kinara contemporary indian cuisine, holland village

really good northern indian eating at this very nice restaurant in holland village. this place suits its locale – they’ve got nice al fresco dining out on the boardwalk (in case you want to brave the sudden surge of haze we’ve just gotten), and even the interior is beautifully and ethnically decorated (still, I’d rather eat out than in).

it’s refined eating – expected, given the locale and its clientele – all tandoori and creamy curries with properly-blistered naan, and it’s not inexpensive. for a chill meal on the weekend, it’ll do you plenty good.

garden kadhai north indian fine dining, serangoon gardens

delicious indian food at this small restaurant along maju avenue – I live just ten-ish minutes away and never knew this restaurant existed until this visit, and what a pity. for the food was very good and authentic (as much as I can reasonably gauge), and the cosy bistro-like atmosphere of the place lends itself to easy eating, with a casual-but-not-of-the-flip-flop intimacy that I appreciate very much.

it’s a tad on the pricy side, but it’s pretty worth it – I reiterate, the food was delicious.

I’ve been having quite a bit of indian food these days (I gravitate toward the northern styles), and have come to the conclusion that I am most of us are still pretty biased about the prices we’re charged at indian places such as this. despite the amount of work that clearly goes into the cooking, we still grumble about overpaying for what should be a cheap cuisine, when we’re willing to spend the equivalent in our fancy chinese restaurants.

strange eh, these human quirks.

I did conclude this place a little on the high side when we left, but hindsight is both enlightening and moderating, and so I will say – it’s certainly not cheap, but you leave with a belly stuffed with tasty curries and leavened breads that do a great job scooping those incredibly flavors into your mouth. I don’t have the skill (or the patience) to cook proper indian, and I submit myself to these chefs that do a great job at it – especially when I get to eat in air-conditioned comfort.

make a visit, pronto!

Garden Kadhai North Indian Fine Dining
24 Maju Ave
Singapore 556696
tel +65 6283 9688
$$$ (or should it be $$.5?): 30-40 a person

328 katong laksa, katong

surprisingly fantastic laksa in katong, one of a couple famous places serving this dish. I have eaten laksa less times than the fingers on one hand, and its very attributes are the reasons why I typically eschew local food: too-much-richness as with the coconutty soup and chilli oil, too-much-carbness as with the large bowl of noodles with nominal pieces of protein, and too-much-stress from the heaviness that calls for a post-eat run.

but, this was delicious.

pagi sore indonesian restaurant, tanjong pagar

very-good indonesian food at tanjong pagar’s 100am – still very good, even after the first time we came here nearly a year a go (with many consistent great visits between).

they’ve gotten a little bit busier now than they were before, so it can actually get fully occupied on weekday dinners (which is both good for food turn-over and bad for waiting). but service is prompt, and the food comes out very quickly – so you’re fine once you’re seated.

the flavors are punchy and perky, and it’s a spice-iness that makes things interesting, and a spicyness that is just right for even moderate chilli eaters to handle. we tend to order up a storm – the butter prawns and curry fish head are favorites, as is the rendang, and it all goes very well with the rice that comes in a beautiful wrap of banana leaf.

good value, great flavors, and quick service. it’s the weekday dinner diner of dreams.

Pagi Sore Indonesian Restaurant (Amara Shopping Center Outlet)
#02-28 100AM (Amara Shopping Center)
100 Tras Sreet
Singapore 079027
tel +65 6636 1373
$$: one-zeho-zeho for four

lagnaa barefoot dining, little india

a gimmicky, very-expensive indian restaurant in little india – not the traditional indian foodery as you’d expect in this neighborhood. it seems catered toward tourists, tripadvisor (on which it has a fantastic rating) and unknowing diners a like – the gimmick of barefoot dining and variable heat levels (and of course that means there’s a barely-human level up there) saying possibly everything you need to know.

and of course, it could be not a gimmick, but a preference for no-shoes and a care for customers’ varying heat requirements. but I’m just saying – coupled with the high prices and the small portions of supposed-to-be-cheap food, I’m more likely to put this off as a tourist trap than anything else.

but I’m cynical (that’s why you like me, right).

indian curry house, bukit timah

good indian food – but rather abrupt service – at this hideaway restaurant in bukit timah. it’s not an area I venture too often to these days – lack of a driving license and the sparsity of public transport make it almost entirely not-worth-the-while – but the lure of a groupon promotion and an impossible-to-excuse-onself-from family meal meant I actually had the chance to try this place.

and it was a good meal – though really, it’s a cuisine marked by bombastic explosions of spice and a rather hedonistic use of carbohydrates, which gives it more than a robust starting point to start with.

samy’s curry, dempsey

good indian food at dempsey. before I start on those european posts, let me tell you about this meal I had at dempsey at the suggestion of my parents; before coming to singapore, my parents had been calling me about their dinners at samy’s. I have to say that I was a little dubious at the beginning, seeing as how so many restaurants at dempsey are more notable for their prices than their food (even barracks, which is also pretty expensive but has such amazing pancakes).

but also, have a look at those gorgeous parrots! so bright and colourful on their perches.

original lahore restaurant, london

good pakistani food near edgeware road. we were brought to this restaurant by a pakistani friend for a group meet-up, so I think it might have some authenticity-cred. short story before a long exposition: I think tayyabs is better. if you don’t know about tayyabs, then read this first, and also make your way there (but wear clothes you want to laundry soon after as you’ll go home smelling of the food).

anyway, that doesn’t mean the food here wasn’t bad, because it was good. service here was very friendly as well – sitting us very quickly and being very prompt with the food – I actually think service here is better. the ambience is more restaurant-like and the ventilation much better. actually, scratch my earlier sentence. this place is better than tayyabs for everything but the food (which comes quite a close second). this place is better for talking with friends as well, and for having a more sort of restaurant experience.