We tried Singapore’s best-rated Hainanese curry rice

Ever so often, I think that the food served at hawker centres and kopitiams surpasses what you’ll find at a shopping mall. So when I noticed that 2ThumbsUp Hainanese Curry Rice‘s Anchorpoint outlet had a 4.3 star rating out of 5, with a total of 111 reviews (at time of writing) on Google Reviews, I was skeptical.

Yes, some of you may argue that online reviews aren’t accurate. I couldn’t agree more —  especially after I was bribed with a complimentary plate of chicken karaage at a Japanese eatery in town, in exchange for a 5-star rating. But I’ll continue testing the theory anyway.

It was the peak lunch hour, and the basement of Anchorpoint was more dead than level 1 — not a good sign for business. 2ThumbsUp Hainanese Curry Rice has about a 12-table seating space, and you’re required to order from the touch-screen kiosk (similar to McDonald’s).

The menu offers 15 different curry rice sets, ranging from S$6.90 all the way to S$13.90. I swear it took me a solid 8 minutes just to decide what to order. (I felt like a spoiled brat).

What I tried at 2ThumbsUp Hainanese Curry Rice

We got the wheels turning with Set 1 (S$6.90) — Hainanese pork chop, stewed cabbages, fried egg and steam rice. I ordered it as a set and added a can of Sprite (S$1.80). The golden-brown slices of fried pork chop looked absolutely irresistible, and I couldn’t wait to start feasting.

Before I mixed all the elements up and risked getting the pork chop soggy with the curry, I sneaked a piece (or 2) in my mouth. It was as good as how it looked — crispy, tasty and decently soft.

What surprised me more was how little grease it had — a stark contrast to past traumatic experiences where oil would gush into my mouth the moment I bit into the batter.

The yolk of the fried egg still managed to be semi-runny, which was a plus point for me. The sides of the white were also crispy — totally up my alley!

The cabbages were braised to a luscious, cloud-like softness, complementing the rice perfectly.

For the gravy, I opted for the Signature Sauces which consisted of a mixture of curries and braised sauce. The rice had a deeper hue than typical curry, probably due to the addition of ‘lor chap’ (braised sauce).

For a brief moment, I was whisked to a flavour haven as the medley of sauces created a multi-dimensional taste experience. It was masterfully seasoned, smoky, and had just the right amount of heat to tease the tongue.

We then moved on to Set 8 (S$8.90), which had curry mutton with potatoes, together with the same partners-in-crime as the previous dish. The Hot Chinese Tea was priced at S$1.50, 30 cents less than the canned drinks.

Mutton is always a gamble — you might get lucky with tender, not-so-gamey meat, or end up with something tough and overwhelmingly strong in flavour. Thankfully, it was the former.

“It’s been a while since I last had lamb this soft and tasty,” I thought to myself after the first bite. Braised to perfection, it was so succulent that it practically melted in my mouth like gelato!

Even the potatoes that accompanied the meat were so pillowy soft. So far, everything was great and there was nothing that had disappointed us.

Would the last dish, the Set 15 (S$13.90), turn the tables? This was the most expensive item on the menu, featuring a mix of fried dory fish fillet, fried chicken chop, Hainanese pork chop, braised pork belly, stewed cabbages, fried egg, and rice.

The amount of ingredients on top hid the egg, cabbage and rice from sight. It was a challenge mixing everything up within the small biodegradable bowl without anything dropping out. If you’re like me and eat like a bird, then this set will surely be enough for 2 to share.

You know that shrimpy, umami flavour that you find in har cheong gai? It’s actually present in the fried chicken chop. How impressive.

Though the fried dory fillet was beautifully executed, it still couldn’t compare to the braised pork belly pieces. The immaculate slabs of pork belly had a buttery softness, with notes of star anise wafting from the glorious gravy it was braised in.

Final thoughts

The portions over at 2ThumbsUp Hainanese Curry Rice are generous, true to what the bulk of the Google Reviews had stated. My 2 dining partners and I were struggling to finish the rice.

If you’re craving Hainanese curry rice, this place in the basement of Anchorpoint is definitely worth the trip.

Has anyone visited their Clementi kopitiam branch before? Now, I’m really curious about what my experience there would be like.

Expected damage: S$6.90 – S$15.70 per pax

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