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For those who live around Jurong West, specifically Hong Kah Point, you would probably know Curry Papa at 505 Jurong West Market & Food Centre. If you’re clueless, it’s a popular 14-year-old curry png stall that opens as early as 4.30am and shuts around 2pm. But do you know that on weekdays from 4pm and on Saturdays from 8am to 2pm, the owner’s sister, Miss Y (doesn’t want to be named), transforms the stall into Curry Papa Xpress?
As this was my first time ever exploring this part of Jurong, I felt lost — it was both foreign yet exciting. All I knew was that my eyes lit up when I spotted the hawker centre.
Yup, that’s right. Miss Y displays 4 lit-up LED posters featuring her offerings, covering up her brother’s glass display.“ She chirpily says, ‘My concept doesn’t allow customers to pick and choose their ingredients, that’s why I block lor, haha.” Her menu is fuss-free, offering just 4 varieties of curry rice for S$6.50 each. Some of you might ask, “Does she use the same curry base as Curry Papa then?” The answer is no.
To satisfy your curiosity, here’s how Curry Papa looks like in the mornings. If you’re unable to visit Curry Papa Xpress in the evenings, swing by for the classic curry rice.
What I tried at Curry Papa Xpress
Not knowing what to expect, I decided to get the ball rolling with the Braised Pork Curry Rice. The plate looked artistically messy. The rich crimson hue of the curry made up the circumference, with a mound of rice, slices of pork belly, a sunny side-up, and braised cabbage.
I started off with the pork belly. Even before I stuffed the first piece in my mouth, it broke in half on its own. I started off with the upper half portion — the fat! Like how cotton candy would disintegrate instantly on your tongue, the fat mimicked the same experience. This might be one of the softest pork belly fat I’ve ever encountered; I dare say that. The meat didn’t pale in comparison either. It tasted multi-dimensional with notes of cloves, star anise and other spices.
Miss Y shared that she starts braising the pork belly as soon as she arrives at 4pm and keeps it on simmer until 9pm. However, she doesn’t take it out, but leaves it in the pot until the next day. With the residue heat and all, the meat is braised for more than 10 hours — that explains how phenomenally soft it was!
Now, let me give some love to the curry, the backbone of the dish. Its taste was robust without being spicy. It coated each grain of rice like a tight glove, releasing tons of flavour. To me, Indian-style curries are more complex than Chinese ones. Miss Y’s rendition actually veers closer to the former.
Next up, the Fried Fish Curry Rice (S$6.50) was visually impactful due to the sheer size of the fish. It jutted out of the plate’s rim and it was almost as huge as my hand. Like the previous dish, the rest of the elements were an exact replica.
Though I consider dory to be one of the least interesting and basic fish options, I was amazed at how it was done here. The exterior was shatteringly crispy while the flesh managed to retain its moistness and flaked apart easily. Another important quality was that it wasn’t oily, which made eating the huge slab a breeze.
If I had to pinpoint something that could be improved, it would be the yolk portion of the fried egg. All 3 plates were done in an over-easy way, missing that classic egg yolk trickling down moment. Personally, I’d prefer a runny yolk which would go so well with the curry and rice.
The cabbage was cooked till it was luxuriously tender. It reminded me of overnight braised cabbage, where the taste and experience just gets better as time goes by. To me, it tasted like it got braised together with daikon. But unfortunately, that ingredient wasn’t even used. What sorcery is this?
We concluded our evening with the Pork Cutlet Curry Rice. Before the pieces of pork got soaked into the curry, I tried it on its own. Despite looking a little dry, it was surprisingly tender and masterfully seasoned.
After slathering the curry over the pork cutlet, each piece had more character and depth in flavour. Despite getting soaked in gravy, the breading still managed to stay crispy.
Final thoughts
If you’re looking for convenient yet loaded plates of curry rice for dinner, why not come by from 4pm and give Curry Rice Xpress a try? If you’re a regular of Curry Papa, you can even try Miss Y’s curry and see which sibling’s version you prefer.
Now, if only I stayed in the west… sigh.
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