Champion's Curry

Champion’s Curry is the Berkeley outpost of a Japan-based curry chain—and you should fake a sick day to get their Kanazawa-style curry. Rich and slightly sweet, it's also a deeper brown and more gravy-like than other Japanese curries you might find in town. And while there are tons of meat and vegetable options from minced beef to fish katsu, go with the chicken katsu fried to ideal levels of crackliness. It won’t take long before this counter-service spot is your new go-to for quick lunches or nights when pulling out ingredients and cooking is out of the question.