Indian Express @ Race Course Road - Home-style Northern Indian Cuisine Along With Indian-Chinese Favourites

Northern Indian cuisine is prevalent in our island but Indian-Chinese dishes are definitely less so. Here at Indian Express, take the chance to explore their characters that are unfamiliar to us, while tucking into your favourite Northern Indian dishes. Nestled in one of the shophouses on Racecourse Road, Indian Express has recently renovated and reopened with a fresh look. You may not have known, this casual dining concept is established by the same management behind The Song of India, currently helmed by executive chef Umed Singh, alumnus of The Song of India and protégé of Michelin-starred chef Manjunath Mural.

Tandoori Mix Grill Platter 3.8/5

As a starter or even a simple meal for two, the signature Punjabi-style Tandoori Mix Grill Platter ($19) that comes in a sizzling plate of lamb chop, fish, chicken tikka and kebab that have been grilled in the Tandoor, will have you deeply satisfied. I love the fish which was well marinated with spices and yogurt, and that layer of marination also kept it moist and tender during the grilling process.

Kashmiri Lamb Rack Wazwan 4.2/5

Each platter comes with a lamb chop as well and we had the chance to view them in full glory in the Kashmiri Lamb Rack Wazwan ($14) that made a rather dramatic entrance with the lamb racks smoking in its own juice and marination. It is something that you would not want to share, for all you want is to slowly lift the tender meat off its bone and savour it slowly.

Grilled Vegetarian Platter 3/5

The Grilled Vegetarian Platter ($14) was wholesome with Seekh Kebab, Paneer Tikka and Cauliflower. The Paneer Tikka could be a lot more pleasing if the bell pepper was more cooked down to release its fruity and smokey flavour.

Papdi Chaat 2.8/5

Pani Poori 3/5

One of my favourite small bites are Papdi Chaat and Pani Poori. What we had $7 each were decent but I would like them to be more tangy with yogurt and chutney.

Chilli Chicken 3/5

Indian Express also offers a comprehensive menu of Indian-Chinese dishes. Indian-Chinese cuisine has its roots back in Kolkata in the 1700s, the period when the Chinese migrated there and settled in. They adapted their own recipes with well-loved Indian spices and ingredients and that boost of flavours into dishes which please the local palate became a hit across India 90 years ago. We only managed to try one, Chili Chicken ($14). The flavours were quite homely actually, reminiscent of my mum's black soy stir-fried chicken but laced with chilli.

Butter Chicken 4/5

After all the dishes, we were ready for a lineup of well-loved Northern Indian classics. Among all, the highlight for me was the Butter Chicken ($14). The chicken was being barbecued beforehand, hence it exuded a strong hint of smokiness as I bite into it. Cooked in tomato sauce, the curry was bright with a well rounded tangy sweetness. That mingled perfectly with the smoky flavour of the meat.

Prawn Masaledar 4/5

Prawn Masaledar ($18) is slightly similar to butter chicken which has a tomato based curry but given a dose coconut milk. Again, I like that level of piquancy in the curry, though it was mellower.

Lamb Shank 3.8/5

Muglai Fish Curry 3/5

You can look forward to a good quality Lamb Shank ($16) which comes from one of the finest meat suppliers in Singapore. You may find the Muglai Fish Curry ($12) interesting, which probably reminds you of Thai Green Curry but I prefer a curry that is more robust.

Palak Paneer 4/5

Their Palak Paneer ($10) is also one of the better ones that I have tried. It has a pureed consistency, unlike those creamier ones with cottage cheese cubes swimming inside. Blend with minced garlic, there is an additional layer of flavour built into it that makes it far more delectable than the rest.

Bhindi Masala 3.8/5

Bhindi Masala ($9) is ladyfingers, an ingredient that you either love or hate. It's tricky to cook it well to a right doneness while keeping it green and crunchy. If you like it with samba belacan, this will not disappoint.

Royal Chicken Dum Biryani 3/5

To go with all the curries and dishes, you can go for their Royal Chicken Dum Biryani ($12) but I would suggest skipping that for their moriesh Assorted Naan (Plain Naan $2.50 / Whole wheat $3 / Garlic Naan $3 / Butter Naan $3). Nothing is more engaging than sopping them with curries and savouring them with hands!

Carrot Halwa 3.5/5

For dessert, we had a traditional winter time Carrot Halwa ($4.50) pudding that originated from North India. In North India, the seasonal carrot has a lot more water content but they managed to create the same using ghee, milk and sugar.

When there are so many restaurants in Little India that leave you clueless of where to dine in, simply head down to Indian Express for an authentic experience.

