Food Court Dining: Japanese Udon Noodles Goen

I have always associated curry with Indian food but since coming to Singapore, I have learned that the Japanese also have their version of curry. As someone who watches anime, this discovery helped me make sense out of some of the food I see on their shows.

I didn't know I liked curry until I came to Singapore; both the Indian and Japanese versions appeal to my taste buds. It's not a taste for everyone, but again, you'll never know if it's for you if you never tried it at least once.

Food courts are pretty much the hawker stalls of malls. They offer a variety of affordable meals, including the staple Chicken Rice. I was lucky enough to spot my favorite Japanese Curry shop in two locations last week.

Japanese Udon Noodles Goen branch in Wisma Atria

When I enjoy a certain type of food, I would probably keep talking about how tasty my dish is while my mouth is full. The first time I tried a dish from this franchise, I distinctly remember my wife laughing at how much I kept doing that.

Japanese Udon Noodles Goen is a franchise that can be seen in food courts. So far I know of three branches - Vivo City, Wisma Atria, and Bugis Junction. While I've frequented Vivo and Wisma, the Bugis branch was a new discovery.

They offer curry on rice or noodles, with chicken, beef, or tonkatsu as protein. While I'm a bit adventurous when it comes to trying food, I usually prefer having my go-to dish if there is one.

Japanese Tonkatsu Original Curry Rice (SGD 7.90)

For this shop, I have a go-to dish; the Japanese Tonkatsu Original Curry Rice. A huge serving of rice is a staple in this shop, with customers asked to ask the server for less if needed. A prepared tonkatsu meat is chopped and put over the rice, before their signature curry sauce is poured over everything.

Can't go wrong with a go-to dish.

The curry in itself can be eaten with the rice. Or that's just me. I almost treat it like soup, similar to what I do with the Chicken Curry at Queensway. The tonkatsu is usually lean, and while it's not life-changing amazing, it goes great with the curry sauce.

Beef Original Curry Rice (SGD 8.90), greens optional add-on.

On a different day, I wanted to look for a new place to eat at the Bugis food court, but I was drawn to the branch I didn't know was there. This time, I tried the Beef Original Curry Rice for the sake of trying something new. Personally, I didn't think the beef looked appetizing; sure, it was thinly cut, but it looked too pale in color that I almost thought it was raw. I'm pretty sure that the curry is a staple in all their branches, so I was a disappointed to see how my curry sauce looked like here.

The greens were cilantro, which I remembered I didn't like too much on ramen. Here, the flavor was masked by the curry.

While the flavor was there, it definitely didn't have a the same visual appeal as the other branches. Personally, it wouldn't have been a favorite of mine if this was my first experience. The rice isn't served as much as the other branches, but that's not too much of an issue as it is for the appearance of the curry.

Come for Seconds: For Wisma and Vivo, I have and I will again and again. For Bugis though, I'm not sure. If only for the flavor, I'd definitely eat if I see another branch nearby.