Curry Times Tasting Session 2018
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
Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm
http://www.currytimes.com.sg/
This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session, but I did pay the standard price during subsequent visits.
Attended with representatives from Little Tiny Sun, msginginly, Purple Taste, and Jelly Magically.
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| Curry Times Meal Flat Lay |
Return Of The Curry Hero
(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
Budget about SGD $18 per person.
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I've dined at Curry Times over several occasions since they opened in May 2013. The retro ambience is appealing, the service is quick and casual at meal times, and the food, which is distinctly Singaporean, is usually consistently decent in taste, plus, they're affordable enough for everyday dining. So I jumped at the chance to sample some of their new dishes for January 2018.
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| Curry Times Seating |
They offer a variety of drinks here, including Bandung With Basil Seeds (SGD $3). My personal favourite is the Winter Melon With Lime Juice & Basil Seeds (SGD $3).
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| Bandung With Basil Seeds (SGD $3), Winter Melon With Lime Juice & Basil Seeds (SGD $3), Umbra Juice (SGD $Special) |
The Sambal Seafood O Curry Puff (SGD $3.50 for 2 pieces) is the latest curry puff flavour launched in January 2018, and features a spicy mix of crab stick, squid, spiced potatoes, and sambal, within their signature crumbly curry puff pastry shell. Nice, so tasty when eaten hot and fresh.
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| Sambal Seafood O Curry Puff (SGD $3.50 for 2 pieces) |
The Sambal Ikan Bilis Bee Hoon (SGD $2.50) is a breakfast only dish, and usually sells out fast. What I, and most others, like about this is the fiery kick of the sambal chili, which has coated the strands of vermicelli rice noodles, the spongy tofu puffs, as well as the crunch of the ikan bilis / anchovies and bean sprouts that give it a nice contrast. Highly recommended!
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| Sambal Ikan Bilis Bee Hoon (SGD $2.50) |
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| Sambal Ikan Bilis Bee Hoon |
The Steamed Tofu Beancurd With Chye Poh (SGD $7.50) has a silky, wobbly soft tofu beancurd, simply steamed with chye poh / preserved radish bits. This garnish gives it a salty sour flavour, with a contrasting crunch to texture. Good!
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| Steamed Tofu Beancurd With Chye Poh (SGD $7.50) |
The Sambal Lady's Finger (SGD $6.20) is fairly straightforward, featuring crunchy okra / lady's finger coated in a spicy sambal belachan sauce. Acts as a nice accompaniment to a meal.
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| Sambal Lady's Finger (SGD $6.20) |
The Curry Prawn Fritters (SGD $12.90 for 8 pieces) stood out, for their crisp outer shell which crunches lightly, and the meaty fresh prawns within which have a lovely sweet savoury flavour, and a hint of curry spice that teases. Good!
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| Curry Prawn Fritters (SGD $12.90 for 8 pieces) |
The Sambal Petai (SGD $7.90) has crunchy petai beans / bitter beans / stink beans, coated in a spicy sambal belachan sauce. Pretty good rendition, those who like this vegetable will take a shine to this.
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| Sambal Petai (SGD $7.90) |
The Fish Maw Soup (SGD $11.90) has a generous amount of spongy fish maw within the clear, savoury soup / broth, garnished with carrots, fish balls, chicken meat balls, and coriander. Best shared though.
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| Fish Maw Soup (SGD $11.90) |
The Seaweed Sauce Fish Fillet (SGD $8.90) is unique for its rich, thick, earthy sweet gravy made with seaweed. Having the okra / lady's finger, carrots, and steamed fish fillet in this gravy lends it loads of flavour, and despite its looks, actually isn't spicy at all.
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| Seaweed Sauce Fish Fillet (SGD $8.90) |
The Curry Fish Fillet (SGD $9.90) has a decent boneless fillet of fish, along with tofu beancurd, okra / lady's finger, and cabbage. But really, the only reason to order this is the lemak curry gravy, with rich notes of coconut milk and spice.
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| Curry Fish Fillet (SGD $9.90) |
The Rendang Beef (SGD $11.90) is delicious, with its rich coat of spices on the beef, a bold savoury spicy flavour, and a tender soft meaty chew to texture. Highly recommended!
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| Rendang Beef (SGD $11.90) |
The Dry Laksa Goreng (SGD $8.50) is my go-to dish here, something I frequently order when I visit, ever since they improved on its execution (I was disappointed the first time I had this, but it's been consistently decent since then). Thick, round, rice vermicelli noodles, stir-fried in laksa spices, served with chunks of chicken, bean sprouts, fish cake, and prawns / shrimp. Best eaten when hot and freshly served, the bold savoury spicy flavours here are so enticing. Highly recommended!
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| Dry Laksa Goreng (SGD $8.50) |
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| Dry Laksa Goreng |
The Nasi Lemak With Sambal Sotong (SGD $10.90) is excellent. This newly launched dish has the highlight of sambal belachan coated squid heads, crunchy in texture, savoury spicy in flavour. Paired with fragrant coconut milk infused white rice, juicy cucumber, tender fish cake, crunchy ikan bilis / anchovies with roasted peanuts, sharp sour achar / Nonya spicy pickled salad, and a fried egg shaped like a heart. The Nasi Lemak With Rendang Chicken (SGD $11.90) has basically the same ingredients, with the exception of a tender spiced chicken replacing the squid.
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| Nasi Lemak Meal |
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| Nasi Lemak With Rendang Chicken (SGD $11.90) |
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| Nasi Lemak With Rendang Chicken |
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| Nasi Lemak With Sambal Sotong (SGD $10.90) |
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| Nasi Lemak With Sambal SotongNasi Lemak With Sambal Sotong |
The Bubur Cha Cha (SGD $5) is served with a warm coconut milk and pandan / screwpine leaf soup / broth, and features cubes of yam taro, sweet potato, and tapioca sago balls. Lovely Singaporean dessert, very comforting.
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| Bubur Cha Cha (SGD $5) |
The unique Coffee Chendol (SGD $4) is robust in flavour, with a strong coffee base, garnished with soft red beans / adzuki beans, chewy attap seeds, and slippery pandan / screwpine leaf infused jelly noodles. Nicely earthy sweet with notes of roast on the coffee. Good!
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| Coffee Chendol (SGD $4) |
This visit to Curry Times was as good as before, and I'm definitely coming back for more of their quick, casual, decently tasty and affordable meals.
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CONVERSATION