四月上旬‧有雨
談起食，香港人是有趣的。就以年多前無啦啦吹起的拉麵風而言，明明日式拉麵在香港紮根多年也做不起，札幌、函館是默默經營，更有不少好拉麵牌子消失於江湖中。但一個個沒香味又濃杰得連日本也不會找到的豚骨湯底的出現，在公關們的努力再夾雜記者及明星的宣傳下席捲全港，有日本牌子索性做另一款湯底來香港賣，聲勢一時無兩。
迎日在吹「日式咖哩」風
橫豎大家不知什麼才是真，有何所謂？所以你講佢又講，人寫佢又寫，一時間真的是周街專家，人龍當然是每天都照排。現在再來的，卻是日本咖哩。同樣的模式，到了今天也是忽然的興旺起來。一個個日本牌子落戶於香港各地，大家也剎有介事的大評特評。要先說，個人而言不大喜歡吃日式咖哩，求其一餐吃什麼也可以，但要很仔細的去評也不知從何說起。以下是我對日式咖哩的幾個印象：
1. 沒有特別好吃的，總之都不太難吃；
2. 不同的日式咖喱就是辣一點及酸一點的分別，有時會甜一點，只此而已；
3. 日本米飯是致勝關鍵，不過有什麼東西配一碗出色的日本米飯會不好吃？
不過，「吃」現在是我的職業，不願意但如果市場上火紅的項目也要試。等如拉麵要試，日式咖哩我也要試，是日，來了這間新店子。
5月5日開業的新店子
還記得是以前賣お好み焼き的小店子，現在就成了咖哩店。「ゴーゴーカレー」是由東京新宿來的牌子，店子很小，坐吧檯窄而就算坐落散座亦不見得寬敞，就如時下的不少拉麵店一樣。不過也不要說，有不少人是評之為「有風味」的。5月5日開張，在5月份差不多所有種類的咖哩飯也是55元發售。看餐牌，咖哩飯由六十幾起計至一百多。大家樂賣七十多元的燒味飯會比人鬧通街七十幾元的咖哩飯或拉麵，又沒人覺得有問題，其實香港人是可愛的。
地方不大
要了吉列豬扒咖哩飯，飯加吉列豬扒再淋上咖哩汁，在旁還有椰菜絲的，就是這樣。日式咖哩本身質地甚濃杰的，配合米飯是幾「難撈」。味道不太辣，少少酸，不算甜，只此而此。飯是日本種米，沒有什麼香味。煲得不算很軟熟，有點硬身。吉到豬扒全瘦的，不太鬆化卻也算有肉味。不算脆，不算是好吃的吉列。
不能說好吃，也絕不難吃
很一般的吉列
不用一百字就評完了，有時真的配服可以很詳細的去評日式咖哩飯的食友，因為真的要靠一點想像力才行。當然寫得詳細的雜誌記者就不算太難，因為店方說什麼就寫什麼，情況如一風堂。
55元的咖哩飯，不包飲品。貴嗎？其實同一牌子的咖哩飯在東京要賣700日幣起的，以此可見至少不太貴，當然那邊是飯不同豬扒不同咖哩也不同。至於我，反而覺得大家樂包飲品的燒味雙併不應被人駡得太狠的。
結論：得閒才試
評分：（以5個&為滿分）
食物：&&&
服務：&&&
環境：&&
餐廳資料：
Go! Go! Curry!
銅鑼灣謝斐道468號地下E舖
2891 5090
行過這店門口只覺極像上野那些賣炒演唱會或球賽門券的小店!完全沒有行入去的衝動.
回覆刪除Interesting...this chain shop from Japan has been in New York for 5 years (just like how Ippudo is in NY). After your writeup, I now understand what you mean by J-curry craze in Hong Kong, as a parallel to 豚骨湯底. I've come to realise over the years that following trends and craze (especially from Japan, and sometimes blindly) has been part of HK culture and human behavior for a while. Even during the 1980s of Alan Tam, most of his best eary songs are Japanese cover versions, same with Leslie, and fans are all to eager to worship them as idols (even though the songs are good but just not written locally). Same thing with fashion and pop culture (and pop music)...but yet I don't understand the appreciation for superficial things.
回覆刪除This Go Go Curry fast food style chain shop is probably designed for maximum efficiency and output, so I do not think their curry is stewed or simmered for a whole day like 老火湯 (then again does HK have a restaurant that serves curry simmered for 24 to 48 hours?), but hopefully not made from instant powder or cubed packets.
J-curry is definitely nowhere near as rich and robust in flavor, compared to the typical great 茶餐廳 or SE Asian restaurant that can do a killer spectacular 咖哩腩, so I truly understand your perspective. I really miss the 咖哩 from Nam Ah 1964 when I was last there.
When I do eat J-curry, I prefer chicken cutlet curry, generally juicier. If the sauce is good, can be used with 蛋包飯.
Dear KC,
回覆刪除This is one of the funniest pieces I've read. I've been following your website for more than a year, and I really like your writing style---it's not just about food, but there are also elements of social criticisms and philosophy. Keep up the good work.
WKC
有點不明白，看KC的文章你覺得此店食物相當一般，食物評分也只有3分，為何結論卻是「值得推薦」？
回覆刪除印象中獲得相當好評的食肆，KC才會作此評價的，新近如「車品品」及「牛記」，我也去吃過數次，相當高水準。
我雖然未試過這家店(本來有打算和女友去吃)，但以KC兄的結論來說，跟「車品品」及「牛記」媲美好像不大好吧。
數句妄言，希望不要見怪。
熊兄：我都爭d沒入去...
回覆刪除Beef No Guy兄：你不知，之前周街也是拉麵控，最近又一地都係咖哩王。個個長篇大論非常有心得，好犀利！而這裡的咖哩汁，實在太杰了。
WKC兄：謝謝欣賞！
Thomas兄：對不起，寫錯了，已修正，也謝謝指正。
KC, it seems that business owners of these chain shops and those wanting to open new curry shops only see it as a money making opportunity to cash in on the trend rather than innovating and improving upon a product.
回覆刪除Sooner or later the curry shops will be replaced with the next "interesting" thing. Kind of like every basement arcade shop in HK was so crazy about Tamagochi in 1990s. I'm not trying to make fun of people but when I learned about Ricky Cheng spending $$$$$$$ on a Japanese Oma bluefin tuna at an auction, I was curious about his restaurant business and how good the food could be if he was spending so much $ on a single ingredient....then I find out about Itamae Sushi embarassing news and the youtube new clips, and customer complaints...and then it all makes sense.
"實在太杰了" - oh my you are right. The curry sauce looks like chocolate fondue gooey...not very appetizing indeed. What a shame, for a Japanese chain to be diluting the standard of what good curry should taste like, with a gooey thick sauce!