Heard all about the Kanazawa Championโs Curry pop-up at Takashimaya Food Hall that happened in the last week of July โ was quite bummed that we did not have much of an opportunity to try it after hearing all about it over social media as the pop-up was during the time period where we were out of town. That being said, we did come across the social media pages of Japan Rail Cafe at Tanjong Pagar by chance; there was a post which they had put up on their social media accounts stating the availability of the Kanazawa Championโs Curry as a special for the month of August 2023 โ a great chance for us to try out what we had missed previously. For those whom are unaware, Championโs Curry is an establishment that had opened its doors in Kanazawa, Japan since 1961 โ the brand itself does have an international presence, with multiple outlets situated in Japan as well as outlets located in the United States. For the Championโs Curry at Japan Rail Cafe, patrons can opt for either a variant featuring chicken cutlet or one that features a pork cutlet, while the Championโs Curry also comes with a complimentary drink (either Original Drip Coffee, Cold Brew, Citrus Green Tea, Beauty Tea or Detox Tea) that is served at no extra charge.
The description on the marketing collaterals published by Japan Rail Cafe mentions the Championโs Curry to come with elements such as sliced cabbage, rice, and a โflavourful Japanese beef curryโ โ it also bears a slightly different plating from the other Japanese curry dishes which Japan Rail Cafe already offers in their menu; the dish comes served in a stainless steel bowl as opposed to the usual white ceramic bowl that Japan Rail Cafe typically uses. The Championโs Curry really ticks off all the boxes that defines a standard textbook description of the Kanazawa-style curry; the most satisfying component was definitely the curry roux here. The curry roux comes in a deep shade of brown that is a notch darker than that of the usual Japanese curry; one thing that we really liked about the curry roux was how rich and thick it was โ all gooey and absolutely flavoursome. For one, one could definitely taste that slight nuttiness and earthiness of the curry, all that with just a very light touch of meatiness that gives a very subtle gaminess that provides some contrast to the curry roux itself โ absolutely a pleasure to have, with a portion that is sufficient to go around the bed of sticky short-grain rice that it comes with. The Pork Cutlet was crispy as promised; the golden-brown breading used for the batter giving a good crunch without being in any way greasy โ the pork also being tender and easy to chew through. The sliced cabbage was a delight to have especially when had with a bit of the rice and the curry roux; adds a bit of crunch factor to the dish. At a price of $19++, the Championโs Curry might be considered a little pricey to some โ that being said, this was one of the better Japanese curry dishes that we had come across thus far; definitely something which we would not mind splurging on again if the opportunity to do so prevails again!
Fluffy souffle paired w Takahata Blueberry & Peach Jam, berries & whipped cream๐ซ๐
Iโve never really liked Japanese curry. But then I took a good spoonful of this ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ($๐๐ ๐ฐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ค) and ๐ณ๐ณ culture shock or whateva
Here, the turmeric used to give Japanese curry its colour is replaced with fresh Hokkaido milk๐ฅ, mellowing it to a mild curry thatโs creamy yet delicious๐๐ The curry is then mixed with chicken and served with rice, a WHOLE potato๐ฅ and crispy salmon katsu.
Tai Dashichazuke Set ($21)
I love ochazuke so this was ultimate comfort food for me. The dashi broth made the whole dish so oishi but is too salty to be drank on its own. The tai (red sea bream) sashimi was tasty too but would be better if it was fresher and came with no bones.
I enjoyed this with their HOT DETOX TEA and was pleasantly surprised that it was so light & easy to drink!
While JAPAN RAIL CAFE would have their monthly specials, they would also offer their regular menu which were relatively delicious too.
Omusubi, or otherwise commonly known as Onigiri, would be a suitable choice for fuss-free lunch. At S$17.00, the plate would include 3 of the Japanese rice balls with salmon flakes, Ebi Tempura and a flavour of the month. I kind of enjoyed eating this, probably because I could just use my hands to hold on to the Omusubi and just eat it like a snack, perfect if I would need to multi-task. And most importantly, this would be one of those dishes that I would not have to try to โeat while itโs hotโ, because it would still taste delicious anyway.
Tried out the JAL inflight menu at Japan Rail Cafe recently because I miss travelling and I enjoyed JAL food whenever I flew with them. The Salmon option ran out so we got the Tori Takiawase Tamago Dainomono set. The main consisted of chicken thigh, shiitake mushroom, green beans, red peppers and shredded omelette on Japanese rice. The chicken thigh was pretty succulent and the rice was fluffy. The main was served with cold udon, vegetables, a earl grey cake for dessert and a drink. We enjoyed the earl grey cake a lot too, it was very fluffy and fragrant. This was nice for an airline meal but I found the price a bit steep at $23 for this quality and serving. It was still pretty good though, good for those who miss in flight meals and want to have a feel of it.
The Warabi Mochi was slightly chewy in texture but it was served chilled which was quite different from the room temperature ones I had in Japan.