Words and photos by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Indian Express
38 Race Course Road
Singapore 218555
Tel: +65 63417429
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Nearest MRT: Little India (DT Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours
Daily: 12pm - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Little India MRT station.Take Exit E. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Nature’s Nutrition @ Far East Square - Specialty Quinoa Bowls And Housemade Kombucha

Nature’s Nutrition has recently opened their second food service outlet at Far East Square serving quinoa bowls and housemade kombucha. If you are into superfood, Nature's Nutrition may be a brand that you are familiar with - A flagship brand by Nature 2000 Pte Ltd, a Singapore grown food distribution business specialising in organic superfoods and healthy packaged food, you will find their presence in major supermarkets, department stores, online platforms and organic shops. Instead of letting the packaged food stay cold on the shelf, they hope to connect with you by allowing you to experience the packaged food the company distributes.

Focusing on organic quinoa which they distribute, there are 4 types of Quinoa Bowls to choose from - Cajun Chicken ($8.90), Spicy Roasted Chicken Tikka ($9.40), Portobello Mushroom with Cheese ($9.40 ) and Baked Salmon Quinoa Bowl ($10.90), along with one base, 2 fixed toppings and 2 variable toppings. Add-ons options are available as well.

Instead of having to add on dried fruits and nuts mixture, their specialty base is already wholesome with organic quinoa, dried fruits, chia seeds, brown rice and pumpkin seeds. The fixed toppings are roasted pumpkin, which are really yummy, and romaine lettuce.

Spicy Roasted Chicken Tikka 4/5, Portobello Mushroom with Cheese 3.8/5

Our Spicy Roasted Chicken Tikka Bowl came with add on Portobello Mushroom with Cheese (+$3.00). Together with 2 variable toppings - miso butter corn and spicy broccoli, it was one big hefty bowl! The Chicken Tikka is popular for a reason - tender, juicy and moist, it was kind of unexpected coming from such concept. I would recommend pairing it with the yogurt dressing. The portobello mushroom was grilled to the right doneness. Nothing really could fail with melty cheese I guess. I didn't like the spicy broccoli at all, which soaked my grains with chilli oil.

Baked Salmon 3.8/5

We had the Baked Salmon Quinoa Bowl as well, along with marinated cherry tomatoes and soft chunks of honey glazed carrots. The salmon was quite moist and tender too. But what I really appreciate is that all toppings have been treated one way or another and not served cold, which makes any bowl warm and hearty.

Kombucha

And with just $3 more, you can enjoy a bottle of their house-brewed Kombucha made from their own organic tea series - Original Kombucha ($4.90 ala carte/$3 with bowl), Hibiscus Cinnamon Kombucha and Lemongrass & Ginger Kombucha. This pricing is by far one of the more affordable ones around. While all are equally refreshing, my personal favourite is the Lemongrass and Ginger. Other than homemade, rarely I get to enjoy a lemongrass drink without the presence of sugar.

After experiencing their quinoa bowls and kombucha made from their own packaged organic quinoa and organic tea series, and you are intrigued by them, they are available right on the spot for purchase!

Words and photos by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Nature’s Nutrition
Far East Square
137 Amoy Street
#01-04
Singapore 049965
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Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer (DT Line)

Opening Hours
Mon - Fri: 10am - 6pm
(Closed on Sat-Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Telok Ayer MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Palette Restaurant & Bar @ Capitol Piazza

BreadTalk Group has done it again with a new dining concept called Palette Restaurant & Bar that housed together 10 different brands from Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. The new restaurant borrows a mixture of dining concepts of a food court, marche and a full service restaurant. Stepping into the dining hall, diner is handed an ipad where they can order from the ten brands at their comfort from their table and the food will be served to them when it is ready. Payment is at the cashier before exiting the dining hall.

BBQ Chicken Wings 4.2/5

Dinner at Palette started with some light bites from Huat Huat BBQ Chicken Wings ($12 for half a dozen/ $21 for one dozen), a brand for 14 years. The chicken wings are grilled to a nice exterior crispiness with a subtle sweetness. Most important the pairing chilli sauce goes very well with the chicken wings and very addictive.

Sate Ayam Madura 3.5/5

I am glad to find one of my favourite Indonesian restaurants, IndoChilli at Palette. From IndoChilli, we tried both the Sate Ayam Madura ($8.80 for 5pc) and Tahu Telor ($9.80). The sate was tender but lacked the charred aroma. I suspected is due to the used of electric grill instead of charcoal grill. Nevertheless the creamy nutty sauce for the sate consistency is there and good.

Tahu Telor 4/5

The Tahu Telor ($9.80) as far as I can remember, it still taste as good as I had the last time. I am delighted to see that IndoChilli still add those white beansprout head to the dish giving the sauce a hint of spiciness and crunch.

