Have you ever had Japanese white curry?? In all the years that I lived in Tokyo and travelled to Hokkaido which is where Japanese white curry originates from, I had never actually come across it before. Maybe I had just overlooked it in favour of the typical brown Japanese curry but last weekend I was given the opportunity to try it for the first time at Tengawa Hokkaido White Curry in Millenia Walk shopping mall courtesy of JPassport! Tengawa Hokkaido White Curry is actually the first and only restaurant in Singapore that specialises in Japanese white curry and their menu consists of several different white curry rice dishes as well as white curry soup ramen and udon dishes.
The hubby and I shared a 0-4°C Aged Iberiko Katsu set ($19.80+) and a Volcano Spicy Iberiko Pork Udon set ($16.80+). Both dishes came out within minutes of us ordering and looked very appetising.
The 0-4°C Aged Iberiko Katsu is served with Japanese rice, vegetables and thick, creamy white curry. Iberiko (as it’s spelt in Japanese) is Iberico pork from the black Iberian pig native to the Iberian Peninsula. It is known for it’s rich flavour and tenderness due to it’s fat marbling. The Iberico pork was fried in Japanese panko breadcrumbs, so perfectly crispy and crunchy that you would be hard pressed to find better even in restaurants that specialise in Tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlets). The pork itself was juicy and flavourful and was delicious eaten together with the milky white curry which is actually not spicy at all. Tonkatsu sauce is also provided on the table for your pork as well as other condiments you can use to spice up your curry.
The Volcano Spicy Iberiko Pork Udon was my favourite out of the two dishes. The soup had a mild white curry and bonito flavour, the fresh udon was oh so perfect and chewy and was topped with tender Iberico pork belly slices, a perfectly slow cooked, delicately soft and slightly runny onsen egg, spring onions, seaweed and what was supposedly Korean spices but was more like a mild chilli oil with just the right kick to it. Very moreish, my mouth is salivating just at the thought of it!
Both sets that we had came with clam soup and truffle chawanmushi (Japanese egg custard). The clam soup was light, had a delicate flavour of clams and had a few clams in it as well as slices of fried tofu. It was a nice accompaniment to both white curry dishes. The truffle chawanmushi was also good, with it’s silky smooth texture that had a definite hint of truffle oil. Clam soup as well as rice, curry and udon/ramen are all free flow so you can eat to your heart’s content!
My first impressions of Japanese white curry? Although fairly similar to it’s brown counterpart, it’s creamier and has a milder flavour. Very nice and definitely worth trying, especially the white curry soup!
Tengawa Hokkaido White Curry restaurant itself is small and cozy with tables as well as counter seating. Service was friendly, helpful and efficient, they even helped entertain my 10 month old whilst we were eating! I will definitely be back 🙂
Tengawa Hokkaido White Curry
Address: Millenia Walk, #02-16A, 9 Raffles Blvd, Singapore 039596
Tel: 6265 1314
Opening Hours: Daily 11.30am – 10pm
Hope you’ve enjoyed my review of Tengawa Hokkaido White Curry, please feel free to leave a comment below with your own review of the restaurant or if you have any questions!
