He Told Her How She's as Good as Yesterday's Curry

The unexpected comfort in taste of home.

This story is narrated from the pages of Shinya Shokudo, a heartwarming slice of life manga series by Yaro Abe where we will witness the unexpected connections that blossom under the watchful gaze of the master chef.

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My day starts when the city goes to sleep. My business hours are unconventional — from midnight to 7 in the morning.

It’s the Midnight Diner

You might wonder if anyone even comes at these hours. More than you’d expect, actually.

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Miso soup set meal ¥600
Beer (633ml) ¥600
Sake (360ml) ¥500
Sochu (120ml) ¥400

Alcoholic drinks are limited to 3 servings per customer.

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That’s all I have on my menu.

But here’s the catch: if I have the ingredients, I’ll make anything you request.

Photo by Kris Sevinc on Unsplash

Jin and his friend were eyeing my plate.

“What are you eating?” Jin asked.

It was leftover curry from the previous night.

“Yesterday’s curry,” I replied simply.

“Looks good,” Jin remarked, then added, “Is it chilled by any chance?”

Interesting enough, they both ordered it. As they took their first bites, Jin exclaimed,

“Ah, that’s the stuff! You won’t find this kind of curry anywhere else.”

It was true, restaurants wouldn’t dare serve curry this way.

And so, we were all enjoying Yesterday’s Curry together. Another customer walked in and, seeing our plates, inquired, “What’s that?”

In a chorus, the three of us replied, “Yesterday’s curry.”

“A large helping for me too,” the customer requested.

It struck me then how the sight of someone else enjoying curry could trigger a craving in others.

Soon, another customer ordered it, but I had to apologize:

“Sorry, I’m all out.”

I’ve never expected such a demand for this simple leftover dish. Maybe it was the taste of home that they are looking for.

As a result, my diner has a new item on the menu. I made a notice and stick it to my door.

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The 1st Tuesday of each month will be Yesterday’s Curry Day.

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The curry itself was nothing fancy — just store-bought roux with added vegetables, a classic Japanese home-style dish.

One regular customer, who particularly disliked carrots, would meticulously pick out every tiny, diced piece from his serving.

One Tuesday, Erika, another regular, noticed the sign.

“What’s that?” she inquired.

When I explained it was leftover curry, her eyes lit up, and she immediately ordered a plate.

She devoured it with gusto, exclaiming, “Yum, this is wicked! One more please!”

I was astonished by her appetite. “Another one?” I confirmed, watching her happily devour the second plate.

The other customers couldn’t help but be drawn to her enthusiasm.

Jin, another regular, walked in just as Erika was finishing her third plate. He eagerly ordered Yesterday’s Curry.

I had to apologize, again, “I just sold the last of it.”

Caught up in Erika’s enthusiasm, I had forgotten to save a portion for him, knowing he was a regular on Tuesdays.

Disappointment showed on Jin’s face. Erika, realizing the situation, apologized profusely.

“I’m so sorry! It’s because I kept ordering plate after plate.”

Jin was speechless.

This unexpected incident sparked a connection between Jin and Erika. They started coming in together on Yesterday’s Curry Day, their bond deepening with each shared meal.

As usual, one plate was never enough for Erika.

One Tuesday, however, Erika arrived alone, tears streaming down her face as she ate her curry.

“Jin has been contacting his previous wife, whom he had been hiding from me,” she revealed.

The age difference was stark — Jin was 61, and Erika, 21. I had heard whispers about them moving in together two months ago.

Erika continued her story between bites and sobs. It happened one night after they had been drinking heavily.

“Jin, will you keep me company?” she had asked, leading them to a hotel room.

Curious about what really happened, I gently prodded her. To my surprise, she managed to continue eating while tearfully recounting the events, even ordering a second helping.

“Jin didn’t touch me that night,” she confessed.

“I wondered if it was because I work in the sex industry. I cried myself to sleep with those thoughts.”

Yet, the next morning, they decided to be together but one could never guess what Jin said to Erika.

“Just like curry, you are even more wonderful the following day.”

Jin arrived at dawn afterward, and they left hand-in-hand. A bittersweet story, much like the taste of yesterday’s curry, some prefer it over the fresh version.

Some people prefer the taste of curry that has been left overnight, rather than freshly made curry. Admittedly, I’m one such person. It hits the spot for me.

It solidifies slightly when refrigerated. Serve it over warm rice and savor it as it softens.

As told by the master chef of Midnight Diner.

Set in a small diner in Tokyo, the show follows the life of the master chef known only as Master and his patrons who come to dine at his establishment late into the night. As the diner opens only after midnight, the dishes served are usually simple, homely and traditional Japanese recipes that are perfect for late-night comfort food.

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Britt’s Note:

As a huge Japanese curry fan, I’m always on the hunt for new recipes. Since I usually cook in batches, I often end up with Yesterday’s Curry or even Last Week’s Curry. But I’ve never tried eating it chilled out of the fridge like that. I had one portion of leftover that I tried after I finished this story.

Photo by author

Guess what? It was surprising nice on its own.

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Previously published on Substack and Medium

©Britt H.

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