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Go Go Curry America CEO: 'Japanese curry is here to stay'

January 30, 2019

Japanese food in the United States has become synonymous with sushi and ramen, but Go Go Curry America President and CEO Tomoko Omori is betting that another Japanese staple is about to take center plate.

"Curry is Japanese comfort food," she said in a company press release. "It's the taste of a homecooked meal, like Mom used to make if you lived in Japan. Nine out of 10 Japanese people would say they grew up eating more curry than sushi or tempura."

Despite regional differences, Japanese curry is typically mild and slightly sweet, with notes of cardamom, coriander and cloves, Omori said. The thick, dark sauce is served over rice and frequently topped with katsu, a flattened, fried cutlet of pork or chicken. Omori said the combination of flavors in the brand's signature dish — katsu curry — turns most first-time customers into repeat customers.

"It just makes you smile," she said in the release. "The tantalizing blend of sweet and savory appeals to the taste buds, whether you were raised on curry or are new to it."

Omori said the dish's satisfying melding of flavors stems from the recipe and although it's served quickly, the curry takes time to make. It stews for 55 minutes and then matures for another five-and-a-half hours. The katsu is fried at the time of the order.

Go Go opened its first U.S. location in 2007 in New York City and has since expanded to seven locations throughout the city and in Massachusetts and Texas. The chain first launched in 2004 in Japan and has more than 70 Japanese locations, a number Omori hopes to match in the U.S.

"We are thrilled to offer passionate people the opportunity to become brand ambassadors by opening their own Go Go Curry locations," she said. "Our franchisees are usually the first ones bringing curry to their communities, but just like ramen and sushi before it, curry is here to stay and growing in popularity in the U.S."