Globe-trotting Adventures and Mouth-watering Eats: Lesson Learned from Keema

If you read my blog from two weeks ago I said that I'll take my sisters to Coco Ichibanya Curry House once they come home from San Francisco. They came home last night so off we went.

They both got the chicken cutlet curry and thought it was delicious! My mom got clam curry with mushrooms, which she thought was divine, and what did I get? I figured since everyone had ordered regular Japanese curry that I'd try something different, so I went with the Keema curry, which was so savory! It's very different from Japanese curry in that its spices are piquant. There's more onion & garlic flavor to it, and it tastes like something you'd find at an Indian restaurant. The Keema at Coco Ichibanya uses minced chicken.

So, are you curious to know what spice level I asked for this time? I have to be honest with you and tell you that I was feeling kind of chicken last night, and opted only for a spice level 5. Boooo ... Disappointing, I know. HOWEVER! This dish for a spice level 5 was so spicy, I couldn't keep my hands off my water. I think our server noticed because she came just at the right time to refill my water for like the third time. I have had a spice level 5 here before and thought it wasn't spicy enough, so why then was I suddenly dying of heat?

The server who replenished my water then asked me, "Have you had Keema curry before?" I said no, but that it's really good. Then came the revelation ...

Server: "Oh, OK. Well, I wasn't sure if I should have told you, but the Keema curry is already a spice level 2. And then you asked for spice level 5, so you're basically eating a level 7."

What the - - - - ?!?!

Wow, and she couldn't have disclosed this piece of information to me when I was ordering because ... ?? (And no, there was no disclaimer on the menu.)

No wonder I was having a spice attack! I had ordered the same spice level I had last time I was here. I immediately thought of Ben Stiller's ethnic food date with Jennifer Aniston in Along Came Polly. Not pretty. I think I know now that I no longer wish to work my way up to spice level 10. If level 7 is already killing me, does it make much sense to go past it or order it again?

I think next time I'll order the Keema again and just add level 3 to it. Level 5 (to me) is playing it safe, but at least it's not torturous.