JapaCurry Plots Hayes Valley Izakaya, Roku

Despite minor NIMBY setbacks, the cutely cartooned JapaCurry food truck has been slowly and steadily building steam since its debut at Fort Mason in November of last year. Today owner Jay Hamada reveals he's grown enough to buy the Hunan Garden space next to Pisco on Market Street. He plans to turn it into a commissary for JapaCurry, and a service-oriented, izakaya-style dinner spot called Roku. The name is the Japanese word for Hamada's lucky number, six.

The chef, "Taka," is in Tokyo now, getting ideas for the menu, but Hamada knows a few things. Curry, small dishes, and yakitori will be offered, along with chicken nanban, a fried chicken dish from Hamada's native Kyushu. He says it's huge in Tokyo right now, and is also excited to unveil his recipe for tonkotsu ramen with noodles made in-house. The decor of Roku will entail a simple and minimal revamp of the old Chinese restaurant space—in typical Japanese style—with a hopeful opening window now set for mid-September/early October.

· All JapaCurry Coverage [~ ESF ~]