angelenos’ palates are hungry for something more.
“Americans have always had a love affair for the Asian cuisine. I think that even eating traditional Asian dishes has become a bit boring. People are now searching for the next "It" thing to consume. The mixing and melding the Asian cuisine with other Asian or even some American cuisine, has resulted into some interesting foods. When you do come up with something new and people really like it, it's exciting. Our Da-Kine Fried Rice is like that,” states Wong.
Curry Up Café’s menu is pretty interesting and exciting indeed. Wong’s flair for mixing the truly ‘unexpected’ has resulted in taking what is familiar and known into adventurous and fun territory. Take the Thai Apple Salad with Chicken for example. Most people expect it to have lettuce, but it doesn't have it. The apple IS the "lettuce." The Da-Kine Fried Rice he created takes the traditional fried rice and adds in Kahlua Pork, BBQ Pork, Spam, Pineapples, Egg, and vegetables.”But the real trick is pouring my father's BBQ sauce over it. It's how I ate my rice growing up in his restaurant, with the sauce. I have been selling a lot of them since I added it to my menu,” declares Wong.
Wong may be adding his father’s BBQ sauce to his rice, but the concept of doing things differently is all his own. His parents’ restaurant “Far East Delight” was in business for thirty-nine years, specializing in Cantonese-Style Chinese Cuisine. Now retired, the chopsticks were passed down, but not the menu. “When it came time for me to take over, I didn't want to do the same thing. I wanted to give the local area a new food to eat, something that might do well on its own. Being Asian-American, I have been exposed to eating what other Asian Americans like to eat. But you have to go to one place for one good thing, and then to another for something else. So I thought to maybe combine many of them together into a one-stop shop. We started to test out the menu items at home. When the food got good enough to get serious about the idea, that's when I gave the idea a go,” explains Wong.
Curry Up Café serves up more than great menu items, but a little something for everyone – including an education. When Zen Evolution TV had learned about Curry Up Café, the question on our tongue was about Japanese Curry. When you hear the word ‘curry’ you automatically go to the default you know, of typical and traditional Indian or Thai curries. With Curry Up Café – this is NOT the case.
“Japanese Curry is broth-based, as opposed to curries from India, Thai, etc. that are coconut-milk based. Many countries have some form or Curry. Even the U.S. has theirs, but we call it "chili.” Some people walk in and expect either Indian or Thai Curry (because they fail to read the big sign outside). We offer these people samples to try, because most people probably have never tried Japanese Curry. Almost everyone orders right after they eat their sample, “elaborates Wong.
Okay, Christopher – we got it, buddy! We read the sign, we just didn’t know the difference. With that said, Curry Up Café has taken the obvious to the not-so-obvious. Their most popular menu item, the Kahlua Pork Curry is initially what you’d expect or imagine, done the Hawaiian slow-roasted way, but the Japanese Curry adds the magical oral carpet ride for their customers providing that unexpected and delightful taste fusion surprise that keeps them coming back for more.
Curry Up Café keeps things fresh and exciting by adding new menu items to surprise customers with variety. Their latest dish caters to vegan enthusiasts, a Singapore-style Spinach Shitake and Corn Curry with Rice and your choice of miso soup or salad. From their South East Asian Blend Coffee and Arnold Palmer Green Tea as just a couple of interesting beverage choices, you KNOW the menu is going to be pretty committed to being different. Holy Shitake Curry – in either an Udon Noodle Bowl or with rice, Fried Tiger Shrimp Spears with Curry, Korean Shortribs with Kimchee Sidecar, House Specialty Thai Spicy Mango Chicken and funky Asian ghetto desserts like the Twinkie Tempura, and “The Turon” Banana Egg Roll served with ice cream and chocolate syrup – Curry Up Café is far from the usual fare and never boring. Aside from always providing the unexpected, how about personal service?!
"Along with having some interesting cuisine here, we really try to concentrate on creating an environment and mentality that differs than other restaurants. We actually talk to our "fans" (as I call our customers) and try to remember many of their names and what they are into. It's kind of like bar for the show "Cheers" – you want to go where everyone knows your name. I think people enjoy that "more personal" attention that they get here because they just won't get that at any other restaurant, no matter how big our how nice their restaurant is,” proudly explains Wong.
This non-stop creativity, service, work ethic, ingenuity and leadership Wong has, has him working seven days a week, extremely intense, long taxing hours both physically and mentally, even though Curry Up Café is closed on Sundays. He keeps the restaurant and his staff going with his energy, attention to detail and making sure he is fully-stocked and ready to go. His ZEN moments come from is own self motivation – something that doesn’t rest, even in the rare moments that he actually does get sleep.
“What keeps me going is thinking about future successes. I still am working on other restaurant and business ventures and also expanding Curry Up Cafe. You can't keep standing still and expect success to come to you. You have to go out there and put yourself in a position to get it,” states Wong. “I hope they walk away from Curry Up Cafe with a good memory and impression. The first impression truly is the most important. That is why I designed the menu so that whatever they order, it has the quality of being the house special. Hopefully they remember the food. Maybe they remember us talking to them. Maybe they will remember to tell someone else to try this place out. So it is best to make the best effort possible for fans to walk away happy.”
Happy indeed! This is a Zen-Can-Do-Attitude and one we are all ready and hungry for, including whatever else Christopher Wong cooks up for the future.
Curry Up Café is located at 21912 Ventura Blvd,
Woodland Hills,CA 91364
818.347.4116
www.curryupcafe.com