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Muthu’s Curry Restaurant
By Nor-Afidah Abd Rahman|Marsita Omar written on 2006-04-05
National Library Board Singapore
Comments on article: InfopediaTalk
Muthu's Curry is a South Indian restaurant famous for its fish head curry served on banana leaves. Established in 1969 at Race Course Road, it had expanded from a self-manned stall to a swanky restaurant that provides dine-in as well as catering services for big events
History
In 1969, Muthu Ayyakkannu established a stall in a coffeeshop at Race Course Road in Little India. The stall's signature dish was fish head curry served on banana leaves, a serving style typical of South Indian eateries along Race Course Road. For its string of fish-head curry restaurants, this belt is also known to food enthusiasts as the "Curry Row". Since the 1970s, the road has been famous for fish head curry, including perhaps the fierce competition among the restaurants. Apart from Muthu's Curry, the other restaurants include Banana Leaf Apolo, Gayatri, KP Pillai Curry Inn and Our Makan Shop.
Business at Muthu's Curry flourished since the stall opened. Not only did it have to move to a bigger premise and to open another outlet in the city, Muthu's Curry also started to offer catering for corporate groups and big events like wedding parties and birthdays. Before moving into its present location at No.138, Race Course Road, in June 2004, the restaurant occupied numbers 76 and 78 of the same road for about 30 years.
The fish head curry, said to be locally invented by Mr Muthu himself, comprises a succulent fish head cooked in curry spices, okra (lady's fingers), tomatoes and other vegetables. Topping the spread would be fragrant basmati rice and crispy papadum. Considering that some may be too squeamish to tuck into fish heads of generous proportions, Muthu's Curry also dishes out other curries like chicken, mutton, prawn and squid. The fish head curry is usually eaten with one's fingers, though for the untried, knives and forks are provided. Muthu's Curry has also added new specialties like the North Indian cuisine naan to its menu.
Muthu's Curry popularity is not least due to its winning the coveted Best Fish Head Curry Award several times at the Singapore Food Festival. The opening of the Little India MRT station was a boost for business at Muthu's Curry and other restaurants along Race Course Road (the site of Singapore's first turf club in the 1900s). These restaurants also benefited from the reopening of Race Course Road as a 980 m, two-way road in May 2002. It had been turned into a one-way street in 1998 for the North-East MRT line project which caused inconvenience to motorists.
A total makeover
It had been said that South Indian restaurants generally lack ambience next to their North Indian cousins. The former is known to be more basic and cafeteria-like while the latter more posh and air-conditioned. To break away from this food court image of South Indian restaurants, Muthu's Curry embarked on an ambitious expansion not only in terms of size but also in the total concept of dining in a modern Indian restaurant.
The owners bought the ground floor of a three-storey building at No. 138 Race Course Road and commissioned kri:eit associates, a regional interior design company, to transform the old Muthu's Curry restaurant into a contemporary dining icon. The interior design company, responsible for The Beaufort at Sentosa, was able to create an open kitchen concept out of a large but not column-free 7,000 sq. ft space by amalgamating two units. The décor being rather minimalist, some customers described it as almost zen-like. To ensure high food standards, the restaurant also acquired state-of-the-art, sophisticated Henny Penny equipment from America that keeps food hot but retains the moisture. The new restaurant costs $7 million including $5.2 million to buy the property.
The contemporary design of the new restaurant also fits Muthu's Curry changing clientele. The old restaurant served many regulars in their forties and fifties. Now a younger generation of professionals in their twenties and thirties in suits and ties are streaming in, paying their bills using credit cards. Despite the massive upgrading, the owners of Muthu's Curry have claimed that prices have remained the same.
In 1969, Muthu Ayyakkannu established a stall in a coffeeshop at Race Course Road in Little India. The stall's signature dish was fish head curry served on banana leaves, a serving style typical of South Indian eateries along Race Course Road. For its string of fish-head curry restaurants, this belt is also known to food enthusiasts as the "Curry Row". Since the 1970s, the road has been famous for fish head curry, including perhaps the fierce competition among the restaurants. Apart from Muthu's Curry, the other restaurants include Banana Leaf Apolo, Gayatri, KP Pillai Curry Inn and Our Makan Shop.
Business at Muthu's Curry flourished since the stall opened. Not only did it have to move to a bigger premise and to open another outlet in the city, Muthu's Curry also started to offer catering for corporate groups and big events like wedding parties and birthdays. Before moving into its present location at No.138, Race Course Road, in June 2004, the restaurant occupied numbers 76 and 78 of the same road for about 30 years.
