You can now find Japan’s iconic melting teddy bear hot pot in Singapore. Kumachan Onsen from Hokkaido is known for its collagen jelly ‘kuma’ (bear) that slowly dissolves into a hot pot broth – slightly morbid if you think about it, but still adorable nonetheless. Each bear is even topped with a cute head ‘towel’ made of daikon to complete its look.
The store is tucked away on the seventh floor of Orchard Central with bear-themed decor throughout the restaurant, from pastel bear wallpaper and giant bear plushies sitting around or hanging on hammocks.
Personal hot pot sets are priced relatively affordably from $15.80 depending on what main ingredient you choose – these range from chicken ($15.80) to the more premium beef karubi set ($23.80). There are six hot pot flavours inspired by different types of hot springs, and depending on what you pick, you’ll either get a white, red or brown bear. The signature broth is ‘The Hot Spring of Health’ which features a collagen soup base. Other flavours include ‘The Hot Spring of Whitening’ with a Japanese white miso stock, ‘The Hot Spring of Longevity’ which is a spicy broth reminiscent of mapo tofu, and ‘The Hot Spring of Fortune’ which features a bonito-based soup.
We went for a soy milk-based soup, a gochujang broth, and the classic collagen soup. Stop by the condiment counter to customise your dipping sauce and add in your hot pot ingredients while you wait for the bear to dissolve. Each individual set comes with a platter of assorted vegetables and the choice to add on either steamed gyoza or noodles.
As with most themed restaurants, the big question is whether the food tastes as good as it looks. Perhaps it's due to the ingredients added in the bear for it to retain its structural integrity, but we found that all the soups – yes, even the non-collagen ones – had a rather sticky or starchy consistency. If this isn’t your preference, we suggest requesting more frequent soup refills to thin out the broth. The soymilk flavour was the lightest of all and can definitely benefit with more seasoning. The same goes for the collagen soup. The gochujang flavour was our favourite, with a slight hint of sweetness and spice helping to elevate the broth overall.
We also recommend getting the regular beef karubi ($16.80) over the premium karubi ($23.80). The latter, while slightly more marbled, comes in thicker slices that require a longer time for them to cook through in the soup.
On top of its signature hot pots, Kumachan Onsen also offers yakiniku – Japanese grilled meat. Prices for an individual set start from just $8.90 for the most basic set of 80 grams of sliced chicken, and a standard beef karubi set with 100 grams of beef goes for $10.90. Each set also comes with rice, kimchi, and miso soup, as well as a choice of original, spicy, or shio tare sauces.
Not in the mood for hot pot or yakiniku? Kumachan Onsen also offers a small selection of Japanese curry rice, hot stone bowls, and donburi.
While you can certainly find better Japanese-style hot pot and yakiniku sets elsewhere, we reckon this family-friendly spot is worth a one-time visit to please the young ones, or if you know someone with a penchant for the adorable and a sense of humour. After all, the mirth of seeing poor kuma-chan melt into a savoury puddle of broth is something to experience at least once.