My husband and I are going to Japan! While he’s been several times, it will be my first visit. To celebrate, we went over to Redheads Japa Cafe for a late dinner.
At Redheads, I can usually count on hearing Jack Jackson’s song, Better Together. I remember when I worked at my neighbourhood coffee house. I would put Jackson’s playlist on repeat during my six hour shift. Customers would always complain that they were sick of hearing the same artist but I didn’t care enough to do anything about it.
One of the owners of Redheads who is also the chef came out to say hello. He recommended the special, Hamburg Curry ($10.99) and told me he would incorporate some mushrooms in the gravy. L ordered his usual, Japa Katsu Curry ($10.99) and the Beef Tataki ($8.00).
The presentation of the curry has changed. Now, the curry is separated in a gravy boat. The beef curry is served piping hot, thick and with a texture similar to pulled pork. The curry is heavy and super flavourful with a subtle heat to it. L’s pork katsu was practically still sizzling from the fryer, the batter thin and crunchy. The portions at Redheads are spot on, generous with the amount of curry and a smaller portion of rice.
My hamburg brought out my inner fei po. The patty itself was well-seasoned and packed with the rich taste of Alberta beef. The exterior was super crunchy and remained so despite the bath of the shitake mushroom gravy. How good was this dish? I promptly ignored my beer and focused on shoving this delicious food into my mouth. As always, the rice was perfect. The egg on top was poached beautifully, the yolk soft and sticky.
I asked L if hamburg tasted this good in Japan. He thinks Redheads makes the best one he tried, possibly because of the use of Alberta beef. He says there is something in the taste of Redheads and Shokunin food that reminds him of Japan.
The beef tataki was good. Generous slices of chilled ruby red steak. The sauce was a sweet soy ginger blend. The crunchy garlic chips and salad were a nice addition to the dish.
Redheads Japa Cafe is one of my favourite places to eat. Japanese curry is out of this world good and so underrated in Calgary. The prices make it an affordable place to eat on a regular occasion and service is always good. It’s a great place to grab a quick meal and enjoy it in a quiet atmosphere.
Hitting the Sauce 