Restaurant Review

Crescent – A Curry Story

Gwangju News

By Melline Galani

According to its definition, curry is a food, dish, or sauce in Indian cuisine seasoned with a mixture of aromatic spices. The term curry is thought to derive from the Tamil word kari, meaning sauce. These days it refers to a variety of dishes from countries across Asia which, wet or dry, contain fish, meat, or vegetables and a blend of spices and chili.

Curry, in Western usage, is a dish composed with a sauce or gravy seasoned with a mixture of ground spices that is thought to have originated in India and has since spread to many regions of the world. However, spicy, gravied dishes have been a mainstay of South Asian cookery since antiquity, perhaps deriving from sour-milk stews. They are also integral to the cuisines of Thailand, China, Indonesia, Japan, and the Caribbean islands.[1] Due to this variety, even in Korea, curry comes in different flavors and styles from the original Indian ones that have been adapted to Korean dishes.

Crescent (초승달커리) is a small, cozy restaurant in Yangnim-dong, close to the GFN radio station. It specializes in serving curry that has a unique flavor. However, it is not like the original Indian curry, nor is it like Korean-style curry.  Here the dishes have a unique flavor that conquered my palate at the very first try. My favorite one is the Thailand-style curry because it is spicy, while the others are not.

Thai Curry

The simple but cozy interior makes the place perfect for a delicious lunch or dinner experience, a romantic date – they serve “couple menus” – or quality time spent with friends over a beer. All four curry dishes have a meaningful design with rice assorted in the shape of a crescent moon. Because the owner puts a lot of passion in his recipes, everything is made to order; therefore, the waiting time might be a little longer than at other restaurants. But do not despair, sometimes waiting makes the food taste even better!

All curry dishes are signatures of Crescent. Moreover, one may opt to have noodles instead of rice with the chicken curry. The prices vary from 10,000–13,000 won per serving. The restaurant also offers pilaf with an option of chicken or shrimp and side orders such as wedge potatoes, karaage chicken, or tater tots (absolutely tasty).

The curry sauce itself has a soft, mild taste adding savoriness to the well-made chicken and mushrooms included. The nasi goreng pilaf is a combination of Turkish pilaf and Indonesian nasi goreng which, in my opinion, has a very interesting taste.

Though Crescent is quite new in the food business, having been opened in 2020, it has become a well-known place among gourmands due to its unforgettable curry tastiness. Once discovered, it is impossible not to come back. Just try it!

Photographs by Melline Galani.

CRESCENT (초승달커리)

  • Address: 1F, Cheonbyeonjwa-ro 418 beon-gil, 24-169 Yangnim-dong, Nam-gu, Gwangju 광주 남구 천변좌로418번길 (양림동 24-169) 1층
  • Operating Hours: 11:30–21:00, break time 15:30–17:00
  • Instagram: @crescent_curry
  • Phone:010-9342-5375

The Reviewer

Melline Galani is a Romanian enthusiast, born and raised in the capital city of Bucharest, and currently living in Gwangju. She likes new challenges and learning interesting things, and she is incurably optimistic. She enjoys tasty food and is always in search of great places to dine or relax. Instagram: @melligalanis

[1] https://www.britannica.com/topic/curry