We arrived at Soup Curry by Ki-setsu around 7PM, an hour after its evening izakaya-style service begins. While the restaurant specialises in Hokkaido-style soup curry during the day, its evening menu expands to include Japanese small plates, beer and highballs, with soup curry remaining the signature main.
Located at 190 Middle Road, #04-13, Fortune Centre, Singapore 188979, Soup Curry by Ki-setsu takes a food-led approach to izakaya-style dining. What interested us was how its small plates fit alongside the restaurant’s signature curry bowls.
What Changes at Soup Curry by Ki-setsu After 6PM?
Traditional Japanese izakayas combine drinks with smaller dishes ordered throughout the evening. Soup Curry by Ki-setsu adapts this format around its Hokkaido soup curry speciality.
From 6PM, Japanese small plates join the menu without replacing soup curry. Diners can order several dishes with beer or highballs, choose a curry bowl, or combine both.
During our 7PM visit, this distinction shaped how we considered the menu. Rather than focusing on alcohol, it offers Japanese comfort food with drinks as an accompaniment.
For diners comparing Fortune Centre izakaya options, we also look at how the building’s Japanese dining spots differ in their menus, drinking formats and overall dining experience.
Japanese Small Plates: Where the Evening Meal Begins
Soup Curry by Ki-setsu’s evening selection combines fried dishes, regional seafood and lighter accompaniments. The variety allows diners to build a shared meal without relying entirely on fried food.
Kani Cream Croquette: A Richer Start to the Meal
The Kani Cream Croquette brings a familiar Japanese comfort dish to the evening menu. Kani means crab, while kani kurīmu korokke belongs to yōshoku, Japan’s Western-influenced cooking tradition.
Soup Curry by Ki-setsu’s version has a crisp coating surrounding a warm, creamy kani filling. The contrast makes it a richer option among the small plates, particularly alongside a lighter salad or Japanese beer.
Fukushima Mehikari: A Less Familiar Japanese Seafood Dish
Fukushima Mehikari introduces a regional Japanese seafood speciality. Mehikari, meaning approximately “glowing eyes”, refers to small deep-sea fish commonly called greeneyes.
Here, the fish is served fried whole, with a delicate exterior and juicy interior. Unlike the croquette, this preparation centres on the fish itself.
We consider it one of the evening menu’s more distinctive choices, particularly for diners interested in Japanese seafood beyond familiar karaage or tempura. The menu name does not independently establish the fish’s geographic origin.
Chicken Wings, Coriander Salad and Crisp Fries
Three familiar dishes complete the small-plate selection:
- Chicken Wings are lightly seasoned, with a crisp exterior and juicy interior. They suit the shared dining format and pair naturally with beer or highballs.
- Coriander Salad features a tangy yuzu dressing, providing a lighter, citrus-led contrast to the fried dishes.
- Crisp Fries have a crisp exterior and soft centre, with Salt or Curry Spice seasoning available. The latter connects naturally with its curry-focused identity.
Together, these dishes offer enough contrast for diners choosing several small plates rather than one substantial main.
A Japanese Beer or Highball With Dinner?
Drinks complement the evening food selection rather than define it.
Suntory The Premium Malt’s Pilsner offers a Japanese lager option alongside the croquette, chicken wings and fries.
Highballs are also available, starting from S$6.80, including whisky-style and oolong-style choices. A conventional Japanese whisky highball combines whisky with carbonated water, making it a refreshing accompaniment to savoury dishes.
For us, the important distinction is that it remains food-led. Beer and highballs support the izakaya-style experience without making the restaurant a dedicated drinking venue.
Soup Curry: The Main Dish That Makes The Brand Different
Hokkaido-style soup curry remains its defining speciality. Originating in Sapporo, it differs from conventional Japanese curry rice through its lighter, aromatic broth rather than a thick roux-based sauce.
We explore what makes Japanese Soup Curry distinct in more detail, particularly how its broth, ingredients and serving style differ from conventional Japanese curry rice.
At this restaurant, chicken-bone broth is cooked for more than six hours with curry spices and aromatics. Chilli provides adjustable heat, and the restaurant states that no MSG is added to the broth.
Two main curry bowls are available at S$14.80 each.
Chicken Curry Bowl: Slow-Simmered Chicken and Vegetables
The Chicken Curry Bowl includes a large chicken drumstick simmered for over five hours, approximately six vegetable varieties, half a ramen egg, soup curry and rice.
The prolonged cooking produces tender, fall-off-the-bone chicken. It is the more meat-focused option for diners wanting a substantial main alongside the evening small plates.
Vegetable Curry Bowl: A Broader Selection of Vegetables
The Vegetable Curry Bowl includes approximately nine vegetable varieties, half a ramen egg, soup curry and rice.
Ingredients may include bell peppers, potato, carrot, eggplant, broccoli, lotus root, okra and pumpkin, depending on availability.
Many vegetables undergo su-age, a Japanese technique involving frying without batter to create contrasting textures while retaining their individual flavours.
Rice, Broth and Adjustable Heat
Diners can choose steamed white rice or multigrain brown rice, with free-flow rice available.
Unlike thick Japanese curry rice, the soup curry broth is enjoyed separately. Rice can be dipped into the broth or eaten alongside spoonfuls of curry.
Adjustable chilli heat allows further personalisation. For evening diners, a curry bowl also provides a substantial main to accompany a croquette, salad or seafood dish.
Who Would Enjoy an Evening at Soup Curry by Ki-setsu?
Based on its menu, the restaurant suits several dining preferences:
- Japanese small-plate enthusiasts. Croquettes, fried seafood, chicken wings and sides provide options for sharing.
- Diners exploring regional Japanese food. Fukushima Mehikari and Hokkaido-style soup curry offer alternatives to familiar Japanese staples.
- Soup curry enthusiasts. Slow-cooked broth, vegetable choices, adjustable heat and rice options remain central.
- Those wanting food with drinks. Beer and highballs accompany the meal without dominating it.
Diners prioritising extensive sake selections, charcoal-grilled yakitori or a traditional drinking-house atmosphere may prefer a conventional izakaya.
Where Soup Curry and Izakaya-Style Dining Meet
Our 7PM visit highlighted its defining distinction: its evening izakaya-style offering builds on, rather than replaces, its soup curry identity.
Kani Cream Croquette and Fukushima Mehikari introduce different Japanese preparations, while chicken wings, coriander salad and Crisp Fries broaden the small-plate selection. Beer and highballs complete the offering without shifting attention away from the food.
The Chicken and Vegetable Curry Bowls remain the restaurant’s strongest point of difference.
We would position Soup Curry by Ki-setsu as a food-led Japanese evening option at Fortune Centre rather than a traditional izakaya. Its appeal lies in combining Japanese small plates, Hokkaido soup curry and casual drinks within the same meal.