The fish head curry, said to be locally invented by Mr Muthu himself, comprises a succulent fish head cooked in curry spices, okra (lady's fingers), tomatoes and other vegetables. Topping the spread would be fragrant basmati rice and crispy papadum. Considering that some may be too squeamish to tuck into fish heads of generous proportions, Muthu's Curry also dishes out other curries like chicken, mutton, prawn and squid. The fish head curry is usually eaten with one's fingers, though for the untried, knives and forks are provided. Muthu's Curry has also added new specialties like the North Indian cuisine naan to its menu.
Muthu's Curry popularity is not least due to its winning the coveted Best Fish Head Curry Award several times at the Singapore Food Festival. The opening of the Little India MRT station was a boost for business at Muthu's Curry and other restaurants along Race Course Road (the site of Singapore's first turf club in the 1900s). These restaurants also benefited from the reopening of Race Course Road as a 980 m, two-way road in May 2002. It had been turned into a one-way street in 1998 for the North-East MRT line project which caused inconvenience to motorists.
A total makeover
It had been said that South Indian restaurants generally lack ambience next to their North Indian cousins. The former is known to be more basic and cafeteria-like while the latter more posh and air-conditioned. To break away from this food court image of South Indian restaurants, Muthu's Curry embarked on an ambitious expansion not only in terms of size but also in the total concept of dining in a modern Indian restaurant.
The owners bought the ground floor of a three-storey building at No. 138 Race Course Road and commissioned kri:eit associates, a regional interior design company, to transform the old Muthu's Curry restaurant into a contemporary dining icon. The interior design company, responsible for The Beaufort at Sentosa, was able to create an open kitchen concept out of a large but not column-free 7,000 sq. ft space by amalgamating two units. The décor being rather minimalist, some customers described it as almost zen-like. To ensure high food standards, the restaurant also acquired state-of-the-art, sophisticated Henny Penny equipment from America that keeps food hot but retains the moisture. The new restaurant costs $7 million including $5.2 million to buy the property.
The contemporary design of the new restaurant also fits Muthu's Curry changing clientele. The old restaurant served many regulars in their forties and fifties. Now a younger generation of professionals in their twenties and thirties in suits and ties are streaming in, paying their bills using credit cards. Despite the massive upgrading, the owners of Muthu's Curry have claimed that prices have remained the same.
Address
Muthu's Curry Restaurant
138 Race Course Road
#01-01, S(218591)
(City Outlet)
#01-30 China Square Food CentreAuthor
Nor-Afidah Abd Rahman & Marsita Omar
References
Hahn, J. (2004, August 12-19). Food review: Muthu's
Curry. 8 days , 723, pp. 84-85.
Chea, U. (2004, October 16). Curry favour. The Business Times.
Chow, C.. (2004, August 1). Staying the course. The Straits Times.
CEO Traveller. (n.d.). Destinations: Foreign countries Singapore. Retrieved April 19, 2005, from http://www.ceotraveler.com/destinations/singapore.shtml
Hunter Douglas Singapore. (n.d.). Muthu's Curry is first modern Indian restaurant to play with themes. Retrieved April 19, 2005, from http://www.hunterdouglas.com.sg/latest/MAD21/5.pdf
Muthu's Curry. (n.d.). Muthu's Curry Restaurant Pte. Ltd. Retrieved April 19, 2005, from http://www.muthuscurry.com
Virtual Tourist. (c1994-2005). The Virtual Tourist Travel Forum: Singapore eating joints. Retrieved April 19, 2005, from http://forum.virtualtourist.com/3/discussion-149763-1-1-Travel-0-1495679-Singapore-discussion.html?wosid=byZlHqbktUdIsVYbrenzog
The information in this article is valid as at 2005 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhasustive or complete histroy of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
Chea, U. (2004, October 16). Curry favour. The Business Times.
Chow, C.. (2004, August 1). Staying the course. The Straits Times.
CEO Traveller. (n.d.). Destinations: Foreign countries Singapore. Retrieved April 19, 2005, from http://www.ceotraveler.com/destinations/singapore.shtml
Hunter Douglas Singapore. (n.d.). Muthu's Curry is first modern Indian restaurant to play with themes. Retrieved April 19, 2005, from http://www.hunterdouglas.com.sg/latest/MAD21/5.pdf
Muthu's Curry. (n.d.). Muthu's Curry Restaurant Pte. Ltd. Retrieved April 19, 2005, from http://www.muthuscurry.com
Virtual Tourist. (c1994-2005). The Virtual Tourist Travel Forum: Singapore eating joints. Retrieved April 19, 2005, from http://forum.virtualtourist.com/3/discussion-149763-1-1-Travel-0-1495679-Singapore-discussion.html?wosid=byZlHqbktUdIsVYbrenzog
The information in this article is valid as at 2005 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhasustive or complete histroy of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
Subject
Organisations>>Companies
Ethnic Communities>>Food
Ethnic restaurants—Singapore
Cookery>>International and regional cooking>>Indian
All Rights Reserved. National Library Board Singapore 2004.
