Muthu's Curry

Verdict: The Michelin Bib Gourmand stamp on Race Course Road is earned — this is where to eat South Indian food in Singapore if you want quality without a three-figure bill

The common misconception about Muthu's Curry is that it's a tourist trap riding decades of name recognition. It isn't. Two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand awards (2024 and 2025) under chef Kasivishvanaath Ayyakkannu confirm that the kitchen is performing at a level the guides keep coming back to — and at a $$ price point, it remains one of the clearest value propositions on Race Course Road. If you've been once and stuck to the obvious, there's more here worth returning for.

What Muthu's Curry Actually Is

Race Course Road is Singapore's most concentrated strip of South Indian restaurants, and Muthu's Curry sits at 138 Race Course Road as one of its most recognised addresses. The cuisine is South Indian, the format is sit-down restaurant rather than hawker stall, and the price tier means you're paying more than a food court but significantly less than the European contemporary restaurants that dominate Singapore's fine-dining conversation. For diners who have eaten here before, the question isn't whether to return , it's what to prioritise on the next visit.

The kitchen's consistency across two Michelin Bib Gourmand cycles is the clearest signal available. The Bib Gourmand designation, for those unfamiliar, marks restaurants offering good food at a price point the guide considers moderate , it is not the same as a Michelin star, but it is a meaningful quality endorsement backed by repeated anonymous inspections. Holding it in back-to-back years in a city as competitive as Singapore, where the Indian restaurant category includes serious operators at every price tier, is not incidental.

Coming Back: What to Focus On as a Return Visitor

If your first visit covered the obvious, a return trip is the right moment to move into the more specific parts of the South Indian repertoire. South Indian cuisine at this level typically spans fish curries, mutton preparations, and the kind of slow-cooked gravies that reward the restaurant format over the hawker format , the latter being better suited to drier, faster preparations. At a $$ price range on Race Course Road, you're in territory where the kitchen has the margin and setup to execute dishes that need time and layered spicing.

The aromatic side of a South Indian kitchen , curry leaf, mustard seed, tamarind, and the char from a properly tempered base , is one of the more immediately recognisable in Singapore's dining scene. That scent profile, once you know it, signals a kitchen working with fresh whole spices rather than pre-mixed pastes. It's a practical quality indicator as much as a sensory one.

Late Dining on Race Course Road

One of Muthu's Curry's practical advantages over more formal Singapore restaurants is the general accessibility of the Race Course Road strip for later dining. While specific hours are not confirmed in our data, South Indian restaurants in this part of Little India have historically operated later than the European and Japanese fine-dining venues that close their kitchens by 10 PM. If you're ending an evening and want a proper sit-down meal rather than a hawker centre, Race Course Road , and Muthu's Curry specifically , is worth knowing as an option. The Bib Gourmand recognition means you're not trading quality for convenience. Confirm hours directly before a late visit, as we don't hold current operating times.

How It Compares to Other Indian Restaurants in Singapore and Beyond

Within the Race Course Road cluster, Lagnaa and Bhoomi are the immediate peers worth knowing. For a different register of Indian cooking in Singapore , more contemporary, higher price point , Mustard and Anglo Indian (Shenton Way) operate in a different style and setting. None of those carry the same consecutive Bib Gourmand track record as Muthu's Curry at this price tier.

For Indian cooking elsewhere in the region, Chaat in Hong Kong and Haoma in Bangkok represent the more contemporary fine-dining direction the cuisine has taken across Asia. Further afield, Trèsind Studio in Dubai, Opheem in Birmingham, Amaya in London, Avatara in Dubai, Benares in London, and INDDEE in Bangkok show the range of what Indian cooking looks like at different price points and formats globally. Muthu's Curry occupies a specific and well-defended position: traditional South Indian, restaurant-format, Michelin-endorsed, accessible pricing.

Explore More in Singapore

If you're planning a broader Singapore trip, our guides cover the full picture: our full Singapore restaurants guide, our full Singapore hotels guide, our full Singapore bars guide, our full Singapore wineries guide, and our full Singapore experiences guide. For a French fine-dining counterpoint on the same trip, Les Amis is the reference address at the leading of that category.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How far ahead should I book Muthu's Curry? Booking difficulty here is rated Easy. Same-day or next-day reservations are generally achievable, particularly compared to Singapore's starred restaurants where waits of weeks are standard. The Bib Gourmand recognition does bring more visitors, so booking ahead for weekend evenings is sensible. Walk-ins are likely possible at off-peak times, but confirm directly.
• What should I order at Muthu's Curry? The Bib Gourmand recognition is built on the kitchen's South Indian cooking , fish curries and slow-cooked mutton preparations are the format strengths of a sit-down South Indian restaurant at this level. If you've already covered the basics on a first visit, a return is the right moment to move into the more specific regional dishes rather than repeating the same order. Ask the staff what's performing well on the current menu rather than defaulting to the most familiar items.
• Is the tasting menu worth it at Muthu's Curry? Muthu's Curry is a $$ South Indian restaurant, not a tasting-menu format. The value here is in à la carte South Indian cooking with back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmand endorsement , that's a different proposition from a structured tasting experience. If a multi-course progression is what you want, the comparison set shifts entirely: you'd be looking at Singapore's starred venues, which operate at $$$ and $$$$ price points.
• Can Muthu's Curry accommodate groups? Seat count isn't confirmed in our data, but Race Course Road restaurants are generally set up for family and group dining , it's part of the format's DNA. For a group booking, call ahead to confirm table configuration. The $$ price point makes it a practical group option where costs stay manageable.
• Is Muthu's Curry good for a special occasion? It works well for a casual celebration or a meaningful meal with people who appreciate properly executed South Indian cooking. The Bib Gourmand credential gives it enough credibility to hold its own as a destination rather than a default. It is not a formal occasion venue , the setting and price point are relaxed rather than ceremonial. For a high-formality special occasion in Singapore, you'd be looking at the starred end of the market.