Vegetarian bear ($13.90++) & Special soup curry ramen ($15.90++)!
Saturday Japanese — vegetarian bear $13.90 + special soup curry ramen $15.90. Soup curry ramen specialist.
Saturday Japanese dinner — vegetarian bear $13.90 + special soup curry ramen $15.90. Soup curry ramen specialist restaurant.
We ordered:
- Vegetarian bear — $13.90++
- Special soup curry ramen — $15.90++
Total: $29.80++ (plus 10% service + 7% GST = roughly $35 nett)
The “vegetarian bear” naming likely refers to a Japanese soup curry restaurant signature dish — possibly Pottery Bear (波多利贝) or similar Japanese chain that uses the “bear” branding for vegetable-forward curry preparations. The ++ pricing notation confirms this was a sit-down restaurant with service charge + GST.
Japanese soup curry (スープカレー) is the Hokkaido-origin curry format that’s distinctly different from standard Japanese curry. The format:
- Thin curry broth (not the thick gravy of standard Japanese curry)
- Soup-like consistency drunk directly with a spoon
- Whole vegetables (roasted carrot, potato, eggplant, pumpkin, broccoli) as toppings
- Optional protein (chicken leg, pork, lamb)
- Served with separate rice on the side
- Spice level customisable (mild to extreme)
The Hokkaido soup curry tradition was popularised in Sapporo from the 1970s. Different from the Tokyo-style thick curry roux + rice format, Sapporo soup curry leans South Indian curry influence with thinner broth + whole vegetables + aromatic spices.
The “soup curry ramen” hybrid combines the soup curry broth with ramen noodles instead of rice. Less common than the standard format but offers the noodle eating experience with the curry flavour foundation. The Singapore Japanese restaurant scene has multiple soup curry specialists — Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, Suage Soup Curry, Picante, Garaku — each running variations of the Hokkaido format.
The “special” version usually adds premium ingredients: extra vegetables, premium protein, larger portion. The $15.90 pricing tier for special ramen sits in the proper sit-down Japanese restaurant range.
The vegetarian bear at $13.90 ran the plant-based variant. Likely featured roasted vegetables (the bear-themed presentation might involve carved vegetables shaped like a bear face, or simply the restaurant’s bear mascot naming) with the soup curry broth.
Overall: 4.6 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Solid Japanese soup curry restaurant. Would re-visit.
