Kalé — Restaurant in Portland

Indian curry can be pretty good... A well done Thai curry can be great... But Japanese curry (or "kalé" - note the soft a and e), when done right, tops them both!!! What's better is that despite a couple trips to Japan, I still haven't had a bowl that beats what owner, Makoto, has dished every time I've visited.

Admittedly, it's not the fanciest meal: veggies and spices (+/- beef, chicken, or salmon) stewed together for over a day, topped with cheese, egg, spinach and/or pickled daikon, served over or next to perfectly cooked rice. Only 2 minutes or less to get your food. It's faster than even food carts! Words cannot describe how such a simple and elegant dish can be so perfectly satisfying!

Although you really can't go wrong with the standard Kalé (beef or vegetarian) & rice dish ($6.95) and it's a great place to start, I think the Kalé Doria (topped with cheese and paprika and baked to make it piping hot) is a much better option for only a couple bucks more.

And even better, they are now offering takeout Kale that stores almost indefinitely in your freezer, ready to be reheated (I recommend broiling in an oven or toaster oven)! It makes for an awesome quick meal!

Finally, Makoto is the nicest & most welcoming owner I've ever met, and always willing to explain the history & craft of Kalé! Oh yeah, and the atmosphere is a clean and simple, yet spacious room that combines the best elements of traditional japanese interior design with accommodations for its western customers: Elevated tatami mats for traditional Japanese seating, combined with leg room under the table for regular western table dining Japanese and modern art on the walls Japanese magazines and other random books for perusing before, during, or after your meal. Japanese shojis (the wooden-framed doors/dividers with little paper-covered windows) and Byōbus (multi-paneled paintings)

So especially on a cold day, if you're downtown and looking for something to please both your belly and your soul, give Kalé a try and I promise you will not be...

I'd been to this place during a field trip many years ago, but I think they moved since then. Really glad I stumble upon it again after so many years.

The menu here is extremely simple. You just pick a Kale base and style, then add in any extra proteins or vegetables you want. If you didn't get additions like the katsu or doria options which can take a few minutes, then your dishes will get served just down counter from the register within a minute or so. When they're busy you pick it up from there, but they'll bring it to the table if they can.

I've only tried the chicken and beef kale options, but both are quite similar. Chicken was just slightly lighter, and beef was a bit heavier and spicy. Portions are generous, and I ended up with just enough to take home for a midnight snack. If you aren't very hungry I'd suggest avoiding the katsu options as the sauce already has some meat in it, or if you are a bit hungrier than usual they also have half portions. The half portion price helps to keep the price closer to the impressively affordable base price.

Overall, I'd absolutely recommend this place, especially for the winter. I'll have to go by during the summer sometime too, since supposedly they include a summery tea then. Since the dishes are so warming, I could see how a cold summer tea would help tie everything together. Even without that, their dishes are so good I'd just deal with the downsides of eating warming foods...

I’ve been to Kale a couple times over the years since they had some of the best Japanese curry in the area. Last Friday 10/22 I had the worst customer experience in my life. Not an exaggeration. These days, I try to give service workers the benefit of the doubt these days because I understand times are hard. I ordered 2 Kale Katsu Doria. I was charged for 2 Kale Katsu Doria (plus a $2 tip before service). The worker brings out 1 Katsu, and 1 vegetable Doria. I tell him this isn’t what I ordered and there was absolutely no cooperation on his side. It was only ‘I’m sorry you feel like this’, and ‘well you are going to have to pay for another one, sir’. At no point did he look at the order. My fault for not printing out a receipt but I was just so incensed at the interaction and my girlfriend was telling me it was fine so I just dropped it, but I was still charged (and tipped) for something I did not receive. Bottom Line: Don’t even bother...