The Cooked Rice is Completely Different! Tiger’s Rice Cooking Power Enhances the Curry

“Akira Curry” is located a 5-minute walk from Higobashi Station on the Osaka Metro Yotsubashi Line. This restaurant has earned a reputation for its unique curry, which combines spicy fried rice boldly cooked in an iron pan with a soup-like curry, making it popular enough to have lines forming during lunchtime. Since December 2024, Akira Curry has been testing a Tiger Corporation rice cooker. We spoke with the owner, Mr. Akira Ota, about why he started using the Tiger rice cooker and his impressions of it.

*The content of this interview has been edited and published based on comments provided at our request.

Only One Weekly Special Menu! A Unique Spice Curry

Please tell us about Akira Curry.

Mr. Ota: Akira Curry opened on August 1, 2022. We are generally only open for lunch, but on Fridays and Saturdays, we also operate as a “Spice Sakaba” (Spice Bar) in the evening.

I originally worked as the manager of a sake izakaya (Japanese pub) in the same location and just rented the space during the daytime to run a curry shop. I loved eating curry, so I decided I wanted to try making it myself. That’s how it all started.

What are the special features or principles behind the curry you serve?

Mr. Ota: If I only served the same thing, I would get bored of it myself, and I thought the customers might too. That’s why I decided to offer only one type of curry for lunch, changing it weekly. This style hasn’t changed since we opened.

I decide what curry to make by thinking about which ingredients to use to bring out elements like sweetness, acidity, spiciness, and umami. I also sometimes try using seasonal ingredients.

I try to create a curry that allows you to enjoy various flavors in one dish.

Occasionally, customers will ask me, “Aren’t you going to make that curry again?” So, I sometimes create variations based on popular past curries.

Experiencing the “Flexibility” to Cook Even Special Rice Blends Uniformly

We heard you are currently using the Tiger “Microcomputer Controlled Rice Cooker for Commercial Use JMA-A360.” How often do you use it per day?

Mr. Ota: When we are only open for lunch, I use it once a day. On Saturdays, we are open for both lunch and evening service, so I cook rice twice.

What led you to start using the Tiger rice cooker?

Mr. Ota: I started using it around December 2024. It started when an employee from Tiger, who was a customer here, asked me if I would be willing to try one of their products.

The model they introduced was a 2-sho (approx. 3.6L / 20 US cups) capacity model, and I thought, “When it comes to rice cookers, bigger is better,” so I decided to start using it.

Were there any issues you had with the rice cookers you were using before?

Mr. Ota: I used to use two smaller rice cookers that could only cook about 5-7 go (approx. 0.9-1.26L). During busy lunch hours, I had to cook rice multiple times, and sometimes I was too busy to keep up with the demand.

Also, the previous cookers sometimes resulted in mushy or unevenly cooked rice. That was definitely a concern for me.

After switching to the Tiger rice cooker, were those concerns resolved?

Mr. Ota: Since it’s a large-capacity cooker, I no longer have the problem of not keeping up with demand. I was also amazed at how different the cooked rice is. I don’t think I’ve had a single batch of mushy rice since switching to the Tiger cooker.

We serve our curry over rice that we stir-fry first. To get that light, fluffy texture (parapara), I cook a blend of Japanese rice and Basmati, a long-grain rice. Even when mixing two types of rice, this cooker cooks them evenly.

*The blending and cooking of two rice types mentioned in this article is a method unique to the customer. It has not been tested or verified by Tiger Corporation.

Also, it’s convenient that when I cook a smaller amount of rice, the cooking time is slightly reduced. My old cookers took the same amount of time regardless of the volume, so this is a big help. I really like how flexible it is.

Has there been any change in the amount of rice you have to discard?

Mr. Ota: Previously, any rice that came out mushy couldn’t be used for the curry. But since switching to the Tiger cooker, I haven’t wasted any rice at all. I’m able to use every bit of rice I cook.

What about cleaning and maintenance of the rice cooker?

Mr. Ota: Cleaning time has also been drastically reduced. The only parts that need regular cleaning are the inner pot, the dew collector, and the inner lid. Even taking my time, I’d say it’s all done in about a minute.

With my old cookers, rice would often stick to the inner pot, which took time to wash and sometimes resulted in scratching the pot. At a previous restaurant where I used a large-capacity cooker, we had to use a rice net to prevent sticking and scorching. But with this Tiger cooker, I don’t use a net, and I haven’t had any of those issues.

While you’ve seen these benefits, are there any points you’d like to see improved?

Mr. Ota: It doesn’t have an LCD screen showing the cooking time. The first time I used it, I was a little worried, wondering, “Will this really be done on time?” But now that I know it cooks reliably on schedule, it doesn’t bother me at all.

My kitchen is quite small, but I had no problem finding space for the cooker. As long as it makes delicious rice, I don’t need any additional features.

Wanting to Bring Delicious Rice to Even More People

Finally, please tell us about your future plans.

Mr. Ota: Right now, I’m not thinking about opening another restaurant. However, since I’m using a rice cooker that makes such delicious rice, maybe I could start an onigiri (rice ball) shop. It might be interesting to offer spicy rice balls for takeout. I just want to bring delicious rice to even more people.