Japanese Curry in Melun
At Yoki Ramen, we prepare our Japanese curry in the tradition of kare raisu: a velvety, subtly sweet sauce simmered from a homemade roux and freshly toasted spices. Served with perfectly steamed Japanese rice, our curry is one of the most comforting dishes on our menu, available at 31 Rue du General de Gaulle in the heart of Melun.
The History of Japanese Curry: From Kare Raisu to National Dish
Japanese curry has a fascinating history that sets it apart from its Indian and Thai cousins. Contrary to what one might expect, curry did not arrive in Japan directly from India. It was the British, during the late Meiji era (around 1868-1912), who introduced curry to Japan. The British Imperial Navy, which had adopted curry as a standard ration for its crews, passed it on to the Japanese Navy. The Japanese then adapted the recipe to their own palate, creating an entirely new dish.
Over the decades, Japanese curry moved considerably away from its Anglo-Indian origins. The sauce became thicker, milder, subtly sweet, prepared from a butter-and-flour roux enriched with slowly caramelized onions, grated apple, and honey. This blend produces a velvety texture and a round, warming flavor that appeals to all ages. Today, kare raisu (literally "curry-rice") is considered one of the most consumed dishes in Japan, ranking even above sushi in national popularity surveys.
At Yoki Ramen in Melun, we pay tribute to this tradition by preparing our curry using artisanal Japanese methods. No industrial curry cubes, no pre-made paste: our sauce is crafted daily in our kitchen at 31 Rue du General de Gaulle, with the same care we put into our ramen broths.
Our Signature Japanese Curries at Yoki Ramen
Our Japanese curry menu was designed to offer a range of flavors that satisfies both meat lovers and vegetarians alike. Each variety features our house-made curry sauce, prepared daily, and is served with steamed Japanese rice, house pickles, and carefully arranged garnishes.
Chicken Katsu Curry
Our undisputed best-seller. The chicken katsu curry pairs a chicken fillet carefully coated in ultra-crispy panko breadcrumbs, fried at the perfect temperature for a golden, crunchy exterior while keeping the inside tender and juicy. This chicken tonkatsu is then sliced into generous portions and draped with our house curry sauce. The contrast between the crispy panko and the silky sauce creates a harmony of textures that is quintessentially Japanese. Served on a bed of white Japanese rice with daikon pickles and a fresh shredded cabbage salad, this dish embodies Japanese comfort food at its finest.
Chicken - Crispy - Best-sellerSlow-Braised Beef Curry
Our beef curry is a dish of character, where the meat is slowly braised in curry sauce until fork-tender. We use beef cuts chosen for their ability to withstand long cooking without losing flavor. The result is meat that falls apart at the touch of a fork, infused with all the aromatic notes of our sauce: turmeric, cumin, caramelized onions, grated apple, and a hint of garam masala. Melt-in-your-mouth potatoes and carrots accompany the meat, adding a layer of vegetable sweetness. This curry evokes the Japanese family tradition of letting a pot simmer all Sunday morning until the entire house is filled with its aroma.
Beef - Tender - TraditionalShrimp Curry
For seafood lovers, our shrimp curry offers a marine take on kare raisu. The shrimp are quickly seared over high heat to preserve their firmness and briny flavor, then coated in our curry sauce. The combination of the shrimp's natural sweetness with the warm spices of the curry creates a particularly well-balanced dish. We add crisp vegetables (bell peppers, edamame, spring onions) that bring freshness and textural contrast. This curry is served with Japanese rice and our house pickles, finished with a touch of shichimi togarashi for those who like a little extra heat.
Shrimp - Seafood - BalancedSeasonal Vegetable Curry
Our vegetarian curry proves that kare raisu does not need meat to be deeply satisfying. The curry sauce, already rich in flavor thanks to caramelized onions, grated apple, and toasted spices, envelops seasonal vegetables prepared with care: oven-roasted sweet potatoes, grilled eggplant, zucchini, crisp broccoli, and glazed carrots. Each vegetable is cooked separately to respect its ideal texture before being assembled on the plate. This approach ensures that every bite offers a mix of textures and flavors, from melt-in-your-mouth to crunchy. A generous and complete dish that satisfies vegetarians and omnivores alike.
Plant-based - Seasonal - GenerousDiscover all our dishes on our full menu, including our authentic ramen, sushi and maki and poke bowls.
The Secret Behind Our House Curry Sauce
The quality of a Japanese curry depends entirely on its sauce. At Yoki Ramen, the preparation of our curry sauce begins well before service. It all starts with the roux: a blend of butter and flour that we cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches a hazelnut color and toasted aroma. This roux forms the thickening base of our curry and gives it the velvety texture that defines authentic Japanese kare raisu.
