Was skimming though Instagram for lunch ideas and came across this Japanese curry house named Maji Curry that has recently opened its doors in Square2 at Novena — the establishment hails from Japan, with three outlets there and two others overseas; the outlet at Square2 is their very first in Singapore. Being the champion of the Tokyo Curry Grand Prix 2018, Maji Curry is known for their Japanese Curry that features a chicken bouillon base with 10 spices simmered over 100 hours (no beef is being used in the making of their curry here) — or at least that is what is being claimed on their local Facebook page. Patrons can expect a range of Japanese curry available here — this includes the Cheese Sauce Curry Rice, the Omelette Curry Rice and the Maji Original Curry Rice (i.e. the usual Japanese curry rice); patrons can actually select between two sizes being the Medium (220gm rice, 180gm sauce) or the Large (320gm rice, 250gm sauce), and pair them up with the toppings (i.e. meat options) of their choice. Spiciness level is also customisable here from Levels 1 to 3. For those looking for side dishes to share across the table, they do offer simple sides such as salads, fries and Karaage, while dessert options include a few flavours of ice-cream to choose from. One can also make their order of their Japanese curry rice as a set by topping up between $4 to $7 to include a beverage and salad, with the $7 add-on option coming with dessert as well.

Going for the Hamburger Steak Cheese Sauce Curry Rice, it is noted that each aka-carte order does come with a side of pickles and fried shallots; the latter of which could be added in to the curry rice if one so chooses to do so — the cheese sauce curry rice also sees a serving of the cheese sauce being provided on the side where patrons can pour in the desired amount as they wish. Digging into the Japanese curry as it is, we opted for the spiciness level at Level 2; thought this is pretty much a sweet spot considering the spices and chicken bouillon base is prominent despite the fiery kick that it gives — pretty manageable for those tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness. The Japanese curry here is noticeably missing of gaminess considering the lack of beef in the preparation process here — but it remains of a good sweet-savoury balance that is as thick or even more flavourful then its counterparts that are prepared in the usual manner; something which would definitely appeal to non-beef eaters especially who find proper Japanese curry carrying a sort of gaminess that they do not fancy. The three-cheese cheese fondue is pretty much one would expect out of having a creamy béchamel sauce typically found in a Japanese Doria; savoury and gives an extra touch to the entire dish. The Hamburg party here features a mix of beef and pork; there wasn’t an evident hint of gaminess in this one considering the mix of meats, but it is certainly meaty without being overly salty — almost akin to a well-seasoned breakfast sausage patty that was easy to eat.

While we are usually more sceptical about Japanese curry specialists such as Coco Ichibanya and Monster Curry/Planet, Maji Curry definitely offers a rendition of Japanese curry that showcases the dish in a more artisanal light — not just a generic item to appeal to the taste buds of the general public. With much attention and detail being placed in the Japanese curry base, it does show in the product, and it is little wonder how they are able to clinch the champion title in the Tokyo Curry Grand Prix 2018. Whilst we would not be able to make any comparisons with their outlets in Japan, this is one place we would really be thinking of if the craving for Japanese curry hits again!