Kai Curry Bar

Special thanks to Gartien for extending this food review invitation.

My previous visit to Kai Curry Bar (Curry Bar カイ) was nothing short of compliments. Today visit is specially organized by Gartien (小田佳园) to promote its Crystal Pineapple Confiture.

Kai Curry Bar is operated Mag, her mother and her six-year-old son Kai (カイ). Mag also operates a catering business called Umai Kitchen, which specializes on pastry and finger food.

The dining section of Kai Curry Bar is simple yet cozy. The dinosaur doodles on the ceiling and menu pages are specifically crafted by Kai, one of the youngest interior designers in the profession.

The main appeal at Kai Curry Bar is its special curry recipes, which is inspired by Japanese curry (カレー) but most ingredients are sourced locally. Unlike local recipes, the curry here is not as spicy as one would expect. The curry is better described as sweet, savory and starchy. There are two types of curry to choose from: pork (ポーク) or vegetarian (ベジタリアン).

As prelude to the actual meal, we are served with some Potato Salad. This appetizer is essentially mashed potato with hijiki (鹿尾菜), a kind of Japanese seaweed. The salad is garnished with black sesame seeds and two thick slices of cucumber. The potato has lovely texture overall.

Also served is a small container of pickled lotus root. This is best eaten with rice.

For the main dishes, we started with Pork Katsu Curry (ポークカツカレー, RM18.90). The piece of deep-fried breaded pork cutlet is accompanied by pork-version curry. The latter contains small chunks of pork, carrots, potatoes and onions. The curry is tasty to the very last drop.

On the side, rice is topped with scrambled egg (スクランブルエッグ, RM3.50). There are various add-ons to choose from. Popular ones are sautéed mushrooms (ソテーしめじ, RM3.00) and spinach (ほうれん草, RM2.50).

As an alternate to of deep-frying, Seared Chicken Curry (炙りチキンカレー, RM18.90) is another good choice. A slab of deboned chicken breast is grilled to golden perfection, then served with savory curry gravy.

Pork Hamburg Curry (ポークハンバーグカレー, RM18.90) is another interesting choice. This dish comes with three pieces of ground pork patties. For this plate, optional cheese (チーズ, RM3.50) is added to the curry.

If pork and poultry are not your preference today, try the Fish Cutlet Curry (フィッシュカツカレー, RM19.90) instead. Each servings comes with two fried mahi-mahi (マヒマヒ) fillets.

Although the curry gravy works best with rice, Kai Curry Bar also has a list of interesting udon (うどん) choices. The Pork Katsu Curry Udon (ポークカツカレーうどん, RM17.90) is one such example.

The udon noodle is presented in thick curry broth, making the former well-flavored throughout. This dish is then topped with chopped scallion and a sprinkle of sesame seeds as garnish.

As for side orders, a recommended choice is Sautéed Shimeji (ソテーしめじ, RM3.00). Each piece of mushroom is succulent from stem to cap.

Moving on, another delicacy is Salmon & Dill Cream Croquette (サーモンとディルクリームコロッケ, RM3.50 each). Each piece is made from mashed potato with a delightful layer of crispy breading.

As a vegetarian alternative, one may opt for the Sweet Corn Croquette (スイートコーンコロッケ, RM3.00 each) instead.

Tempura lovers will not be alienated by Crumbled Prawns (エビカツ, RM6.80). Each serving comes with two pieces of scrumptious shrimps. The shell (with exception of the head) is soft enough to be eaten in whole.

Dipping sauce is provided for finger food. I find the light-tangy flavor to be quite delectable.

After a meat-heavy feast, it is wise to complement the meal with some greens too. This side order of Broccoli (ミドリハナヤサイ, RM2.80) is seasoned with small amount of salt to tantalize our taste buds.

As for drinks, Kai Curry Bar serves Mugicha (麦茶) which is similar in taste and scent as genmaicha (玄米茶). The former is made from roasted barley, and is therefore caffeine-free.

As part of an on-going promotion by Gartien, Kai Curry Bar is one of the four restaurants to feature Gartien's Crystal Pineapple Confiture in one of its dish. For Kai Curry Bar, the featured dish is Kai Crystal Pineapple Japanese Curry Don (カイクリスタルパイナップル日本カレー丼, RM18.90).

The Kai Crystal Pineapple Japanese Curry Don is similar to the Pork Katsu Curry (ポークカツカレー), but with pineapple flesh added to the gravy at no extra charge.

Customers who dine at any two of Gartien's partner restaurants (including Kai Curry Bar) and share the photos on social media may redeem a free jar of Crystal Pineapple Confiture directly from Gartien. This promotion is only available while stocks last.

Name: Kai Curry Bar (Curry Bar カイ)
Address: 15, Jalan Phuah Hin Leong, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-226-0322
Business hours: 11:00am-3:00pm, 6:00pm-9:00pm, closed on Sundays and Mondays
Website: http://kaicurrybar.com
Coordinates: 5.42369 N, 100.32257 E
Directions: Driving along Burmah Road (Jalan Burma) from New World Park, turn right to Jalan Phuah Hin Leong. This small road is somewhat opposite of Union Primary School. Kai Curry Bar is one of the shops on the left. Parking is limited in this neighborhood; be tactful not to obstruct other houses.