At the same time, our onions are finely sliced and caramelized for nearly an hour over very low heat. This crucial step transforms the onion's natural bitterness into a deep sweetness that forms the backbone of our curry's flavor. We add grated apple (a quintessentially Japanese technique) and fresh ginger, which bring roundness and a subtle zing respectively.
Our spice blend is composed of turmeric, cumin, coriander seeds, fenugreek, black pepper, cinnamon, and a touch of mild chili. These spices are first dry-toasted in a pan to release their essential oils and intensify their aromas, then ground and blended into the roux along with our vegetable and meat stock. The sauce then simmers for several hours until all the ingredients merge into a rich, cohesive, and complex whole.
The result is a sauce of remarkable smoothness that coats the rice and toppings perfectly without ever feeling heavy. Each spoonful reveals successive layers of flavor: the sweetness of onion and apple, the warmth of the spices, the depth of the roux, and that final umami note that makes Japanese curry so irresistibly moreish. It is this artisanal commitment that sets our curry apart from anything made with cubes or industrial paste.
Japanese, Indian or Thai Curry: What Are the Differences?
While the word "curry" is common across several Asian cuisines, the dishes it refers to are radically different from one country to another. Japanese curry stands out for its mildness, thickness, and texture close to a brown gravy. Where Indian curry favors intense spice blends (masala) and varied liquid bases (coconut milk, yogurt, tomato), Japanese curry relies on a roux that gives it body and silkiness. It is deliberately less spicy, making it approachable for all palates, including children.
Thai curry, on the other hand, is defined by its aromatic freshness (lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves) and its curry paste bases (red, green, yellow) diluted in coconut milk. Its flavor profile is brighter, more acidic, and often spicier than Japanese curry.
Japanese curry plays on rounder, more enveloping notes. The presence of grated apple, caramelized onions, and sometimes honey or chocolate (yes, some traditional Japanese recipes include a square of dark chocolate for depth!) creates a unique flavor profile that is both familiar and exotic. It is this gentle, warming personality that has made kare raisu the most consumed dish in Japan across all categories.
Our Sides: Rice, Tonkatsu, Pickles and More
A great Japanese curry is about more than the sauce. The accompaniments play an essential role in the balance of the dish. At Yoki Ramen, every element on our curry plates is prepared with the same artisanal care.
Steamed Japanese Rice
We use a short-grain Japanese rice, steamed according to the traditional method. This rice, slightly sticky and glossy, has the ideal texture to absorb the curry sauce while maintaining its structure. The water ratio and resting time after cooking are calibrated with precision to achieve a tender grain at every service.
Tonkatsu - Crispy Panko Breading
The tonkatsu that accompanies our chicken katsu curry is coated in Japanese panko breadcrumbs. Unlike standard breadcrumbs, panko produces a lighter, airier, and far crispier crust. We bread our fillets to order and cook them in oil held at a constant temperature for an even, golden result.
House Pickles and Condiments
Our daikon (Japanese radish) and cucumber pickles are made in-house with seasoned rice vinegar. These tangy, crunchy condiments play a key role: they provide freshness between each bite of curry and cleanse the palate. We also offer fukujinzuke, the traditional condiment for Japanese curry — a mix of finely chopped vegetables macerated in a sweet-and-savory sauce.
Order Our Japanese Curry in Melun and Surroundings
There are several ways to enjoy our Japanese curry. You can visit our restaurant at 31 Rue du General de Gaulle in Melun. With lunch and dinner service (Tuesday through Sunday), there is always a time that fits your schedule. Japanese curry is available at every service, whether you come for a quick lunch or a more relaxed dinner.
If you prefer to enjoy our curry at home, we offer delivery in Melun and the surrounding towns: Le Mee-sur-Seine, Dammarie-les-Lys, Vaux-le-Penil, Rubelles, and beyond. Japanese curry is a dish that travels particularly well thanks to its thick, generous texture. We pack the rice and sauce separately so you can plate your meal at home with optimal quality.
Click and collect is also available: order online or by phone, choose your pickup time, and grab your curry ready to eat straight from the counter. For a full meal, add some crispy gyoza or grilled yakitori as a starter \u2014 the perfect pairing with a piping-hot curry.
Japanese Curry, a Treasure of Japanese Gastronomy in Melun
Japanese curry holds a special place in the gastronomy of Japan. Introduced during the Meiji era via the British Navy, it was gradually transformed by Japanese chefs into a dish radically different from its original model. Where British curry was a simplified interpretation of Indian curry, Japan turned it into an original culinary creation \u2014 thicker, milder, built around a roux rather than spice pastes.
