My close friend, who is a fan of Japanese curry like me, told me about this mysterious place called Curry Rice Stand 'SAGE' that serves up Japanese curry rice for lunch and turns into a one-man exquisite Japanese fine dining place, SAGE by Yasunori Doi, by night. Of course I was intrigued. I was undeterred by the fact that we might not get to eat it if we don't show up right before opening time at noon to grab seats, and back then was only open Tues to Thurs. I got there with said friend and another friend right after some hunting. Turns out, the place faces out to an open foyer of sorts at Orchard Plaza and is right opposite the famous Bistro Du Le Pin with a long queue for lunch as well. I almost thought that was the Curry Rice Stand queue. Whew! Once sat, I can see why we needed to be there early - and why dinner is by reservations only. There was only 8 counter seats and I think 2 more table seats!
In any case, reading their latest
Instagram update, as of 21 June 2025 the curry rice stand is open from 12pm to 1.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays only and requires a reservation for their Lunch Short Course (S$60++). The other curry rice items should still be available for walk-in but there is only 10 portions daily. When we visited in May, there was also no
Wagyu Steak Set (S$35) which is available now. We did try everything else though!
The Chef's Whimsical Special Curry and Rice (S$20) turned out to be a combination of beef and chicken, which worked out for my friend. She also added the marinated vegetable of the day (S$3) which is no longer available. I tried it and the curry was divine with the pearly Japanese short grain rice. The pieces of meat were tender. It is also impossible to eat less rice than the portioned amount (there's free top up of rice, though!). The curry was velvety smooth and infused deep with umami flavour. 5/5
My other friend got the Lobster Bisque Curry and Rice (S$20) which really was like having a super rich lobster bisque masquerading as curry. This is every seafood lover's dream. Of course for the price you cannot expect there to be lobster meat in the curry but the essence is every bit there. I think the chunks you see were beef. This was the heaviest curry of the lot - I think if you are new here, go for the other 3 types of curry. 5/5
I got the Red Wine Wagyu Curry & Rice (S$23), which I topped up $3 for grilled cheese. The torched mozzarella was a good touch to add a bit of creaminess to the heavy red wine curry sauce that is perfumed with chunks of melt-in-mouth wagyu. The combination of the slightly astringent red wine with the intense spices of the curry mixed with stretchy cheese and rice created a party in my mouth! 5/5
We also got a crab cream croquette (S$8, no long available on menu) to try and this was also executed perfectly to achieve that balance between the creamy potato and the crab. 5/5
Lastly, we also got a wagyu beef potato croquette (S$8) and again it was perfection in a patty. 5/5
Writing this is making me miss the curry rice! It is also very rare for me to give 5 out of 5 for EVERY. SINGLE. DISH. That's how mind-blowingly good it was for me. I highly recommend you to check this out if dinner at SAGE is a bit outside of your price range because lunch is a good deal for the quality. Props to Chef Yasunori as well for doing this and I hope to get to eat it again soon!
🙅 Thank you, next
🤷 Try if you are in the area
💁 Bookmark this ✔️
Curry Rice Stand 'SAGE'
#01-36 150 Orchard Rd, Orchard Plaza, Singapore 238841
Saturdays and Sundays 12pm to 1.30pm (10 portions available per day)
Reserve in advance for the Lunch Set at
this link
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