Curry Times

Curry Times
460 Alexandra Road
#02-36 ARC (Alexandra Retail Centre)

238 Thomson Road
#02-33 Velocity

3 Gateway Drive
#02-08 Westgate

65 Airport Boulevard
#B2-51 Changi Airport Terminal 3

11 Tanjong Katong Road
#01-70 OneKM Mall

46 Pagoda Street

http://www.currytimes.com.sg/


The Curry Hero With Many Sidekicks

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 6
Ambience & Setting: 9
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 6
Value for Money: 6
Spent about SGD $18 per person.


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The Old Chang Kee Group has diversified into restaurants with Curry Times. First opened in May 2013 at ARC (Alexandra Retail Centre), Curry Times has since shifted their flagship store to Velocity. As the name suggests, Curry Times specialises in curry dishes, in particular, Singapore Chinese and Singapore Indian style curry. They've also rounded out the extensive menu with other local Singaporean favourites, and have become popular for their tasty dishes at wallet-friendly prices.

Ambience at Curry Times is designed to resemble the coffee shop of old. Furniture is solid, dark wood, with marble topped tables, the interiors are brightly lit and open, while the entrance features complimentary gem biscuits in large containers. Decor is distinctly Singaporean / Peranankan, with traditional kitchen equipment such as the mortar and pestle, alongside retro metal serving bowls, and local tingkats. Bird cages hang from the ceiling, doubling as lamps, while interesting tidibits of information adorn the walls. Great!

Service at Curry Times is partial self-service. Staff will greet and seat you, but ordering and payment is done over the counter. They do however, serve orders to your table. The menu is detailed with descriptions of dishes, as such, you'll have very little actual interaction with staff. I personally think their Peranakan inspired outfits look like gaudy pyjamas, very jarring to the eye. When serving large groups, staff will assist to arrange dishes on the table. I also note they're very efficient at clearing away empty / dirty plates or tables, and the whole place looks sparkling clean!

Food at Curry Times consists of local Singaporean dishes, with a focus on curry. The extensive menu has a lot of variety, from wet curry, to dry curry, to assam curry, to snack, desserts, unique beverages, and more! Taste of most dishes are generally average, to above average, the kind of passable standards you expect from most food courts or coffee shops. Tasty, but not something you'll go out of your way for. Prices are affordable, but not very value for money due to the quality, budget about SGD $18 per person for a meal here.


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Love the clean, bright, spacious atmosphere, and the touches of Singaporean / Peranakan decor! Some of the information on the wall is also rather interesting to read.

Curry Times Exterior

Curry Times Interior

Bird Cage Decor

Tingkat Decor

The Hot Soya Milk (SGD $1.80) is decent, warm, and not overly sweet. Smooth in texture, with good soya bean flavour. Great on cold days! The Hot Barley (SGD $1.80) is average at best, looks like it was pre-mixed in a central kitchen. At least it's not too sweet, and there is a generous amonut of barley in the cup.

Hot Soya Milk

Hot Barley

This baked in-house Coconut Bun (SGD $1.50) has among the softest bread texture I've ever felt! So pillowy soft, it tears apart easily, revealing the generous, aromatic stuffing of dessicated coconut soaked in gula melaka / palm sugar. The bread is satisfiyingly chewy, and the filling has a nice balance to the sweetness, without being overwhelming. One of the best local buns I've eaten! Highly recommended!

Coconut Bun 01

Coconut Bun 02

Think Old Chang Kee curry puff filling, but in a bun, and you have the Curry Bun (SGD $1.50). But unlike the much tastier curry puff, the filling within the curry bun isn't as piping hot, and noticeably lacks the slice of egg, which to me, makes this mixture of potatoes, chicken chunks, and curry paste mediocre. At least it has that super soft bread texture, but I honestly feel you won't be missing anything if you don't eat this. Get the other better tasting buns instead.

Curry Bun 01

Curry Bun 02

The Curry Chicken Loaf (SGD $8.50) is served with a soft, spongy bread with a slightly crisp crust, making it perfect for dipping into the savoury, slightly spicy curry! The chicken is tender and moist, though on its own, I notice it lacks flavour, really only being tasty when eaten together with the curry. The curry itself is the star here, filled with chunks of potatoes and bone-in chicken, it's completely delicious, and makes you want to drink it all!

Curry Chicken Loaf 01

Curry Chicken Loaf 02

Curry Chicken Loaf 03

The Dry Chicken Curry Rice (SGD $8.50) is served with plain white rice that is rather absorbent, soft, and slightly sticky. The deboned chicken meat is tasty, coated in a dry curry spice gravy, each tender and moist chunk bursting with flavour. I do wish there was some vegetables to accompany this, as it's pure chicken and rice, without anything else.

Dry Chicken Curry Rice

The attempt at making a dry version of Laksa results in the Dry Laksa Goreng (SGD $8.50). Thick, round, rice vermicelli noodles, stir-fried in laksa spices, served with chunks of chicken, bean sprouts, fish cake, and prawns / shrimp. The taste of the laksa spice is decent, quite fragrant, but the dish is a disappointment in texture. The noodles are overly clumpy, and the prawns are not fresh. At least the chicken chunks and thick fish cake slices are passable.

Dry Laksa Goreng

An order of Plain Prata (SGD $1.50) is served with 2 pieces. The plain prata is decent, being crisp on the outside, with an even browning, and a nice buttery taste. But it's slightly thick in texture, which means it's not as fluffy as it should be. Reminds me of the frozen prata which you can reheat at home. Average, it's not the star here, the prata is just an excuse to mop up more of that delicious chicken curry!

Plain Prata

Loved the Yam Paste With Ginko Nuts (SGD $4) here, the yam taro paste is thick and smooth without being clumpy, rich in yam taro flavour. It's not as heavy or heaty as other versions, and the sweetness is just right, without overwhelming the palate. The 4 ginko nuts lend some texture, though I notice they don't use any pumpkin or coconut milk. Good!

Yam Paste With Ginko Nuts

The Salmon Otah (SGD $1.90) is a decent individual side dish, with a small, thin strip of salmon fish topping a savoury spicy otah. There is a slight bouncy texture to it, and the spice level isn't too fiery. Decent side dish worth ordering.

Salmon Otah

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