26.7.25I had been curious about Bistro Notoire for a while, so I arrived just after opening at 11:00 AM, only to find out that the lunch service was fully booked for the day.Instead, I decided to revisit Tomato, a renowned European-style curry restaurant. I arrived at 11:15 AM, 15 minutes before opening, and was the first in line. I thought I would have no problem getting in, but that was not the case.When I asked the guy ahead of me, he informed me that the first round of customers had already been seated. This meant they must have opened before 11:30 AM. The wait felt long after that. When I saw eight more people line up behind me, the female owner came out to announce that they were closing for the morning service. This meant that the morning session had ended before I could get in. It turned out that the guy ahead of me was the last customer of the first round, and after he finished his meal, I was the first in line for the second round, which allowed nine of us to enter sequentially. So, they operate on a two-turn system for lunch.Inside the restaurant, there is a kitchen and two counter seats to the left of the entrance, and table seating for four on the left side.I sat at a table near the front and, after waiting for an hour and feeling slightly dehydrated, I couldn't resist ordering a bottle of beer! I chose a small bottle of Ebisu for JPY 600. Along with that, I ordered their only spicy curry, the Wagyu Beef Java Curry (spicy) for JPY 2900.Three minutes after placing my order, I received the small bottle of Ebisu, and after waiting six more minutes, the curry was served.◯ Wagyu Beef Java Curry (spicy)The subtle sweetness of domestic black-haired Wagyu beef combined with the curry sauce is delightful.On top of rice sprinkled with dried raisins and cheese, the Wagyu Beef Java Curry was served in a curry pot, accompanied by onion pickles (a soy sauce-based pickle similar to achar) and fukujinzuke.The rich, thick curry sauce had a bitter and spicy flavor. You could tell they used whole spices. The spices burst in your mouth, creating a delicious fusion of European and Indian curry flavors.The curry was made with aromatic vegetables, fond de veau, and a rich meat extract called glace de viande, which is made by simmering veal or beef bones and tendons with aromatic vegetables for a long time, then reducing it to concentrate the flavors. They blended 36 types of spices, including 34 whole spices with medicinal properties, and took over a week to carefully prepare it.I was convinced! This spicy Java curry had a mild sweetness typical of European-style curry, and it wasn't overwhelmingly spicy, so I think it can be recommended as long as you're not extremely sensitive to heat.The beef consisted of five pieces, showcasing the tenderness of the Wagyu and the rich flavor of the beef.The Wagyu Beef Java Curry deserves a ★5 for its wonderful taste. The value index is 0.97 for JPY 2800/JPY 2900, which is high, but considering the quality of the curry, it's reasonable.Thank you for the meal!
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