Kare-Ken

I have been in a MILLION depressions ever since I heard Kare-​Ken was closing down. Many times over, their curry boxes — featuring chicken cutlets or pork cutlets that are perfectly breaded and fried, and topped with rich (but not overbearing), slightly-​sweet, and slightly-​spicy curry sauce — have made for some of the most satisfying meals I’ve ever had at any price point. Add in a side of lightly breaded tempura onion rings and these were truly meals from heaven.
The price points were also amazingly good — never more than $ 9 for a box, if I remember correctly. Moreover, service was warm, friendly, and personal, and the owners started to recognize me after a few visits. While the venue was tiny, the intimate, casual, eat-​at-​the-​counter setting actually made it feel as if you were doing some real street-​side dining in Tokyo.
In fact, if it’s any guide, I dragged a bunch of friends here once. One of them, whose wife is Japanese, said that the curry here was the best he’d ever had, stateside or in Japan. Now that’s serious cred, folks.
I’m selfishly hoping someone buys Kare-​Ken out and starts franchising the concept everywhere, with more extensive hours, so I can enjoy it once again. Please please pleeeeease, come back in whatever form you can!

Kare-​Ken. I really miss you. I drove by a couple of times and the awning is still there. I wish you are back. I know being with family is super important. Hopefully one day you will cook for all of us in the community again.

I’m really craving some Japanese curry, others just don’t compare! Thank you for the good meals we enjoyed for over a year since we discovered this place!
Best of luck! …crossing my fingers you will open up again!

I LOVE JAPANESE CURRY!
It’s embarrassing how much I love curry. During my visit to the Bay Area, my brother and I were craving it so bad.
The way that pork katsu, curry and rice tasted was unbelievably delicious. There are only 8 seats so it takes a couple minutes to get a seat.
Definitely one of my favorite spots in SF.

One of my favorite curry spot in SF. I ate in the story before and take it to-​go a couple times. They’re katsu curry is really good with the price I pay. The katsu however can be a bit dry sometimes but the curry sauce has made that up! Don’t forget to order their onion rings! It really is my favorite dish there. I love how crispy the onion ring is and the onion inside os sweet and moist.
For someone who doesn’t like spicy food their mild curry is just right amount of the tingling spice.
I also had the beef curry once. It’s very interesting in a good way.

Delicious and inexpensive Japanese curry with a kick. In addition to my katsu curry, I ordered a side of fried seasonal vegetables, which I’d recommend to those looking to add more veggies to your meal. Your chance of getting one of the 8 seats at the counter is small, so opt for take-​out when you can.

Great Japanese style comfort food curry. The owner/​partner working there is super friendly and helpful. The eating area and the kitchen space is a small and narrow but everything is spotless clean. There are only about 10 stools at a counter, but the turnover is fast. You get served in takeout containers, whether you takeout or eat in.
The curry Katsu and curry chicken Katsu are perfectly fried with not a burnt or undercooked crumb to be found. The medium/​hot curry sauce has just the right amount of punch. The dry beef curry sauce is more meaty and tomato based. I liked both but preferred the original curry.
Its amusing being literally 24 inches from the kitchen as they do final prep your meal. You can tell everything is meticulously prepared. The kitchen help are so careful with everything, but its almost like they are operating in slow motion. It is tough to restrain that urge to leap over the counter help speed things up.
Kare-​ken is better for take out than eating in, but its worth eating in once to get the flavor of the place. They now accept credit cards via Square. The menu is not huge, but the pork and and chicken Katsu are very good. The hours are quite limited, they are small so they spend the day prepping for the evening service. They are only open for 5hrs 5 days a week.

kare-​ken is a solid place to stop by for a relatively cheap dinner if you are in the area. to be honest, kare-​ken doesn’t serve the best katsu out there, but it’s still a pretty bangin’ dinner option. the curry is delicious with the katsu and I feel like there aren’t that many places that serve curry katsu’s.
overall, I would come back for a quick dinner, but I would not recommend going out of your way to try this place.
other notes:
–limited seating — around 6 seats? restaurant is very vertical, meaning that the kitchen is in front of you while you are seated (you get a little grease action if you are on the side closest to the fryer) and on busy nights, people standing behind you or out the door

Kare-​ken is the best Japanese curry restaurant in San Francisco and my favorite place to get Japanese curry in the city. We have been coming to Kare-​ken regularly two to three times a month ever since they opened. We usually order the chicken katsu curry or the dry beef curry, both of which are delicious. The chicken katsu curry is $ 8.50 and the dry beef curry is $ 8, an excellent value which is a rarity these days. The gentlemen that run this place are the coolest guys around and the exterior and interior design of the restaurant is beautiful. I will definitely miss Kare-​ken and their awesome curry if I ever move away from the Bay Area. Mahalo to the wonderful people of Kare-​ken for their years of dedicated service to the neighborhood.