In Melun, in the Seine-et-Marne department, Yoki Ramen offers an authentic, artisan-made Japanese curry. Residents of Melun and neighboring towns \u2014 Le Mee-sur-Seine, Dammarie-les-Lys, Vaux-le-Penil, Rubelles, Savigny, Cesson \u2014 no longer need to travel to Paris to find a kare raisu worthy of the name. Our restaurant, located at 31 Rue du General de Gaulle in the heart of Melun, prepares its curry sauce daily from fresh ingredients and toasted spices, with absolutely no industrial shortcuts.
Japanese curry is often described as the ultimate comfort food in Japan. It is the dish that students make in their tiny apartments, the one mothers simmer on Sundays, the one school cafeterias serve to millions of children every week. This popular, heartwarming dimension is at the core of our approach at Yoki Ramen. We want every plate of curry served in Melun to convey that warmth, that generosity, and that sense of well-being that make kare raisu such a universally beloved dish.
Whether you are looking for Japanese curry in Melun, katsu curry in the 77 area, kare raisu in Seine-et-Marne, or simply a Japanese restaurant that prepares its sauces by hand, Yoki Ramen invites you to discover our take on Japanese curry. Our menu also features ramen with 12-hour simmered broths, sushi and maki made to order and fresh and colorful poke bowls. Open six days a week, lunch and dinner, with delivery and click and collect available.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Japanese Curry
What is Japanese curry (kare raisu)?
Japanese curry, called kare raisu in Japanese, is a comforting dish made of a thick, subtly sweet curry sauce served over Japanese rice. Unlike Indian or Thai curry, Japanese curry is defined by its velvety texture, milder taste, and roux-based preparation. At Yoki Ramen in Melun, we prepare our house curry sauce from a blend of toasted spices and a slowly simmered roux, achieving a depth of flavor that is truly authentic.
What varieties of Japanese curry do you offer at Yoki Ramen?
Our Japanese curry menu includes several varieties: chicken katsu curry (crispy breaded chicken fillet draped in curry sauce), seasonal vegetable curry for vegetarians, slow-braised beef curry, and shrimp curry. Each curry is served with steamed Japanese rice, house pickles, and a side salad. You can view our full menu online or at the restaurant at 31 Rue du General de Gaulle in Melun.
Is your curry sauce made in-house?
Yes, every step is carried out from scratch in our kitchen in Melun. The roux is made from butter and flour, cooked over low heat for nearly thirty minutes with constant stirring until it reaches a deep hazelnut color. Meanwhile, our finely sliced onions caramelize for about an hour over very low heat, transforming their bitterness into a sweetness that is fundamental to the curry's flavor profile. Our spice blend — turmeric, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, black pepper, cinnamon, mild chili — is dry-toasted to release its essential oils, then ground and folded into the roux. Grated apple and fresh ginger complete the balance. Zero cubes, zero industrial paste, zero shortcuts.
How is Japanese curry different from Indian curry?
Japanese curry and Indian curry are very different. Japanese curry is thicker, milder, and subtly sweet, with a texture similar to a brown gravy. It is prepared from a roux, unlike Indian curry which typically uses whole toasted spices and varied liquid bases. Japanese curry was introduced to Japan by the British during the Meiji era (late 19th century), who had themselves adapted Indian curry. Japan turned it into a national dish in its own right, vastly different from its origins.
Can I order Japanese curry for delivery in Melun?
Absolutely. We deliver to Melun and neighboring towns (Le Mee-sur-Seine, Dammarie-les-Lys, Vaux-le-Penil, Rubelles). Japanese curry is one of our dishes that travels best: its thick, velvety sauce won't spill or degrade during transport. We pack the Japanese rice in a separate container so it keeps its tender texture, and the curry sauce in an airtight vessel. The tonkatsu for the chicken katsu curry is wrapped separately to preserve its panko crunch. Upon delivery, simply plate up and pour the sauce — it's ready. Order via our website or call 07 64 51 95 07.
Do you have vegetarian options for the curry?
Yes, our seasonal vegetable curry is entirely vegetarian. The curry sauce is prepared without any meat or fish stock — we use a homemade vegetable broth as the base. The vegetables are chosen according to the season and prepared individually to respect each one's ideal texture: oven-roasted sweet potatoes for sweetness, grilled eggplant, al dente zucchini, crisp broccoli, and glazed carrots. Each vegetable is cooked separately before being assembled on the plate, ensuring a mix of textures and flavors in every bite. It is a generous, complete dish that satisfies vegetarians and omnivores alike.
How much does Japanese curry cost at Yoki Ramen?
Our Japanese curries start at around 13 euros, depending on the recipe chosen and any extras selected. The chicken katsu curry, our best-seller, as well as the beef and shrimp versions are available a la carte. Lunch sets including a starter and dessert are also offered. Check our online menu for exact prices and customization options.