Curry is one of the most essential imports, an ever-changing spice and sauce that can be mixed and switched to fit just about any taste. Every curry-loving nation touts its own blends, but to get some of the best mixtures flavored by Japan, head to the Curry House. It’s almost always safe to trust a place named after its specialty, and the Curry House is no different—a minimal spot that operates as the restaurant arm of House Foods, one of the largest tofu producers in the country centered down in Garden Grove. There are a number of varieties to try, but by far the best is the Stone Grilled Curry Rice. The dish is built on a mound of rice, a heap of fresh vegetables, an egg yolk and a few slices of rib eye, eel or chicken katsu. The mix is served in an always-hot stone bowl that still sizzles as it hits your table. But the best part of the dish won’t come until the end, when you eat your way to the charred pockets of rice crisped up against the burning bowl. Run your fork along the edge and scrape off some of the most pleasing bites of grain you’ll ever eat.

CURRY HOUSE 21215 HAWTHORNE BLVD | TORRANCE 90503 | 310.540.8980 | AND 10953 MERIDIAN DR | CYPRESS 90630 | 714.527.6224

Tags: curry house, hot pot, SIDES, tofu