Trying a pouch of instant curry that costs as much as a full meal at a nice restaurant
The other day, our Japanese-language writer Takashi Harada walked into a high-end supermarket on a whim to see how the other half lived. Needless to say, the prices were so high that he started to develop altitude sickness, but even among all this, there was one product that really stood out.
In Japan, you can find a wide range of pre-cooked curry in vinyl pouches that just need to be heated for a few minutes before serving. In addition to being very easy, they're also rather cheap, usually hovering around 200 yen (US$1.40) or so. But the instant curry Takashi spotted on this day was a whopping 2,700 yen ($19).
▼ Miyazaki Beef Curry A5 300
The first reason for the steep price is that this uses A5 grade Miyazaki wagyu beef, where 'A5' is the highest quality rating of beef in Japan and Miyazaki is said by many to be the best wagyu around. The second reason was that this curry was made under the supervision of Chef Tatsuya Kawagoe, a celebrity chef who has made several TV appearances and has his own YouTube channel Kawagoe Chef Dayo.
That sealed the deal, and Takashi took the plunge on this premium pouch of pre-cooked curry. After taking it home, he opened up the box and found a message saying that the beef in this curry was the recipient of the prestigious Prime Minister's Award, making it essentially the best of the best beef in Japan.
All this hype was clearly getting to Takashi because even the vinyl pouch began to take on a luxurious quality despite being almost identical to any other retort pouch. The contents were said to be 300 grams (10.6 ounces) and on the ingredient list, the beef was first, meaning it was used in the largest amount. Our writer estimated that to mean there were around 100 to 200 grams of sautéed meat in there.
According to the instructions, this can be heated either in the microwave or by letting it soak in hot water. Takashi opted for the water because it heats more evenly and after paying so much for this, he didn't want to leave anything to chance.
Just a few minutes later, his feast was prepared!
Its appearance did not disappoint and there were sizable chunks of top-grade beef which our writer could barely resist long enough to sample the roux first.
The curry was amazingly rich because it was blended with a demi-glace sauce and didn't contain any other ingredients like potatoes, carrots, or onions to interfere. The taste was so elegant it was clear that this curry was very deliberately cooked to perfection.
The thing that could be called a flaw was the presence of oil, possibly fat from the beef, pooling on the surface which bothered Takashi somewhat. Still, it didn't affect the taste and could be easily mixed into the roux.
The beef was incredibly tender and the portions really made it the centerpiece of this curry rather than just another topping. It wasn't too spicy and its consistency allowed it to seep into the crevices of the rice grains just the right amount.
All in all, it was a very filling and satisfying meal that was worth 2,700 yen. On the other hand, Takashi probably won't eat it again any time soon, because it's worth 2,700 yen. Still, if you're looking to treat yourself with some convenient fine dining at home, look no further than Miyazaki Beef Curry A5 300.
Photos ©SoraNews24
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