Curry’s Restaurant & Bar brings culture, arts and Guyanese cuisine to Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Curry’s Restaurant & Bar brings arts, food and culture under one roof in the heart of Richmond’s historic Jackson Ward neighborhood.

Opened at the beginning of 2024, Curry’s Restaurant & Bar mainly serves Guyanese cuisine, but also has Trinidadian and Jamaican dishes available.

8News sat down with Yohannes, the owner of Curry’s, to discuss the restaurant’s journey as an up-and-coming destination for Caribbean cuisine and the vision for the future of the establishment.

From the colorful aesthetics, to the historical character of the building and the flavor of the food, Curry’s aims to share a taste of Caribbean culture with the community in Richmond.

“For me, it’s about arts, food and culture,” said Yohannes. “With the restaurant venture, I’m really bringing all of that together.”

Yohannes shared how his creative outlets, which extends to fashion and music, have played a key role in fostering a sense of community.

“It’s a family business, it feels like I’m creating family around the same things I am passionate about,” he said. “Whether it be music, design, or community. Its just creating that cross breed of opportunities and things to come about through community.”

He conveyed that the restaurant’s inspiration is to cultivate an ambiance that awakens the sense of home.

“Our Head Chef, Sylvia, these are her concepts, it’s food she’s created from her heart,” said Yohannes. “It’s Guyanese cuisine, with Trini and Jamaican dishes. I often get people in here, see people in here, I talk to people in here that are like ‘this food makes me feel like I’m at home’.”

Yohannes commends their Head Chef, Sylvia for her bringing a piece of her homeland into Curry’s.

“Even down to her having the Republic of Guyana map on the wall, the wind chime on the door when you open it up,” he said. “It’s her bringing her experience, and her area, where she’s from, her community and her environment that she grew up to this place. And I just get to add to it and share it.”

“As a child who always ate these foods and moving to New York and getting acquainted with this cuisine and other Caribbean cuisines, you can tell it’s prepared with health in mind. It’s prepared with you getting those herbs and those tastes in mind. For me, I can be excited about standing behind something I’m passionate about and something I love. It works for me.”

Yohannes, despite his Jamaican-American background, he wholeheartedly embraces Guyanese cuisine. 8News sought to understand the reason behind his preference.

“I’ve lived in New York and I’ve ate Haitian food, Bajan food, Trini food — I love Jamaican food. But for me, Guyanese cuisine, they do it the best, they season it the best. I could eat Jamaican dishes from Guyanese people all day.”

He says that some people may not be aware of all of the delicious foods that Guyanese cuisine has to offer.

“If Americans were more aware of some of the pastries and quick eats that Guyanese people have they would let go of certain foods that are copies of that,” he said. “Like, I won’t eat a pop tart anymore, I want a pine tart. It is the most delicious thing.”

The menu includes signature dishes like the crispy cups, and includes vegan and vegetarian options.

“We’ve got our signature item, it’s on our Instagram and our menu,” said Yohannes. “We’re the home of the crispy cup, it’s one of my favorite items that we have. It reminds me of eating doubles and Pillay, which was my go-to when I lived in New York.”

Yohannes provided insight into the cooking process, emphasizing, “It’s good food, prepared and cooked intentionally. It’s definitely not going to put you on the unhealthy side.”

Curry’s Restaurant & Bar places a strong emphasis on health and well-being as integral aspects of their culinary philosophy.

“From my understanding, if not the only, we’re one of the few Caribbean restaurants in Richmond that do not sell pork,” he said. “A lot of our food is cooked with health in mind. We’re very serious about allergies, and if people are vegan, we make sure we cook the food with that intent behind the food, we don’t want it to be cooked with food that isn’t vegan or vegetarian.”

When asked about how he feels about educating the community about Guyanese cuisine and Caribbean culture, Yohannes responded, “I don’t want to say I’m the one to do it, because I am not Guyanese, but I am in the position to do so. And with respect and love to my Guyanese peers, I hope I can continue to champion them.”

“We want people to come through here and have a good time, to feel like their at home,” said Yohannes. “We’re creating a space where people can enjoy themselves through music, food and connection.”

Curry’s Restaurant and Bar is located at 119 E. Leigh St. in Richmond’s historic Jackson Ward neighborhood. The current hours of operation are:

• Friday from 3:30 to 9 p.m.
• Saturday from 3:30 to 10 p.m.
• Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m.

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