Yes, nothing like a heaving plate of Tandoori Chicken, Butter Chicken Masala, Saffron Rice and salad at Aroma downtown. That's what an Indian restaurant buffet will get you. I was happy for the ice cream afterwards, though.
It was good that I did take pictures at Aroma back during the Toronto International Film Festival a couple of months ago, so I can use one of them for this food-based tune by actress-singer Yuki Uchida（内田有紀）. From her first studio album released in February 1995, "Junjō Karen Otome Moyō"（純情可憐乙女模様...Innocent and Lovely Maiden Pattern）, I give you "Heartbreak Curry" (although I would usually think of heartburn curry).
Anyways, this pop-rock song of lost love has the protagonist making up some curry in the kitchen to conceal her feelings of romantic devastation. Peeling all of those onions and stirring over a hot pot of curry can help to hide those tears and despair sweat. Mind you, since I do adhere to the philosophy that a bad day or bad news tends to have employees focus more effectively at the work at hand, Yuki's curry will probably become one really tasty dish on the dinner table. Mami Takubo（田久保真見）was behind the lyrics while Masatoshi Sakashita（坂下正俊）was the composer. As for the album, "Junjō Karen Otome Moyō" hit No. 1 on the Oricon weeklies.
I love how the song turns something as everyday as cooking curry into a coping ritual for heartbreak: the onions doubling as camouflage for tears, the heat of the kitchen standing in for all that inner turmoil. Uchida had a real knack in the ’90s for blending pop-rock brightness with surprisingly bittersweet themes, and this track is a textbook example.
ReplyDeleteYour point about tough days sharpening focus made me laugh — if that philosophy holds, then her heartbreak curry must’ve been award-winning. And with Mami Takubo’s lyricism and Masatoshi Sakashita’s composition, it’s no surprise the dish comes out richly seasoned emotionally.
Also, a No. 1 Oricon weekly spot for “Junjō Karen Otome Moyō” feels completely deserved. That album was peak ’90s J-pop charm, and Uchida’s crossover appeal as both an actress and singer really shines through.
Great pick, great framing — now I’m half tempted to make a pot of curry myself!
Yeah, I kinda thought that a tub of ice cream would have sufficed in partially healing any heart wounds but hey, cooking in a labour-intensive pursuit to keep one's feelings focused on something else.
DeleteWhen I was growing up, the rumor I heard was that girls/women liked chocolate when they were feeling down or stressed. But, curry would not have come to my mind for a heart break, maybe a heart burn?
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