Kozy. Kurry. Kraving.
Kozy: you sit at a bar facing the kitchen, admiring the production of comfort Japanese food passed down through family recipes. Or, you can stand at the counter facing the wall, though there ain’t no drying paint to amuse you.
Kurry: $ 8.50 for a generous serving of KATSU CURRY, which comes as a sliced pork cutlet, freshly fried and lightly breaded to perfection, served over a bed of white rice in a compostable to-​go container with little compartments for a smattering of steamed veggies and bright pink pickled cabbage. Customize the spiciness of your rich, savory curry to whatever level your capsaicin receptors desire, but ask for the curry on the side to keep your cutlet from getting soggy.
Fork over an additional $ 3 for FRIED SEASONAL VEGETABLES, which was a small plastic container filled with salted&peppered cauliflower coated in what seemed to be an egg/​cornstarch batter and then fried in hot oil before being blessed with a healthy dousing of vinegar. $ 3 can also get you a good handful of crispy TEMPURA ONION RINGS. Solid.
Kraving: don’t fight it. Feed it.

I love the tender pork meat in the curry (it’s fatty and crispy at the same time) but I cannot get over how sweet the curry is.
I like my curry to be traditional, salty and flavorful. And although Kare-Ken’s curry is flavorful, it’s way too sweet for my palate. I personally love Dojima-Ann’s curry.
However, if you don’t mind a sweetened curry experience, then definitely consider Kare-​Ken. The meat itself is quite delectable.

A cozy little gem hidden among the streets of SF. If I didn’t know better, I would have walked right past it.
When you walk in, you are welcomed by a wave of curry. My tummy rumbles in response to this delicious smell. Their short menu works to their benefit, they did one thing, curry, and they did it well.
We ordered the pork curry and the beef curry, both came with a generous helping of rice. The pork was fried to perfection, and worked really well with the curry sauce, which came in a separate container. The beef curry was actually ground beef in curry sauce, it was so delicious!
We ordered hot for both curry. In my opinion, the pork curry was medium hot, it could use a little more heat. The beef curry, on the other hand, was definitely hot with a kick.
The beef curry also comes with fried onion rings. The onion rings were lightly battered, and extremely fresh. Try dipping them in the curry sauce!
The fried vegetables was fried cauliflower. The cauliflower was not battered, which was a pleasant surprise. They come with the house vinegarette sauce that paired really well with the cauliflower.
This is a really great place, with friendly staff. The only downside is that I hope they would reduce the amount of disposables used for dine in. Other than that, this is a place worth coming back.

This Japanese curry place is basically a hole-​in-​the-​wall in Tenderloin. If I wasn’t looking for it, I would have easily walked right past. The place is tiny (if I remember correctly there’s only 8 seats), but it’s clean and modern, with a nice wood paneling. While we were there a lot of people walked in to order take-​out, which seems like a good idea (or back-​up plan) since the place is so small.
I had the chicken katsu curry with a boiled egg. The curry was tasty and a good amount of spicy. It seems like their «spiciness scale» is on point: spicy is indeed spicy, with a good range from mild to extra spicy. The katsu was deep-​fried and delicious, and not greasy! I tried my friend’s pork katsu, and it didn’t seem particularly different from the chicken: the meat was slightly tougher and denser. The curry comes with «vegetables» which is really just a sprig each of cauliflower and broccoli. But they’re both surprisingly delicious — soft without being over-​cooked!
The people who run the place know how to do business. Friendly, fast, and attentive, and they seem like they enjoy what they do. They also seem to be well-​integrated into a fairly rough neighborhood. Finally, it’s my favorite childhood movie so I have to mention this random Easter egg: If you want to play a fun game of «I Spy», look for the stuffed Dumbo toy hiding out above the shop.

Excellent little find here. It’s a pretty hairy neighborhood, and it’s small size and popularity almost guarantee a wait, but your patience will pay off!
The curry is a house recipe in varying levels of spiciness, and the owners take real pride in what they do– it’s apparent from talking with him. Onion rings are particularly notable — ultra crispy and delicious dipped in sauce.
Give the place a try! If you ask nice they may even let you bring in a (discreet) bottle of beer to wash down your meal.

You can easily walk right by and not see Kare-​Ken. It is tiny. It is on a street that the average person would not be skipping down. It’s greatest asset is its proximity to some classy old hotels in the Tenderloin district, slightly better than a borderline neighborhood. However, after a great little meal here, I would not hesitate to say, try it. Or at least, get something to go.
Their menu features curry. Only six entrees, mostly great juicy breaded cutlets. Your choice of chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, vegetable, or just curry gravy over rice. I cannot tell you how impressively big the pork cutlets were. Cooked to perfection. Served in evironmentally friendly to go boxes, even if you plan to stay and eat there. Served with pickled cabbage and steamed buttery vegetables, priced at not more than $ 8.
A short list of sides/​appetizers includes fried cauliflower in a sweet vinegar sauce and handmade onion rings. Ours were delicious.
The story starts with 3 guys who had granny’s great recipe. They thought this was going to be a easy peasy, part time venture. They acquired this mini-​sized store front, only 8 little bench seats and put some thought into a simple but nice décor. It looks very Japanese. Suddenly, they found themselves working long days and with great success. They prep and cook right in front of you. A very friendly vibe, but I cannot imagine the struggle when more than 8 people suddenly crave yummy Japanese curry. That happens easily in San Francisco, and especially once discovered on Unilocal.
This was a fun experience, good food. We were fortunate to find them a half a block from our Hotel California, so we walked. But for those who must, parking can be found at several nearby parking garages where you will predictably pay more for your parking than you will for your meal. Or do it the SF way, a double parked drive by, where one of you jumps out quickly to retrieve your excellent meal.

