I am not a big fan of Indian food -it makes my burp stink and makes me feel fat. However , once in a blue moon, I do get some semblence of a craving for Indian food.
There are 2 main types of Indian food in Singapore- North and South Indian. South Indian cuisine obtains its distinct flavours by the use of tamarind, coconuts, lentils, rice and a variety of vegetables whereas North Indian cuisine is distinguished by the proportionally high use of dairy products (eg butter, milk or yoghurt). Naturally my inclination is towards North Indian food.
Of the many Indian restaurants in Singapore, there are several which feature prominently on my hitlist- Banana Leaf Restaurant, Muthu's Curry, Saffron Bistro and Shahi Maharani. I've heard that Rang Mahal serves the best (albeit priciest) Indian chow in town. They do feature an affordable weekend lunch buffet on weekends but I've never gotten round to trying it since my makan escapades are typically restricted to weekday lunches.
Since it has been awhile since I've eaten Indian food, it came as a pleasant surprise when an ex-colleague turned friend suggested lunching at Shahi Maharani for her birthday. I promptly made a reservation for 2 but it turned out that there was actually no need to make any reservation because (horror of horrors!) the restaurant was empty when we stepped in. Dang. We should have gone next door to Sichuan Court for my favorite cereal crusted egg tofu instead!
The restaurant is running a perpetual 1-for-1 lunch buffet promotion. It has been ongoing for at least 2 years. Perhaps its a ploy to attract the bargain hungry Singaporean? If so, I am guilty as charged- because I would not have spent SGD36 a head for a buffet here.
The ambience is slightly oppulent, with plush maroon carpets, wooden interiors and padded chairs. Service is thoughtful but non obtrusive.
Naans- We had garlic, cheese and butter naans. These are best eaten piping hot dipped with generous dollops of curry. Unfortunately presentation was lacking. They were not nicely cut into halves but came in jagged torn pieces.
Meats- There was the usual tandoori chicken, a yellow chicken curry and a red lamb curry. All these dishes lacked a certain zing to their taste. It felt as if the chef wasn't putting much love into his cooking and just wanted to serve something which was edible but not mindblowing. Sigh.
Vegetables- Items featured include samosas, mixed vegetabels (curried baby corns, long beans and carrots) and some dhal curry. The samosas were passable but I did not like the mixed vegetables at all. These tasted like miscellanous vegetables which had been thoughtlessly thrown together to form one dish. Yet another disappointment.
Desserts- By the time we were ready for desserts, I was starting to feel quite disillusioned with the whole place. Plus I was not in the mood to indulge in cloyingly sweet stuff (like that cute little dough ball immersed in syrup). I instead helped myself to some cut fruit and tried to channel my mind to think happier thoughts.
Overall, it was not a pleasant experience. I will definitely not be going back to this place in a looong loooooong time.
There are 2 main types of Indian food in Singapore- North and South Indian. South Indian cuisine obtains its distinct flavours by the use of tamarind, coconuts, lentils, rice and a variety of vegetables whereas North Indian cuisine is distinguished by the proportionally high use of dairy products (eg butter, milk or yoghurt). Naturally my inclination is towards North Indian food.
Of the many Indian restaurants in Singapore, there are several which feature prominently on my hitlist- Banana Leaf Restaurant, Muthu's Curry, Saffron Bistro and Shahi Maharani. I've heard that Rang Mahal serves the best (albeit priciest) Indian chow in town. They do feature an affordable weekend lunch buffet on weekends but I've never gotten round to trying it since my makan escapades are typically restricted to weekday lunches.
Since it has been awhile since I've eaten Indian food, it came as a pleasant surprise when an ex-colleague turned friend suggested lunching at Shahi Maharani for her birthday. I promptly made a reservation for 2 but it turned out that there was actually no need to make any reservation because (horror of horrors!) the restaurant was empty when we stepped in. Dang. We should have gone next door to Sichuan Court for my favorite cereal crusted egg tofu instead!
The restaurant is running a perpetual 1-for-1 lunch buffet promotion. It has been ongoing for at least 2 years. Perhaps its a ploy to attract the bargain hungry Singaporean? If so, I am guilty as charged- because I would not have spent SGD36 a head for a buffet here.
The ambience is slightly oppulent, with plush maroon carpets, wooden interiors and padded chairs. Service is thoughtful but non obtrusive.
Naans- We had garlic, cheese and butter naans. These are best eaten piping hot dipped with generous dollops of curry. Unfortunately presentation was lacking. They were not nicely cut into halves but came in jagged torn pieces.
Meats- There was the usual tandoori chicken, a yellow chicken curry and a red lamb curry. All these dishes lacked a certain zing to their taste. It felt as if the chef wasn't putting much love into his cooking and just wanted to serve something which was edible but not mindblowing. Sigh.
Vegetables- Items featured include samosas, mixed vegetabels (curried baby corns, long beans and carrots) and some dhal curry. The samosas were passable but I did not like the mixed vegetables at all. These tasted like miscellanous vegetables which had been thoughtlessly thrown together to form one dish. Yet another disappointment.
Desserts- By the time we were ready for desserts, I was starting to feel quite disillusioned with the whole place. Plus I was not in the mood to indulge in cloyingly sweet stuff (like that cute little dough ball immersed in syrup). I instead helped myself to some cut fruit and tried to channel my mind to think happier thoughts.
Overall, it was not a pleasant experience. I will definitely not be going back to this place in a looong loooooong time.
