Kuro Kare (SMU)

($11.90 ++) remind me of KFC lmao but their curry sauce was quite so good tbh :") taste like beef aftertaste. The crispy chicken was quite crispy and crunchy for their batter skin but their chicken was slightly hard. But the overall curry sauce was quite addicting to dip and eat with it.

Friend N got the Melty Beef Curry Rice. While drenched in the robust curry gravy, the Black Angus beef chunks were not gamey while retaining its melt-in-the-mouth tender mouthfeel!

AFFORDABLE AND YUMMY Japanese Curry Rice within the SMU campus? If you haven't heard of Kuro Kare @kurokare, this place serves a DAMN FINE curry! 🍲 Also, SMU @sgsmu students get an additional $2 discount for every item!

You might notice the much darker hue of the curry roux generously ladled onto every plate! Due to the 36-hour cooking process, the gravy is umami-packed with a pronounced sweetness from the caramelised onions (which explains the darker colour of the gravy) and finished with a mild earthy kick from the combination of spices. Goes really well with the available protein options, such as their appropriately named K.F.C. (Kuro Fried Chicken)! 😆🐔 The chicken katsu also hits the spot with a light & crispy panko cladding over the chunky chicken meat.

Heard good things about this Japanese Curry purveyor at SMU so decided to pop by to try. Navigated the labyrinth that was the SMU underground and found ourselves as the only customers in the cosy eatery at close to 7.30pm.

The things that stood out the most were the wide variety of different toppings on their curries as well as the affordable prices - their most expensive beef option was only at $16.90!

We chose the Fried Chicken ($11.90) and the Croquette ($6.90) options. The curry that accompanied each bowl was truly something unique and remarkable; every bite was full of bold and earthy flavours, a blend of richness, spice, and tinges of sweetness and tanginess. You'll forget about using those Golden Curry premix after trying Kuro Kare's rendition. Add in a few drops of their chilli blends for a burst of tangy spiciness to kick things up a notch (but beware, they're REALLY spicy!). When the heat becomes too much, don't forget their cold and refreshing barley tea as well as their tangy and crunchy pickles - both were complimentary and free-flow!

On to the toppings, we really enjoyed the Chicken Katsu which was juicy and so crisply battered. While we felt the croquette was was slightly lacking in potato, the mentaiko sauce drizzled on it was surprisingly delicious and paired well with the curry. It was so good I had to try their Waffle with Mentaiko ($3) which was a combi I've not seen before. While they were nice, I thought that the waffle could be crispier for that crunchy exterior-soft interior and the mentaiko could be torched for depth of flavour. But for $3, the portion and taste was not bad!

Hidden in the basement of Singapore Management University, Kuro Kare is an establishment that one would probably not come across knowing about if one isn’t a student within the university — that being said, its existence within the compounds of the university is recently being mentioned by some media sources which got us relatively interested to try them out. Kuro Kare’s location isn’t a tough spot to find especially for those who are especially familiar to the area — one could easily find them in the underground passageway that is part of the premises of Singapore Management University that links up Bencoolen MRT Station with Bras Basah MRT Station; they had taken over the former premises of the now-defunct Wolfrik's Pizzeria. Much of the interior of Kuro Kare has been kept relatively functional, which suits its direction as being a quick-service diner that would cater to the students of the university; the space featuring simple wooden dining tables and black metallic chairs, while the walls are simply decorated with small shelves and painted with their logo — also featured a red and white colour scheme that is being used in their branding as well. One highlight that we have read about some sources about Kuro Kare is that the spot is being run by folks who had formerly worked at Fleurette; a fine-dining establishment located in Rangoon Road — Kuro Kare also claims that they serve up “Singapore’s Best 36-hour Japanese Curry” which is also prominently displayed on the facade of the space. The menu at Kuro Kare primarily features Japanese curry that is paired with different meat / vegetable options; there are also a couple of snacks available on the menu that are available on the “To Share” section as well.

Skimming through the menu on what they have to offer, we felt that the Keema Black Angus Curry was perhaps one of the more viable options for one if they did not want to opt for an item that features fried items or simply vegetables if they do not wish to break the bank here. Priced at $12.90, the Keema Black Angus Curry is described on the menu to come with hand-minced 200-day grain-fed Angus Beef; we also note that it does come with some nibs of peas and pickles as well — the rice coming with a light sprinkle of Furikake for an increased aesthetic appeal. Patrons can actually opt for a “Make It A Meal” option — this would see the Japanese Curry rice come with a Soda / Imported Japanese Drink and a bowl of Rich Tori Paitan Soup on the side; this was not quite necessary for us, considering how Kuro Kare does serve up free-flow iced barley tea at the self-service counter free-of-charge. We also opted out of the add-on of an Onsen Egg (a chargeable add-on) when asked at the counter. Featuring just minced bits of beef within the curry roux, the curry here comes with a distinct earthy note that isn’t quite as sweet or generic as the more commercially-made ones that we are more exposed to from chain eateries or stalls serving up Japanese cuisine in the hawker centre / coffeeshops / food courts. The best way to enjoy the Keema Black Angus Curry is to mix up all the Japanese Koshihikari rice with the Keema Black Angus Curry altogether — this also made the rice absorbed that deep, earthy note of the Japanese Curry making it a pretty flavoursome affair. Since there is minced Angus beef mixed into the Japanese Curry, one could also detect a rather light hint of gaminess that lingers around the tastebuds that isn’t particularly intrusive, but rounds off those earthy and savoury notes of the Japanese Curry pretty well; all that while the tangy zing of the Japanese pickles cutting through it.