Spice Sutra

We went to Spice Sutra one Sunday evening for dinner. It was surprisingly empty for a weekend dinner, and there were at most two tables occupied at any one time, which was a pity given that the food was pretty good. 

We had a difficult time choosing what we wanted because the menu was rather extensive.

We ordered the Plain / Delhi Naan ($4) and Tandoori Rooti ($3.50). They were served piping hot and were a perfect accompaniment to our main dishes.

Being the boring old me, I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala ($17.90). In the menu, there were symbols showing whether the dish was spicy and if so, how spicy it was. Although there was no chilli sign next to this dish in the menu, this dish was spicy. The boneless grilled chicken was cooked in a rich tomatoes and cashew nut sauce. The chicken was very tender.

The food and service here is good. The person serving us could answer any questions we had about the menu, and was friendly.

Spice Sutra
Thomson Imperial Court
200 Upper Thomson Road
#01-03
Tel No: 6255 4730 

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Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant (Upper Dickson Road)

We went on a Little India trail and decided to visit Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant to try some Indian and vegetarian fare. It was pretty crowded during weekday lunchtime. 

We first got served some Papadum (I'm assuming it's papadum, please correct me if I'm wrong!) as appetiser, free of charge. This reminded me of my school days when classmates would order a whole plastic bag full of this from the uncle selling Indian food. This staved off some of our hunger while waiting for the food! It was such a kind gesture.

We ordered the Hyderbad Dum Briyani ($10) which is basically Hyderabadi style basmati rice with masala soya chunks. For those who are as clueless as me when it comes to Indian food, the Hyderabadi Birayni was created as a result a blending of Mughlai and Andhra Pradesh cuisines in the kitchens of the ruler of the historic Hyderabad State.

I like basmati rice because there is a kind of fragrance to it. I didn't fancy the soya chunks very much although the masala sauce went really well with the rice.

We also got a Chicken Kurma ($9) which is vegetarian chicken cooked in creamy Indian gravy. The texture was really like chicken until you got to the core when you finally realise that, hey this is actually not chicken! As with most cream dishes, the cream was tasty with the chicken initially but more than halfway through  it started getting a little gelat.

To accompany the cream sauce, I got a Plain Nann ($2). It's something that I always have to get when I go to a Indian restaurant. Not too charred, this nann was just as I liked it.

While the food might not be wonderful (but good enough for me), I recommend this place for vegetarian food. Big portions and affordable. The thing that makes this place so distinct is the extensive menu and the excellent service. The menu covers all kinds of Vegetarian food, from Indian food to Chinese food to Western food. You will be spoilt for choice, trust me.

The service was also very good. Weirdly, there's NO service charge. Sometimes, I have to pay service charge for really atrocious service yet when there's good service, I do not need to pay service charge.

Life works in mysterious ways.

Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant (Upper Dickson Road) 
19 Upper Dickson Road
Tel: 6396 7769 

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Zaffron Kitchen

When we first passed by Zaffron Kitchen, we thought it served European cuisine based on its looks. Upon closer inspection, we realised that we couldn't have been more mistaken- Indian food! 

A restaurant that exudes warmness, as you can see from the decor and lighting. Judging by their aprons, you also know that this place is unpretentious and just want their customers to be happy and full. Different wordings were spooted on their aprons such as "The Devil Wears Prata". Now, how much more witty can it get?

We first got a Chicken Chettinad ($14.50) which was spicy. My friend felt that the pepper overpowered the curry taste but I felt it was fine. It was also a perfect dip for the nann we ordered. The chicken was also cooked just right and the meat tore apart easily.

The Tandoori Malai Chicken Tikka ($14.50) had a nice grilled flavour to it. The meat inside was juicy and while I didn't try the green stuff, probably Mint Chutney, my friend took an instant liking to the pairing.

Together with the sauce for the Chicken Chetinad, I could eat Plain Nann ($3.50) forever. The outside of the skin was crispy and the inside was chewy. If only it weren't baked till some bits at the bottom were charred though. I remembered buying a packet of frozen Nann and basically lived a whole week eating Nann, with canned tomato soup, mushroom soup etc. Epitome of laziness but those were good comfort food.

I was curious what the Lachha Paratha ($4) was because it said "Special layered flatbread made with whole wheat flour". Didn't like this too much because it was gleaming with grease. So what exactly is the difference between Prata and Paratha? According to a Google Search, none! One is what it is called in Singapore and the other is what it is called in India.

Because we were still not yet full, we decided to get the Fish Masala ($15.50). Marinated in tumeric, chillies and lemon juice, then sauteed in an onion-tomato masala, it was a pretty sweet dish.

In total we spent $61.20 for two after service charge and GST. Probably a lot more than what I would like to spend on a meal, but it was good to eat Indian food. Make a reservation because the place is pretty small and gets filled up quite quickly. Also, this place is kids friendly.

Zaffron Kitchen
135/137 East Coast Road
Tel No: 6 440 6786 

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