Quick, inexpensive, and tasty
Got the Chicken Curry for $ 8.50. Fried chicken cutlet on a bed of rice with the curry on the side (mild, medium or hot). I went for the medium.
The chicken and rice were decent but should have gone for the pork as recommended by the staff. The curry was a great addition that I added on top of the dish to my licking.
Note: They take credit cards now and the place is small so might need to get your food to go.

Part of the reason why I’m such a fan is because this place is just so straightforward and unpretentious.
I was expecting a hole-​in-​the-​wall, but was pleasantly surprised. This narrow space has been revamped, with modern signage + décor. There are a few young Asian guys manning the kitchen, all super friendly. The only seating available is on a bench outside or at the bar seating (though don’t get confused, no liquor is served here).
On Friday nights after work, be prepared to wait and/​or hustle for a seat. Lots of customers who seemed to know the drill were shuffling in and out to collect their takeout.
You get served in takeout containers, even if you’re eating in-​house. You get the option of mild, spicy and extra-​spicy curry. (Just a note: I like a bit of spice, but I’m not so used to eating spicy Japanese-​style curry. I think I’ll go for the mild next time. If spicy made me sweat, I can’t even imagine how hot the extra-​spicy would be.) You can choose between pork or chicken tonkatsu, with the option of just curry over rice as well.
I went for the classic pork — it was delightfully crunchy, and accompanied by a nice tiny salad of pickled vegetables.

Fan-​ta-​stic. Not mind-​blowingly amazing, but of the few places I’ve tried in SF so far, these folks are hands-​down the best I’ve had. Came here with a few friends the other week, and squished our way in to the far end of the counter, where we ordered their various katsus, and a side of tempura onion rings to share.
I myself got the chicken katsu with their hottest curry, which had a good kick, but was, in my book, more of a medium than hot (which seems to be the case with most spicy food in these parts). The chicken itself was fried perfectly, and together with curry, had some great flavor. And oh man, those onion rings! Despite being more than full, they were tasty enough that I went and finished the entire order, after my two friends had only taken one each.
Oh, and they take cards now!
***Accessibility Info***
Venue — A tiny, narrow restaurant, with limited seating capacity, so, while accessibility is not impossible, if the place is full (which it usually is), you may have trouble maneuvering through the hallway.
Bathroom — Didn’t check them out, but I think they may have been up a step or two.

The No1DP and I wanted a quick dinner to-​go, ended up phoning this place around 8pm. The restaurant was quite small, seating around 20 people. Judging from the small space and the surrounding area I was quite content on getting it to-​go.
FOOD
Dry Beef Curry ($ 8): Curried beef ragu, onion, carrot, celery, onion ring with hard boiled egg. The actual curry itself was delicious, though it was a bit on the sweet side and there could have been a bit more beef. Sides were standard fare for a curry, which includes a piece of broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, pickled cabbage and raisins. The onion rings were a more interesting addition to the curry and was okay when I dipped the onion rings INTO the curry, though it was better when I poured the curry over the onion rings and rice. Presentation was decent, though it’s one of the more unconventional curry dishes I’ve tried. Spice level was appropriate.
Vegetable Curry ($ 8): Curry served with crisp vegetables. No1DP’s entrée, though he didn’t noticed that his vegetables would come out crispy. He notes that Japan serves their curry way differently than how the restaurant serves the dish. He thought that the vegetables were a bit on the crispy and greasy side and a little weird that he had to pour/​dip the sauce over the curry.
Tempura Onion Ring ($ 2.50). Waste of money, as onion rings were included in both of our dishes and served more like traditional American onion rings instead of the familiar Japanese tempura batter. They should just leave the tempura name out. This is comparable to onion rings I would find at fast food restaurants, which I find to be pretty meh.
Though the food was a good portion for $ 8/​dish, the location and the quality of the curry encourages me to continue my search for the ideal curry spot in the SF Bay Area.

Why the hype?
From the Unilocal photos, this place looks nice. It’s true, the décor is definitely modern.
But in terms of how you feel when you actually sit down, it feels more like a food cart. Food comes in disposable boxes instead of plates, even if you eat there. There are only bar seats. The menu is a business card
The curry is meh. Everyone seems to be raving about it, but it doesn’t seem to be that good to me.
I ordered the spiciest setting, and indeed it was pretty spicy, so at least their spiciness setting is accurate!
Come here for takeout, but definitely not worth eating at the store.