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Zaffron Kitchen – A Hip Indian Restaurant In The East

admin — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:58:51 +0000

Many have a certain image of Indian restaurants in Singapore – family style, a little backward, selling mainly prata, briyani and curries. Thus, Zaffron Kitchen (not to be confused with Zaffron at Maxwell Chambers) is a refreshing change from the usual, which my friend calls “Fish & Co Western décor, selling Indian food”.

The colours scheme of orange and grey is bold. There is a designated children’s play corner, and waiters are wearing cleverly crafted aprons that say “Be Naan the Wiser” and “The Devil Eats Prata”. I have to admit that Indian food is not exactly my thing, but I immediately liked this restaurant with a young and colourful vibe.

The trendy style restaurant features a good mix of North, South and local Indian favourites, with goodies such as Chicken Tikka, Naan bread, Tandoor Gobi, Butter Chicken and Tandoori Mixed Grill. Are you salivating yet?

The Dum Chicken Briyani ($11) changed my entire perspective of this dish. Coming looking like cheese-baked rice, the dish is sealed with a thin crisp layer of dough, with a well spiced tender chicken thigh and hard-boiled egg within.

A clever way I must say. The flavours of the spices are locked in, with the rice staying moist and warm. Probably the best local briyani I ever had.

The other sinful dish that deserves your calories is the Butter Chicken, with chicken tikka marinated in a delightful yogurt spice mixture, simmered in a rich tomato, cashew nuts, butter flavoured gravy accented with dry fenugreek. The gravy deserves your lick to the final drop. If you come during lunch, you can have it as a set which includes a drink. Ice limau please.

With a Z added to ‘Saffron’ suggesting a hip and cool factor, this Indian eatery is like no other, and should appeal to the young, executives and families.

Zaffron Kitchen
135/137 East Coast Road, Singapore 341137 (diagonally opp Katong 112), Tel: +65 6440 6786
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 10pm (Mon – Thurs), 11.30am – 10.30pm (Fri – Sun)

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5 Indian Restaurants to Celebrate Deepavali

Daniel — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 02:30:21 +0000

With the Diwali festival of lights occurring tomorrow, it is timely to indulge in a feast of Indian cuisines. How about some iconic chicken tikka masala and lassi, if not a simpler localised meal of roti john, Indian rojak, prata and fish head curry?

Singaporeans are spoilt for choices for Indian food – with the tourist-friendly Banana Leaf Apolo, Muthu’s Curry, Samy’s Curry, Zaffron and Kashmir, to some of the popular buffet spots of Shahi Maharani, Masala Hut and Kinara. And there is Thasevi.

Here are 5 other restaurants you can consider to satisfy your curry cravings.

Yantra (Tanglin Mall)
Yantra has to be one of the finest restaurants locally offering authentic North Indian cuisine – with a rich and elegant setting that enhances the dining experience. The space is huge, enough for events and gatherings, yet comfortable enough to feel the privacy and classiness of the surroundings. My favourite dish was the Jhinga Goa Curry ($35) which contained fresh prawns gently cooked in a coconut curry, tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Tiffin Room (Raffles Hotel)
Tiffin Room specialises in North Indian food, with an extensive curry menu from prawn, chicken, lamb to vegetarian. Start with the appetizer dishes of salad, vegetables and cold seafood, move to the main rice dishes, and end with very sweet desserts. It felt really exclusive that the waiter would attentively serve you some of their daily specials personally, with explanations and all. If you do not have a Feed At Raffles card, the buffet dinner is $75++ per adult.

Feast @ East (East Coast)
During this week leading up to the festival, Feast@East Buffet Restaurant has lined up a feast of Indian favourites of 40 types of curries, cold dishes and desserts to For this special promotion, they brought in Indian celebrity Chef Bhairav Singh Rajput who meticulously put together 3 different types of menu.
A simple yet special dish to try is Pav Bhaji. There is a chef at the live cooking station who will pan-fry soft buns with butter. Imagine dipping these hot piping fragrant buns into a delish mash of potato curry – Perfect indulgence!

Song of India (Scotts Road)
The Song of India had been known as one of Singapore’s best restaurant, and almost seems unapproachable with its rather high end look. Situated in a prime location at the famed Scotts Road, located in a classic black and white heritage bungalow, its colonial charm suggest this is fine Indian cuisine at its priciest. The fish curry was a gravy-thick creamy-smooth version which I readily enjoyed. The best thing was really the unlimited hot breads and naans from the tandoor to relish the curries, wiped clean within minutes.

