Which country is curry from? As you know, it started in India. But there is another country that really likes curry. Japan, the neighbor country of Korea.

If India created curry, Japan is a country that transforms curry and enjoys it on their own way. In fact, authentic curry and Japanese curry have a very different taste and look. Let me introduce Kiiromesiya, a Japanese curry restaurant in Songnidan-gil.

Kiiromesia means 'yellow rice house' in Japanese. It's a perfect name that reminds us of yellow curry. The exterior of the building has a wooden structure that can be found in Japan.

There is a picture of a lucky cat at the entrance.

Curry rice and curry udon, which look delicious are catching my eyes.

The catering industry, which is hard to last even until two years. But since its opening in 2008, Kiiromesia has been in full swing. The curry spatula used to make curry in a large container is displayed like this at the end of its life. It says, the spatula they are using now is the fourth and unfortunately, the first one has been lost.

They're closed on Mondays.

Oh, cute cat eating curry rice. That cat is wearing a mask.

It was a little early for lunch and I was the first guest. There are tables that can accommodate a wide range of people, from 1 person to 6 person.

The menu looks simple. It's all basically combinations of curry plus rice or noodle plus topping. Even if it's toppings, it comes out separately like a side dish. They have a variety of toppings that are good for when you feel like just curry rice isn't enough.

There are tips on how to make a good curry at home. They seem to be trying not to make their guests bored while waiting for the food to come out.

Curry goes well with sake or beer.

This restaurant cares about health as well as taste. They are very concerned about the ingredients and trying not to use chemical seasoning.

This shows hot to eat their curry more deliciously.

It says, do not mix different curries and especially, it's better to have a spoonful of curry and rice together instead of mixing them all at once. Perhaps it's because the texture and taste goes worse if it gets soggy.

It's a neat set-up. I ordered two kinds of curries with rice and noodles. Also I ordered croquette and cream croquette which are known to be as good as their curry.

This is curry udon with think pork, fried tofu, and green onions. The pork is soft and not greasy, and its texture is perfect that it goes well the the noodles.

Curry rice has no fried tofu and the rest look similar, but the curry tastes different with curry udon. Curry udon tastes a bit more intense, perhaps because the noodles are thicker than the rice and the curry is more hard to permeate into the noodles.

Have you heard that the second day of curry tastes the best? It means curry tastes best when it's deeply boiled and the moisture is gone, then it tastes deeper. Kiiromesia's curry tastes like that.

About croquet, when I read reviews about Kiiromesia, they always mention about the croquet, and now I understand why. If you stop by here, make sure to order croquet!

Cream croquet is literally creamy, and to my taste, the croquet is just too good. Crispy outside, and soft inside. It has a mysterious texture and taste that you don't know how to fry it like this. I strongly recommend it!

So was it delicious? Haha. Look at my empty bowl. I almost licked the dish.

Strongly recommended, it's Kiiromesia.

• Food ★★★★★

Taste and price are all good. Meet the best curry.

• Cleanliness ★★★★☆

Overall clean

• Service ★★★☆☆

Average

• Ambience ★★★★☆

Simple and neat Japanese style interior

• Accessibility ★★★☆☆

Walk 7 minutes from exit 1 of Seokchon Station on line 8 and 9. Narrow parking space.

• Open Hours: 11:00~21:00, Closed on Mondays
• Recommended Number of People: 1 to 4
• Recommended Menu: Curry, Croquet
• Value: Curry 6,800 won, Croquet 3,000 won
• Amenities: Wi-Fi, Parking Space

Address: 43-9 Baekje Ancient Tombs-ro 41-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul