Sama Curry & Cafe

Sama Curry & Cafe
6A Shenton Way
#03-26 OUE Downtown 2 Gallery

https://www.facebook.com/samacurrysg/

Meal Of Soup Curry

Authentic Japanese Hokkaido Soup Curry

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 8
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $20 per person.


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Opened in May 2017 by founder Shuichi Takahashi, Sama Curry & Cafe is a casual restaurant specialising in a dish originating from Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan - Soup Curry. What is soup curry? Well, the typical Japanese curry usually has a thick, creamy texture, with a sweet savoury flavour that only has a hint of spicy taste. However, soup curry resembles a broth, with a thin texture, and is savoury spicy in flavour. At Sama Curry & Cafe, you'll get a delicious bowl of soup curry.

Ambience at Sama Curry & Cafe feels clean and welcoming. The warmly lit place is neatly lined with long wooden furniture, the low-hanging lamps casting radiance over the colours of white and wood. Themed around bears, the walls are adorned with all manner of bear related artwork, as well as focusing on their signature soup curry. I find the place comfortable and relaxing.

Service at Sama Curry & Cafe is partially self-service, with ordering and payment over the counter, though staff will serve orders to your table. I find staff to be friendly and helpful, displaying intimate product knowledge on the dishes available, as well as the range of customisation you can have. I note they're efficient at clearing away empty / dirty tables when diners leave too.

Food at Sama Curry & Cafe is all about Japanese soup curry. Despite specialising in a single type of dish, they offer several variations on it, enough to make repeat visits worthwhile. Diners are invited to customise their soup curry, starting from choosing between 8 main toppings, to the 4 different soup curry bases, to 30 levels of spiciness for their meal. Dishes are made to order using fresh ingredients, and pack bold, tasty flavour. Portions are large and filling. Prices are comparable to other cafes, budget about SGD $20 per person for a meal here.


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Sama Curry & Cafe Exterior

Sama Curry & Cafe Interior

Decor

What Is Soup Curry

How To Eat Soup Curry

Sama Curry & Cafe Menu

Spice Levels

A warm mug of comforting Hot Green Tea (SGD $1), earthy and robust in flavour, which is refillable. Also helps to cleanse the palate, especially if you're eating a more spicy version.

Hot Green Tea (SGD $1)

Loved the Hokkaido Crab Cream Croquette (SGD $7), a very pleasing appetizer. The golden brown, crisp crunchy croquette shell holds a rich, creamy filling of cream infused with the sweet briny flavour of Hokkaido crab meat. Paired with a ponzu dipping sauce, which gives it a nice zesty kick.

Hokkaido Crab Cream Croquette (SGD $7)

Hokkaido Crab Cream Croquette

The Niseko Yumepirika White Rice is served with every order of soup curry. Sourced from local farms in Niseko, the rice is grown with natural water from the mountains. In addition, the Japanese government limits the use of chemical pesticides, so farmers here use ducks for pest control instead (about 70% reduced agricultural chemicals and 36% reduced chemical fertilizer). Considered to be of premium quality, the Yumepirika varietal of white rice has a sticky texture that isn't overly starchy, with a delicate sweet flavour.

Niseko Yumepirika White Rice

Niseko Yumepirika White Rice Description

Sampled the Hungry Bear, Japanese Soup Base (SGD $18.90). For the undecided, this dish is like a half-and-half, with the main ingredients being a moist, tender leg of chicken, complemented by either a slab of pork belly, or a beef hamburger patty (I chose this). The chicken leg has a light sweet savoury flavour, and the meat comes easily off the bone. The beef hamburger patty is tightly packed and meaty, with a light chew, and bold savoury salty flavour.

The Japanese soup base is the 'original' flavour, a robust broth of light chicken and spices soup curry, done in traditional Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. It's thin in texture but drinkable, with a delicate savoury flavour. On recommendation of the staff, I choose a spice level of 20, which has a nice kick and slight burn, but isn't painful.

Of special note is the grilled vegetables, which we found perfectly executed. This features a medley of baby corn, broccoli, brinjal / eggplant / aubergine, lotus root, cauliflower, potato, carrot, pumpkin, and a halved soft boiled egg. The vegetables hold up well, retaining their firm crunch, and lend good earthy vegetal sweet flavour, with a hint of smoky on the palate. Loved every mouthful of this. Highly recommended!

Hungry Bear, Japanese Soup Base (SGD $18.90)

Hungry Bear, Japanese Soup Base

Hungry Bear, Japanese Soup Base

Sampled the Oink Oink, Coconut Soup Base (SGD $15.90). This features slabs of moist, tender pork belly, savoury fatty in flavour, along with perfectly executed grilled vegetables, including a medley of baby corn, broccoli, brinjal / eggplant / aubergine, potato, carrot, chili, and a halved soft boiled egg. The vegetables hold up well, retaining their firm crunch, and lend good earthy vegetal sweet flavour, with a hint of smoky on the palate.

The fusion coconut soup base is a robust broth of coconut milk and spices soup curry. It's medium thick in texture, with a bold savoury spice milky flavour. Mild in heat too, as I choose a spice level of 13, just enough to tease the palate. I preferred the other dishes over this, but it's still delicious. Good!

Oink Oink, Coconut Soup Base (SGD $15.90)

Oink Oink, Coconut Soup Base

Oink Oink, Coconut Soup Base

Sampled the Ocean Trophy, Shrimp Soup Base (SGD $18.90). This features a tempura battered fish fillet, tender flaky in texture with a delicate sweet savoury flavour; frozen mussels which fell apart in the broth, frozen squid which was too firm in texture, and stale prawns. The medley of perfectly grilled vegetables, including baby corn, broccoli, okra / lady's finger, potato, carrot, chili, and a halved soft boiled egg, were present, but did little to save the terrible seafood.

The lovely shrimp soup base is a bold and fragrant broth of prawn shells and spices soup curry. It's thin in texture, but with a robust crustacean flavour. Big on heat too, as I choose a spice level of 25. This has a lingering spicy burn, though you can still taste the natural sweet savoury flavour of the shrimp beneath.

Ocean Trophy, Shrimp Soup Base (SGD $18.90)

Ocean Trophy, Shrimp Soup Base

Ocean Trophy, Shrimp Soup Base

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