Gajalee (Cuppage Terrace)
Gajalee located at a very convenient Cuppage Terrace is not the typical Indian restaurant, specialising in seafood with signatures such as Tandoori Crab, Crab Masala, Lobster Butter Pepper, Jumbo Pudina Prawns and Chinese Pomfret Green Chilly Sauce. Rates are per catch items. Its Maharashtrian style of chicken, mutton and vegetarian food also makes it one of the more popular restaurants in Mumbai.

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Gajalee – The Bombay Duck Is A Fish

Daniel — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 02:38:02 +0000

This is not a joke. The Bombay Duck is not a duck – it is a fish. Its other name is (gasp) lizard fish. Therefore you can try to imagine its size, look and taste – somewhat flat, dry, with little meat, without a distinctive taste, yet often eaten as a delicacy in Mumbai.

The odour of the fish is said to be extremely pungent, and if someone says “You smell like a Bombay Duck”, it is time to take that shower.

The Bombay Duck is actually available in Singapore, found at Gajalee near Centrepoint. The popular version is having the fish coated with masala-based batter and fried golden yellow. Do not worry about the smell as it is no longer there. It acts a greater starter item (somewhat like fried calamari), best to be eaten as an accompaniment to curry.

Alternatively, you can have your duck, I mean fish stuffed with seasoned prawns and green chutney.

Gajalee is not the typical Indian restaurant, specialising in seafood with signatures such as Tandoori Crab, Crab Masala, Lobster Butter Pepper, Jumbo Pudina Prawns and Chinese Pomfret Green Chilly Sauce. Rates are per catch items.

Its Maharashtrian style of chicken, mutton and vegetarian food also makes it one of the more popular restaurants in Mumbai. The Singapore branch looks very quiet on the other hand.

Gajalee, 17/19 Cuppage Road, Cuppage Terrace, Tel: +65 6733 3278
Opening Hours: Mon: 6pm–11pm; Tue–Sun: 11.30am–3.30pm, 6pm–11pm

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Tiffin Room – $75++ Indian Buffet with Class

Daniel — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 02:37:47 +0000

The word “Tiffin” originally refers to a light meal in British India, but expect anything but light at Tiffin Room because it serves an all-curry buffet. In India while tiffin carriers are mainly lunch boxes for workers, tiffin has become a strong aesthetic feature at one of Raffles Hotel’s most iconic restaurant.

And because it is at THE historical Raffles Hotel, it is all about class and class and class. Patrons are advised that “singlets, shorts, bermudas, sandals, slippers and pool attire are not permitted in the restaurant”. (I actually wore pants, and took few photos because I felt ‘paiseh’.) The décor reflects the strong colonial culture, with white-jacketed waiters, palm bentwood choirs, large square teak tables and piano-playing at a faraway background.

Tiffin Room specialises in North Indian food, with an extensive curry menu from prawn, chicken, lamb to vegetarian. Start with the appetizer dishes of salad, vegetables and cold seafood, move to the main rice dishes, and end with very sweet desserts. The food (tasting the same after a while) was unmemorable, so much so that the best ‘dish’ of my meal was the garlic naans.

It felt really exclusive that the waiter would attentively serve you some of their daily specials personally, with explanations and all. It made a difference to the Almond Ice Cream – a milky rich dessert which compensated for all the rest. If you do not have a Feed At Raffles card, the buffet dinner is $75++ per adult. No typo. Remember you are paying for the class, and class could be that priceless.

Tiffin Room
1 Beach Road, Raffles Hotel, Tel: +65 6412 1816
Opening Hours: 7am – 10.30am (Breakfast); 12pm – 2.30pm (Buffet Lunch); 3.30pm – 5.30pm (High Tea); 7pm – 10pm (Buffet Dinner); 11.30am – 2.30pm (Sunday Brunch)

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Feast@East Buffet Restaurant – Celebrate Deepavali with a Heritage Feast

Daniel — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 02:27:37 +0000

During this week leading up to the festival, Feast@East Buffet Restaurant has lined up a feast of Indian favourites of 40 types of curries, cold dishes and desserts to spice up your senses.

For this special promotion, they brought in Indian celebrity Chef Bhairav Singh Rajput who meticulously put together 3 different types of menu. I hear that Chef Bhairav made his rounds around Little India prior to the launch to understand the Singapore taste buds a lot better.