Fish Cake 4.2/5

Ah Koong Restaurant from Johor Bahru, Malaysia has an impressive story. Started in 1987 with only 5 men, it has expanded to 5 restaurants and a manufacturing facility with over 100 workers. This is their sixth outlet and also their first outlet outside Malaysia. Their preservative free fishballs and fishcake are handmade from ikan parang fish paste.

Fishball Noodle Dry 3.5/5

Beside the Fish Cake ($4.90), Ah Koong also sells Fishball Noodle ($7.90) and I got to try the dry version tossed in a black sauce which complement quite well with the thick yellow noodles. The bowl of noodle comes with bouncy fishballs sliced fishcake, minced pork and fried shallots.

Fried Hokkien Crayfish Mee 2.8/5

The luxury Fried Hokkien Crayfish Mee ($15) from Yong Xin Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle was a disappointment for me. Unfortunately the noodles did not get to absorb the flavour of the beautiful stock. It felt like the person behind the wok did not do a good job. Diners can also find Char Kway Tiao ($9) and Oyster Omelette ($11) on their menu.

Noodles with Abalone 4/5

Ah Yat Seafood Kitchen is another brand at Palette that most Singaporean will be familiar with. With a huge selection from wholesome set meats, roast meats, dim sum, congee, noodles, rice dishes and live seafood, Ah Yat offers something for everyone. I tried the Noodles with Abalone ($18) using Ah Yat's proprietary abalone sauce, a top secret recipe that was created over 40 years ago. The sauce not only complement the plump and juicy abalone but the noodles too.

Premium Pork Ribs Soup 3.5/5

While Balestier in Singapore does house a couple of popular Bak Kut Teh restaurants, I doubt I have heard of Balestier Bak Kut Teh. Nevertheless, it is still good to have a bowl of Premium Pork Ribs Soup ($9.50) in the air conditioned mall with its hot and peppery soup base warming the body.

Braised Beef Brisket Noodles Dry 3.5/5

Hok Kee Authentic Hong Kong Noodle & Congee is a Hong Kong brand with over 60 years of heritage starting from a mobile food vendor in Yuen Long, Hong Kong. While the sauce and noodles of the Braised Beef Brisket Noodles Dry ($9) tasted average, the melted in the mouth beef brisket itself was good.

Wonton Soup 4/5

Hok Kee also specializes in wonton. The Wonton Soup ($8) comes with silky smooth wonton stuffed with bite sized parcel of fresh shrimp, lean pork, pork fat and flat fish.

Champagne Pork Ribs 4/5

Little Nanyang at Palette is a new brand in the Singapore scene debuting in Food Republic Hong Kong in March 2013 servicing Southeast Asian cuisine. In Singapore, it will be enticing Singaporean's palate with a selection of zi char dishes such as the Champagne Pork Ribs ($10.80). Actually I could not really taste any champagne but the pork coated in a sweet sauce is cooked to fork tender.

Hainanese Chicken Rice Set 3.8/5

On top of the selection of zi char dishes, Little Nanyang sells the popular Hainanese Chicken Rice Set ($10,90) too. All the components of a chicken rice, from the chicken to sauces are well executed except for the rice. It lacked the fluffiness and aroma of a good plate of chicken rice.

Chandi Murg Tikka 3/5

Being a cultural melting pot, Palette has Delhi 6 offering North-West Indian cuisine to cater for the rest of the community. Due to some restriction in the kitchen, they can only use electric tandoors which may explain why the Chandi Murg Tikka ($13) ensconced in a garlic and cashew nut cream sauce is not as good as some that I have tried elsewhere.

Sunset Gula Melaka Banana Parfait & Butterscotch 4/5

Golden Chilled Mango Soup with Mango & Citrus Fruits 4.2/5

Dinner is not complete without some drinks and/or desserts from 90 Gastro Bar. Besides the extensive range of wines, beers and hard liquor, 90 Gastro Bar also offers a twist to some old school desserts such as the Sunset Gula Melaka Banana Parfait & Butterscotch ($8) and Golden Chilled Mango Soup with Mango & Citrus Fruits ($8). The golden chilled mango soup with mango and citrus fruits stood out for me with the blend of mango ice cream, mango puree and coconut milk, giving it a airier and frothier texture than the traditional version.

Overall I find that the new concept has its hits and misses. The new concept reminds me about a group of foodies who feels that hawker food needs to be priced more expensive and also have air conditioning to preserve the hawker heritage. Palette Restaurant & Bar seems to fit their idea. We will see whether the new concept by BreadTalk Group is the direction to go.


