Curry Specialty Shop Beyant

There is a curry store called “Beyant” located in front of Kyoto University Hospital, a little north of Marutamachi Dori along Higashioji Dori in Kyoto, which was established in 1975 and will soon be 50 years old. It is said that actress Midoriko Kimura used to work there, and although I am not sure if it was through her or not, there are quite a few celebrities who frequent this restaurant when they come to Kyoto.

I had never been to the curry shop because of the “I can go there anytime I want…” mentality, but I suddenly decided to give it a try, and I went to the restaurant one Monday, just in time for the opening time. I wondered what kind of curry they serve at this long-established restaurant, which has been in business for 50 years, which is rare for a curry restaurant…

Opened after learning how to cook from an Indian in Kobe… Curry Specialty Shop Beyant is like this…

I had some time before going to this Curry Specialty Shop Beyant, so I looked it up on the Internet and found an article written by Takashi Matsuo, a celebrity. He was one of the people who was introduced to this restaurant by Midoriko Kimura, and has been frequenting it ever since.

According to the article, the history of Beyant began 50 years ago when the founder learned how to cook curry from an Indian in Kobe. However, he did not imitate the curry exactly, but added his own arrangement to it. I guessed that the curry was strongly influenced by Indian curry.

Aside from that, the day I visited the restaurant was unfortunately a rainy day, but there were several customers lined up in front of the store even before the opening time, indicating that the restaurant is quite popular. The restaurant itself is really small, with only six counter seats along the kitchen for customers. As mentioned in Matsuo’s article, the owner’s son is now the main operator of the restaurant. I am sure they will continue to operate in the same location in the future…

The thin, bite-sized cutlets are irresistible… Curry Specialty Shop Beyant’s most popular menu item, Curry Cutlet, has a very addictive texture!

Let me introduce the most popular dish I ordered at Curry Specialty Shop Beyant, Curry with Pork Cutlet (priced at 1,070 yen including tax). At Beyant, you can choose from four types of curry roux: beef, chicken, vegetable, and seafood (and for beef, you can choose from three levels of spiciness: sweet, medium, and spicy)…

A thinly sliced pork cutlet is placed on a thin layer of saffron rice, and the curry roux is poured over the top of it so that it covers the entire cutlet. This is not at all unusual nowadays, but nearly 50 years ago, saffron rice must have seemed like a great commitment to the customers at that time.

Let’s have it right away… The roux is more like a slightly thickened European-style curry than a silky Indian curry. At first, you can feel the rich taste of beef fat on your tongue, and after a little while, it releases a strong spiciness that stings your tongue. Perhaps my nose was not in good condition that day, but the spiciness was quite stimulating. If you look closely, you will see that there were slices of chili peppers lurking everywhere in the roux. It made my forehead and neck sweat while I was eating it. For those who like spicy food, this spiciness must be irresistible…

In addition, the thinly sliced pork cutlet is very good. At first, I thought it looked like pine-rice, but it is thinner than pine-rice cutlets, more like ham cutlets, and cut into bite-size pieces, so you can easily eat it as if it were a snack rather than a pork cutlet.

The interesting thing is that when you put one of these thinly sliced cutlets on top of the rice and throw it into your mouth with a spoon, it becomes a unique texture that can be called a “mini cutlet curry,” complete with just one spoonful. It is really interesting that every bite of this “crunch!” is really interesting and addictive. Contrary to my prior expectations, I hardly felt the Indian curry-like flavor, but I can understand why there are many long-time repeaters of this curry with pork cutlets.

Available for take-out… Access to Curry Specialty Shop Beyant is a 9-minute walk from the nearest station, Jingu-marutamachi Station on the Keihan Electric Railway Line.

Curry Specialty Shop Beyant also offers take-out service for its entire curry menu. On this day, students from Kyoto University and people on their way home after a hospital visit were taking home their favorite curry. The Kamo River is nearby, so on a sunny day, it would be nice to have a curry lunch under the blue sky. If you have a chance, please give it a try.

Now, here are the details of the restaurant…

P.S. If you are looking for delicious curry in Kyoto, please stop by this article below…