Curry Times

Ordered their signature curry chicken after confirmation from the waitress that it was white/​breast meat. Dish arrived and guess what? It was all dark meat. I pointed to the thigh and said this isn’t white meat. She looked to the kitchen cook through the glass panel and obviously he didn’t know what she was talking about. She looked back at me, shrugged and walked away. At this point everyone was looking over to see what I was complaining about. Awkward.
Curry does not contain coconut milk and a nice change from the laksa tasting curries. Clean eating environment and cool old style décor. It appears to be operated from the same folks as Old Chang Kee.
I’m giving it a below average for misleading the customer.

I have read slightly about Curry Times but never did I know that it is run by the our famous curry puff brand, Old Chang Kee. I have always enjoyed the Old Chang Kee’s curry puffs more so than Mackenzie’s or Rolina’s, not because of the pastry skin but it’s spicy curry filling with a fiery kick.
But do not expect the same degree of heatiness from the Signature Curry Chicken ($ 7.90) here. Designated as a healthier curry, this was made with fresh milk, not coconut milk. Yet the consistency is not lost, creamy and fragrant with spices. The tender flesh of the chicken drumstick added galore to simplicity, making this a comforting bowl to go with the traditional old-​school Chinese «baguette».
In fact, one can have the curry along with rice or prata. I was impressed by the hand-​pressed Prata, which is crispy, light and airy. I thought it heard the «Pa-​Pa» sound just like its Chinese name 派派饼 as I teared apart the layers with ease. I wanted something sweet but the Butter and Sugar ($ 1.90) was not an ideal choice for the slab of butter disintegrated into a pool of yellow oil in few seconds, not quite different from eating prata with oil.
The Sambal Petai ($ 6.90) sets itself apart from the usual as one can taste the gritty bits of Hae Bee in the chilli paste. Perfect to go with a bowl of rice.
The Crispy Fish Cutlet Rice was delicious too; tender moist fish encased in a thin, golden-​crisp shell. The curry is served separately in another bowl thus non-​spicy eaters can dig in without worry.
MUST TRY Buns!
The buns made freshly in house are perhaps the softest buns I’ve ever had. Struggling to carry the heavy filings, the dome-​shaped virtually collapsed and lost its shape the moment it was split into halves to reveal the filling, an indication of delicateness and the sheer amount of filling. The curry version wasn’t spicy too and the coconut version was aromatic but too sweet.
And the ending for a curry-​licious meal? Traditionally Asian style desserts of chendol and bur bur cha cha.

i felt like ive time-​travelled back to my mum’s era when i stepped into e place. i love e nostalgic look and feel of e place from olden singapore. from e décor, cutleries used, down to the outfit of the wait staff. i guess that was what makes me want to step in and give this place a try!
while waiting for seats, help urself with old-​school biscuits at the cashier. complimentary :) *woot*
1. curry chicken hor fun
this was OK. wished they gave more chicken and add on a little more spice.
2. salmon otak
featured as one of the star dish but it was meh. put my expectations high and hit me down low. other than e shape, there is really nothing special about it.
3. salted egg yolk brinjal
couldnt taste e salted egg yolk at all. too much batter. e brinjal tasted much better after i took away e batter. skip this dish.
4. «ore ni» (yam dessert)
skip this dish. had better ones elsewhere. cant put a finger to it but it just doesnt taste right. not thick enough maybe? yam taste is not quite there.
so this place is just A-​OK for me but would want to give it another shot and try their dry curry rice.

I was a little surprised when Old Chang Kee branched out into a new F&B concept. They seem to be going all out for a nostalgic 1960s Singapore sort of feel, and not just with the décor. You WILL notice the waitresses dressed in samfoos, the music from that era, and the free oldie biscuits they give out, and other things like that. It’s a little odd. But I’m happy they haven’t overdone it.
As the name suggests they specialize in curry. Quite specifically the Singapore Chinese form of curry (which can be good). It’s what most of us have grown up eating so you will like this place if you value the familiarity of the taste and the blast from the past of all the other external things they’ve got (like enamel plates and bowls).
I’ve tried a couple of things and the items I like and think they do very well are: curry chicken with bread, and the dry curry with rice. The other things like the curry ramen are meh. I haven’t tried the non-​curry items although they offer them (like the beef brisket rice). Prices are decent for this sort of lower-​midrange establishment.
I always come to eat the dry curry rice after going to the hospital nearby. It’s actually one of the better things to eat in the Novena Square area since the rest are mostly chains or mediocre restaurants.