Because the Salmon Set ran out for the JAL inflight menu, we ordered a couple of other dishes from their regular menu. The Twin Flavoured Crispy Chicken Don came with fried chicken topped with tartar sauce and Japanese grated radish. The chicken was crispy indeed and while I expected chicken nanban because it looked like it and it was in the description, it tasted quite different without the nanban sauce which resulted in a bit of a letdown.
Do you like salmon in all forms, just like I do? ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ For those who donโt take sashimi, you can enjoy salmon 2-ways with this Twin Salmon Avo-Tamago Don ($16nett)! ๐ฏ
.
Be it the healthier rendition of salmon slices ๐ drizzled with savoury sauce, or the irresistible crispy salmon croquette, it will surely be a treat! ๐ Accompanied by sweet tamago slices, earthy avocado cubes ๐ฅ & creamy egg mayo, this is quite a mouthwatering combination! ๐คค
.
Chicken ๐ or egg ๐ฅ first? ๐ค Never mind about this mind-boggling question, just enjoy the best of both worlds with Twin Tori-yaki Don ($16nett)! ๐๐๐
.
This bowl features creamy egg mayo doused onto succulent chunks of chicken meat glazed in savoury-sweet teriyaki sauce ๐, generously piled over a bed of fluffy white rice. The grated radish helps to cut the heaviness of the meats, while the tamago & cucumber cubes ๐ฅ made it a refreshing bowl.
.
โPro-tip: When you are half-way through, pour in their light dashi stock to have a soupy version! ๐ฅฃ This variation worked well for me! โ๐ป
.
Pair these two rice bowls with their Going-Green Smoothie ($6.50nett) ๐ฅค, a blend of fruits & vegetables with the former taking dominance so there is no unpleasant taste at all (be warned of the pulpy texture though). ๐ Loaded with vitamins & essential minerals, this sure acts as your health booster! ๐ช๐ป๐ช๐ป๐ช๐ป
Didnโt fancy the curry because of the minced beef infused within it, but the katsu was definitely satisfying! Also offers a nice environment for a TGIF lunch date!
If you are a fan of earthy nutty flavours just like me, you'll be delighted with Japan Rail Cafe's December menu ๐ฏ๐ต that brings you yummy creations made with edaMAME (young soybean)! ๐๐๐
.
Lay your hands on Tohoku Teishoku ($20++), where the juicy, edamame-filled wagyu hamburg takes the limelight! ๐๐๐ Liked that the grated radish laid atop lends a refreshing touch to the meaty patty. ๐๐ป The tender saba fish ๐ from Miyagi Prefecture, savoury miso soup ๐ฅฃ, fluffy rice, side salad ๐ฅ & soft chewy warabi mochi make this a satisfying complete meal! ๐๐๐
.
To fight the cold weather these days, enjoy a nice & warm Zunda Latte ($6.50++), a soft blend of edamame & soy milk. ๐
You can customize your curry rice by choosing a main and a side. I selected the chicken cutlet and crab cream croquette. Both cutlet and croquette were fried to a crunchy crisp but I found the cutlet a little on the dry side. The black-pepper based curry sauce tasted like typical Japanese curry sauce ... sweet and non-spicy.
I took a double take upon realising that the drink tasted more like warm milk. Although there was a slight tinge of sweet potato puree, I felt that the milk overpowered the sweet potato.
o..k Iโm not really sure whatโs going on in this place it looks like a mess imo but hereโs their watashino curry rice - you get to choose your main dish (i got mine the chicken cutlet) and side dish (and scallops) for $18.
itโs expensive and the taste was mediocre and the presentation looks like something my mum makes so pls just go home and eat your mums curry rice ๐
A light lemon drink with what looks like honey at the bottom. Nice taste, but I wouldn't recommend it at this price. $6.50++
Not too sure if this would be considered as the best of both worlds as described in the menu, but the Twin Flavored Crispy Chicken Don (S$14.00) turned out to be quite a godsend on the day that I was not feeling too well, yet wanted something with a bit more flavour. So with two slabs of Chicken Nanban covering a bed of rice, carefully adding in the Dashi soup by the side of the bowl was a good idea, just to give the rice a little more flavour.
I thought the rice could be a little less moist, because at some point I thought it was a little bit marshy. However, eating it together with the chicken and the Nanban tartar sauce balanced the palate better.
Loved this Strawberry Chocolate Dango ($3) from @samurice.sg at #Tokyosummerpark organised by @japanrailcafe last weekend! ๐๐๐ก I was half expecting it to be just plain Mochi coated in a normal chocolate shell, but was pleasantly surprised by the burst of flavours in my mouth! ๐๐๐๐ Best of all, it wasnโt overly sweet and Iโd definitely have this again!!!
Essentially whole deep-fried crispy soft shell crab, crab meat, fresh umami ikura, tamago & cucumbers chunks on Japanese mixed grains served with original/dashi stock.
.
Get a โจFREE Sparkling Pear Mint (U.P. $6.20) when you flash this post (save it so you wonโt forget!) upon your purchase of the featured set above.