Palette Restaurant & Bar
Capitol Piazza
13 Stamford Road
#B1-20/27
Singapore 178905
Tel: +65 63843359
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Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at City Hall MRT station. Take Exit D. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Copper Chimney @ Syed Alwi Road (Little India)

Many of you may not be foreign to Copper Chimney which has been around for 10 years at Syed Alwi Road, Little India. The restaurant recently has gotten a fresh new interior and revamped its menu offering Chinese Indian and North Indian cuisine under the new leadership of CEO Vikram Natarajan, who took over the reins two and a half years ago.

Salt and Pepper Babycorn (Dry) 4.2/5

Dinner at Copper Chimney started with some light bites. The first dish, Salt and Pepper Babycorn, Dry ($9) already got me excited and looking forward to find out more about Chinese Indian or Chindian cuisine. The babycorn is lightly battered, fried to a crunchy bite. It is then stir fried in garlic, peppers, and soya sauce. The taste is very similar to XO sauce. This is an addictive dish.

Chilli Paneer (Dry) 4/5

When the Chilli Paneer, Dry ($10.50) was served, the first instant that came to our mind is chai tow kway. The cottage cheese cubes coated with the chilli sauce is another delectable bite which I can find a familiar taste to Chinese cooking.

Malai Chicken Tikka 4.2/5

Next we had the Malai Chicken Tikka ($12) which impressed us with the well marinated and tender inner fillet of the poultry. The owner shared with us the importance of the marination and the used of hung yogurt, garlic and ginger etc for the flavourful chicken.

Szechwan Fried Rice 3.5/5

Szechwan Noodles 3/5

The owner shared with us that he has grown up with Chindian cuisine and the popularity of it, usually in the form of street food vendors have spread to even metro cities like Mumbai. Copper Chimney probably is the only India restaurant in Singapore offering Chindian cuisine. We tried the Szechwan Fried Rice ($11) and Szechwan Noodles ($11) on the menu. Yes it is spelled as Szechwan not Szechuan. I definitely can taste the similarity of the dishes to Chinese cuisine. However compared to Chinese cuisine I think it is still lacking that wok hei aroma. The spicy level can also up a notch since the dishes are named after the state in China known for its hot and spicy dishes. Nevertheless, both are still hearty dishes, especially using basmati rice's long grain for fried rice.

Gobi Manchurian (Wet) 4/5

Gobi Manchurian, Wet ($9) is another Chindian dish that adopts the Chinese cooking technique and seasonings. The lightly battered cauliflower is fried to a crunchy bite. We went for the wet version as the Indians like to eat the rice with the gravy. There is also the dry version if you want to try.

Veg Jaipuri 4.2/5

I simply adore this rich and creamy Vegetable Jaipri ($10) with an array of vegetables. This vegetarian dish is so addictive that I kept going back for more.

Mutton Roqanjosh 4/5

Butter Chicken 4.5/5

The next two dishes, Mutton Roqanjosh ($12) and Butter Chicken ($11.50) are best to eat with some Rumali and Naan. The mutton is cooked to a nice beautiful fork tender while the spices infused gravy is just too good not to wipe them clean with the Rumali and Naan. The butter chicken was also outstanding. It was not overly sweet. The smooth and creamy gravy with the tender chicken has a perfect match made in heaven..

Lychee Kulfi 4.8/5

If you have the chance to visit Copper Chimney, I would recommend you to have the Lychee Kulfi ($7). The frozen dairy dessert infused with Lychee, tasted just like ice cream, is so refreshing. They have other flavours such as Pistachio and Rose too.

Sizzling Brownie & Ice Cream 3/5

The Sizzling Brownie and Ice Cream ($7.50) definitely caught a lot of attention when the chocolate syrup is poured over the brownie filling the whole restaurant with the beautiful chocolate aroma. The restaurant even got a few orders from the other guests after seeing what we had.

Overall I find the Northern Indian food at Copper Chimney is outstanding. The Chindian cuisine adds an interesting offering to the menu. I personally felt some of the Chindian dishes need bit more fine tuningto win the palate of the Chinese.

Copper Chimney

100 Syed Alwi Road

Singapore 207676

Tel: +65 62948891

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Nearest MRT: Farrer Park (NE Line)

Opening Hours:

Sun-Thur: 1130am - 12midnight

Fri-Sat: 1130am - 1am

Direction: 

1) Alight at Farrer Park MRT station. Take Exit H. Walk to the traffic junction of Kitchener Road, Rangoon Road and Serangoon Road. Cross the road and walk down Serangoon Road towards Mustafa. Turn left onto Syed Alwi Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]