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The Katsuification of Britain

Katsu Curry Ouroboros. Words by Tim Anderson. Illustration by Sinjin Li.

In 2017, the now-defunct Gilly’s Fry Bar of Finsbury Park leaned hard into the similarity and utilised tempura techniques to create what was described as a ‘fish and chip shop with an Asian twist.’ Notably, owner-chef Neil Gill said the concept was inspired by conversations with his former employer: Alan Yau, the creator of Wagamama. People read “fried chicken, rice, curry sauce” and think, “Oh, I can eat that!”’ He also fully credits Yau for the initial recipe, which he says ‘has remained greatly untouched’ throughout its thirty years of existence (except for some minor tweaks made to the supermarket meal kit version). Store manager Hiroki Uda says that their sensei, Hide-san, was a highly skilled Japanese chef, ‘a real shokunin’, who blended his own spices and made his curry with a base of properly caramelised onions and a variety of fruits.

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