Go! Go! Curry! – Hot Or Not?

Ever on the prowl for a good curry, a recent trip to ION Orchard yielded a quick stopover at the Japanese curry chain Go! Go! Curry!. I have heard a lot about their curry katsu don. As a fan of all kinds of curries, it got my curiosity stirred up.

The eatery can be found at the Nippon-centric Ion Food Hall on basement level 4; they also have a second outlet at 313@Somerset Food Republic. There is a small counter where you order and pay for your food, and a simple dining area that seats around 20.

On first impression, the prices appear to be rather steep given that the dining experience here is really similar to that at a food court. From the menu you pick a topping – plain, or with pork, chicken, sausage or shrimp – and the portion, in order of smallest to largest – Healthy, Economy, Business or First Class.

The dish is served in a boat-shaped bowl and brought over on a small wooden tray.

Chicken Katsu curry (“Healthy” class)
S$11.50
Rating:

The uninspired plating reaffirms my initial impression. The curry is ladled over the steamed rice, with sliced chicken cutlet on top and a mound of cabbage shreds on the side. Noticeably absent are the sweet red pickles that would have added a nice dash of red to the otherwise plain-looking dish.

While I have no complaints about the chicken slices, I have high hopes for the curry. After all, that is the namesake of the company, who is obviously confident enough to serve it alone with just rice and cabbage and price it at $9.50 – $12.50.

The curry is a dark brown colour, has a thick consistency and tastes sweetish. Japanese curries are usually mild in terms of spiciness and sure enough, there is almost no hint of spice. There is a distinct peppery flavour, but on the whole, the dish is rather forgettable. As I am eating this, one thought keeps running through my mind over and over, “Why are people raving about this ordinary curry?”

Click to enlarge

My first experience with Go! Go! Curry! is a sorely underwhelming one. For the restaurant prices they charge, the food quality and ambience are clearly of food court standards. As a friend hilariously pointed out, when you dine at ION Orchard you are paying for your seat at the same time! Despite all the hype surrounding Go! Go! Curry!, the curry isn’t so hot after all.

What is your experience with Go! Go! Curry!? Do you agree with my verdict? Share with us in the comments!

ION Orchard outlet

313@Somerset outlet