Japanese curry — a peppery, brown gravy with only a passing resemblance to its Thai and Indian cousins — is a stellar version of comfort food, no matter where you call home. Fat Spoon co-owner Michael Cardenas (Lazy Ox, Aburiya Toranoko) and chef Hiroyuki Fujita serve the spiced gravy ladled over panko-crusted tonkatsu pork loin and hunks of braised short rib. The deep, complex curry is the kind of thing that will have you sopping it up with every last grain of sticky rice. Or, if you're into that kind of thing, you can order the pseudo-poutine made with curry, globs of melted cheddar and a layer of diced jalapeños. 329 E. First St., Little Tokyo. (213) 621-7890, fatspoonfood.com.
—Garrett Snyder

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