Urban Ka-re House - San Leandro

Small restaurant with friendly staff. Food was average and portions were enough for 1 meal, but lack compared to the portions of Hawaiian bbq chains or curry places.

Urban Ka re House is one of the newer additions to the Greenhouse Marketplace. It is located closer to the edge, so you would have to park and walk across the street, and it can get a bit inconvenient because it is where all the cars enter the plaza. It is one of those pay first, sit down and wait for your food, pick up your own food kind of places. The girl working was not friendly or welcoming at all, it was obvious that she did not want to be there. It was my first time and I was a bit indecisive, the girl was impatient and I felt a bit rushed. I opted for the grilled chicken udon with an egg. For what you get, it was a bit pricey they charge for all toppings, so unless you are willing to pay for multiple toppings, your food may be a bit boring and plain. Portions were small and my udon was pretty plain, while the soup base was a bit on the saltier side.

This review is based off take-out that my boyfriend got trying this place out for the first time. We're big fans of Coco Ichibanya in OC and honestly this comes really close. We got the mild because I have a lower spice tolerance, but definitely felt like I could handle the medium! Mild is not spicy at all in my option. The only downside for me was that the curry here is not at thick and has more of a soupy consistency. Rice was cooked well and I really enjoyed that the entire dish was freshly made because it was really hot when I picked it up! Excited to try more here some time!

I was craving for curry katsu. Luckily there was one nearby. I have been to their east Dublin site on several occasions. My gps steered me to this strip mall where I have been many times years ago. I didn't realized the location as I parked near the center of the parking lot and cannot see their signage. So I took a stroll around in the hot afternoon. Without much luck, I headed back to my car but decided to look at one corner I neglected to see in the first place. Next to a nail salon was the place. It was hit inside as well as out. The counter person reminded me of an old Snapple commercial where the person was hidden behind a tall counter.I had ordered a curry chicken katsu with a bottle of unsweetened green tea. There was absolutely no diner in the restaurant. I chose to sit by the window and door which was a bad idea as the heat was radiating through the glass. A cup of ice for the green tea brought some relief. Now the main attraction, the curry chicken katsu served over a scoop of white rice and pickled radish. The curry on a separate contain, a very nice tough as I didn't want my crispy katsu to get soggy. The curry was on point, not too salty yet heavy curry with sliced carrots. Dipping a slice of katsu in the curry followed by a spoon of rice was more than satisfying. I was glad I made the visit and if you are into curry and katsu, check this place out.

Always love finding spots so close to me and this one is less than a 5-minute drive at the Greenhouse Shopping Center. Since I do not fry things myself, I almost always get katsu sandos when I see them on the menu. Trying both, the pork katsu sando edged out the chicken katsu one even though both were served in between soft shokupan bread with cabbage. Unlike Indian curries which tends to be more pungent, the Japanese curry is more subdued with a hint of sweetness that complemented the chicken teriyaki very well. Since you can have unlimited topping for an additional charge, we went for the gyoza which came with 3.