The essence of India’s cuisine is in its curry, and curry lovers will enjoy the variety such as Malbari fish curry, mutton pepper fried curry and butter chicken. Talking about curry, a rather simple yet special dish to try is Pav Bhaji. There is a chef at the live cooking station who will pan-fry soft buns with butter. Imagine dipping these hot piping fragrant buns into a delish mash of potato curry – Perfect indulgence!

Full Post at InSing.com – Celebrate Deepavali with a Heritage Feast

Feast@East Buffet Restaurant
50 East Coast Road, 3F Grand Mercure Roxy Hotel, Tel: +65 6340 5665
Opening Hours: Mon–Sat: 12pm–2.30pm, 6.30pm–9.30pm; Sun: 11am–3pm, 6.30pm–9.30pm

Other Related Entries
Yantra (Tanglin Mall)
Song of India (Scotts Road)

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Song of India – Dining in a Historic Bungalow

Daniel — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 07:24:59 +0000

The Song of India had been known as one of Singapore’s best restaurant, and almost seems unapproachable with its rather high end look. Situated in a prime location at the famed Scotts Road, located in a classic black and white heritage bungalow, its colonial charm suggest this is fine Indian cuisine at its priciest.

Therefore, even my surprise when I saw it on Deals.com.sg, it almost feels like Gunther’s is on Groupon. And so I grabbed the deal, and paid $19.80 nett (instead of $33) for a 40% off ‘Menu on a Song’ 3-course lunch menu.

The Song of India was not unexpectedly, though not surprisingly empty on a weekday afternoon. The interior was classically beautiful, with large framed drawings, big comfortable furniture, and golden curtains. It almost felt palace-like. This was a rather well-known restaurant helmed by Master Chef Milind Sovani named Best Asian Cuisine Chef in 2007, but yet seemed to have lost its former glory.

We had a chef’s special soup of the day, topped up with soft succulent kebab and one choice of curries from the meat delicacies. There was also a fresh vegetable dish, simmered lentil and saffron pulao which was a small but pleasant portion of white rice sautéed in butter and simmered with saffron-infused water.

Compared to most other curries which are light and tangy, the fish curry was a gravy-thick creamy-smooth version which I readily enjoyed. The best thing was really the unlimited hot breads and naans from the tandoor to relish the curries, wiped clean within minutes.

The food may not be extremely memorable, but its attentive service and sophisticated setting within this historical building makes this dining a special experience.

Song of India, 33 Scotts Road, Singapore, Tel: +65 6836 0055
Opening Hours: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm

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Yantra – This Classy Restaurant Defines North Indian Cuisines

Daniel — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 02:27:11 +0000

Ask any average Singaporeans about types of North Indian cuisine, and you may get the three standard replies of “Naan, Briyani and Chicken Tandoori”. I am true to admit that I am not very familiar myself, only because I have not tried something that would change my mind.

Yantra has to be one of the finest restaurants locally offering authentic North Indian cuisine – with a rich and elegant setting that enhances the dining experience. The space is huge, enough for events and gatherings, yet comfortable enough to feel the privacy and classiness of the surroundings.

Under the realms of the new Executive Chef Chintan Pandya (seen in CNA’s The Perfect Meal Asia), Yantra has launched a new extensive menu set to gratify your palates.

What will probably excite you is the number of kebabs offered, extending to several pages of a mouth-watering pictorial menu. The Macchi Tukda Haiyali ($33) though looking a little unattractive in a green seasoning of mint, coriander and curry leaves, is enjoyably fresh with melt-in-your-mouth fish.

Almost every table was ordering a Raan-e-Yantra ($39) – tender baby leg of lamb embraced in an earthy marinade of yougurt and special seasoning. Before it is placed on the table, it is set on fire with fennel flavoured rum, thereafter giving the meat a slight-charred crisp layer.

My favourite dish was the Jhinga Goa Curry ($35) which contained fresh prawns gently cooked in a coconut curry, tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves. The gravy was thick, tasty and not overly spicy, and what won the game were the succulent prawns which worked as a perfect blend with the curry.

And I must mention that the chicken biryani rice, made with specially imported basmati grains, is the best I have ever tasted in my life. My heart was crying out with a sense of satisfaction.

After a heavy meal, ‘wash’ your food down at the Soma Bar next door with the signature Watermelon Rose Martini which will end the meal off in a delightful and pleasurable way.

Yantra, 163 Tanglin Road, #01-28/33 Tanglin Mall, Singapore, Tel: +65 6836 3088
Opening Hours: Sun–Thu: 12pm–3pm, 6.30pm–10pm; Fri–Sat: 12pm–3pm, 6.30pm–11pm

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