Balestier’s Best #4: Delicious Northern Indian Food

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This week, we continue our guide to good eats in Balestier with our Makan Kaki Shermay Lee. If you’re in need of a Northern Indian spice fix, look no further than a little corner in Balestier Plaza for excellent Tandoori, hence it’s name – Tandoori Corner! Owned & run by the affable Mr Satish, this is a wonderful hidden gem of a family restaurant which serves up well-priced and delicious Northern Indian classics.

Shermay’s must try list includes:

• Chicken Tandoori
• Fish Tikka

• Prawn Masala
• Garlic Naan (plain is good too) to soak up all the lovely gravies
• Lassi (plain & mango)

Affordability is really the factor here at Tandoori Corner, but flavours are never compromised, so you’ll always get a meal of great taste and value!

TASTE:
TANDOORI CORNER
400 Balestier Road
Balestier Plaza
#01-12
Open daily for lunch 12-2.45pm & dinner 6-9.45pm

For more Tandoori Corner, check out our other Makan Kaki Don Mendoza’s recommendation here!

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Where Sommeliers Eat: Gerri Sottile of Mykonos on the Bay

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Click here to listen to this week’s globalicious episode!

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This week, Sommelier & General Manager of Mykonos on the Bay, Gerri Sottile, shares some of his favourite places to eat in Singapore…

via https://www.facebook.com/bluelotusrestaurant/

Blue Lotus – Chinese Eating House
31 Ocean Way (Sentosa)
This neighbouring restaurant has been making a splash at Quayside Isle on Sentosa and Gerri is not the only one raving about their signature Chilli Crab. Now, he understands Chilli Crab can be a point of contention for lovers of this beloved local dish, and while he can’t cook it, he has sampled many chilli crabs at many different restaurants and The Blue Lotus’ gets his seal of approval because it is unique. This Chilli Crab is a fresh take on a classic with a slightly different taste from what you would expect, probably because the recipe has been tweaked and modern fusion elements added for a really delicious, satisfying dish that isn’t blow-your-head-off-spicy!
#01-13 Quayside Isle
Reservations: 6339 0880

Fish head Curry

The Banana Leaf Apolo
This classic restaurant has been around for years and Gerri adores it for its traditional serving on Banana leaf, something he had never seen before in Europe, and also the wide variety of both Northern & Southern Indian dishes. He especially l;oves the different curries and Tandoori chicken.
54 Race Course Rd, Singapore 218564
Email : enquiry@thebananaleafapolo.com
Phone Number : +65 6293 8682

Shinji by Kanaseka
This is possibly one of the most renowned names for Japanese cuisine in Singapore and Gerri frequents either branch for super fresh fish, excellent cuts and expertly handled. He recommends sitting at the bar and giving the chef the go ahead to take care of you. You won’t be disappointed!
Raffles Hotel
Reservations: +65 6338 6131
St Regis Hotel
T: +65 6884 8239

Best of 2015 – Makan Kakis’ Top Ten List!

Hello Makan Kakis,

2015 has been such a delicious year and as we usher in a brand new year of eating, let’s take a look back at the makan places that really caught your attention & appetites! The following Top 10 list features a great variety of yummy hawker stalls, restaurants and dishes that grabbed the most views on our blog. Click on each for details & enjoy!

10. Tasty Teochew at Lee Kui
9. Luscious Burgers with a Buah Keluak twist!
8. Lor Mee with Crispy Battered Fish
7. Ayam Penyet Obama!
6. Killer Kway Chap
5. Outstanding Roasted Meats – Char Siew & Sio Bak
4. Local & International Buffet at a hidden Oasis
3. Nor’s Nasi Padang
2. Jaggi’s Northern Indian
1. Mee Rebus, Soto Ayam & Satay POWER!

Thank you so much for your support of our tasty little segment on Gold 905 and if you could, do help spread the word about Makan Kakis! Here’s to a hearty 2016 full of delicious things to eat! Season’s Eatings & HAPPY NEW YEAR!

North Indian Food Served Pub-style!

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This week, our ever-eager food guru Violet Oon reveals on of her favourite places to eat in her neighbourhood… Not far from her Bukit Timah eatery is a cosy foodcourt she affectionately calls an “ang moh kopitiam” because it has several stalls serving different cuisines and the central drinks counter serves up beers pub-style. Bar Bar Black Sheep is a popular haunt for expats who enjoy the food with a cold brew alfresco and Violet’s favourite stall here is the North Indian one, called Sher.

Owner Paul, a former banker, has several branches but the Bukit Timah one is Violet’s choice for ambiance and flavour. She describes the taste of the North Indian food served at Sher as elegant – a reflection of the owner’s palate. There is depth of flavour without blowing your head off – spicy, but subtlely so and very fragrant.

Violet recommends these dishes – she orders these regularly!

• Chicken Tikka Marsala & Butter Chicken (both curries are spiced perfectly and yes, very fragrant).
• Aloo Gobi (Potato and Cauliflower stew – well-cooked but not too mushy).
• Palek Paneer (Cottage cheese with creamed spinach).
  
• Kashmiri Pilau (the Peranakan in Violet cannot resist the slight sweetness of this dish, which comes from the dried fruits. The Basmati rice is boiled in a lot of water, almost like Teochew Porridge, till it’s 3/4 cooked. Then it’s drained and stir-fried with ghee and mouth–watering spices like cardamom, caraway, fennel and cloves in the North Indian version of the wok, called a  kadhai. There’s also a delectable hint of tartness from julienned cucumber and finished off with coriander leaves.)
  
• Fish Briyani (an unexpected dish that really grew on Violet. It came with lots of deep-fried, battered fish fillets and the flavours were not chilli-spicy, but fragrant with spices that really developed even more overnight).
• Naan & Papadum

TASTE:
Sher North Indian Cuisine – Casual Dining & Bar
BAR BAR BLACK SHEEP @ 879 BUKIT TIMAH ROAD SINGAPORE 279892
OPENING HOURS: 1PM – 10PM

Northern Indian at Jaggi’s

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A little bit of everything, including Papadum & Naan

This week, The Fabulous Baker Boy Juwanda Hassim recommends the meat & vegetarian heaven that’s called Jaggi’s Northern Indian Cuisine in Serangoon’s Little India. It’s not very big (maybe a 60-seater) or very fancy and when you first enter, it looks a bit disorganised – you order from the counter (there’s usually a crowd), but the staff are knowledgeable and generally polite – when in doubt, just point at what you like.

Choose whatever you like at the counter

They do great kebabs and Tandooris. Oh, the Tandooris – from the verdant green coriander-marinated kind to the spicy bright orange kind, it’s all good. Juicy, not dry, perfectly balanced with smokiness, spices and full-on flavour.

Look at those generous portions of chicken – Tandoori & in the Dum Biriyani

Close up on the Mutton Kebabs, Chicken Dum Biriyani & Tandoori Chicken

Be sure to order the Butter Chicken – Juwanda is not the only one who swears theirs is the best in Singapore! It’s tender, rich, comforting and goes so well with the Rotis or Biriyani.

Close up on the Butter Chicken, Aloo Gobi & Raita

Most of their vegetarian options are delicious, but Juwanda’s all-time favourite is the potato-cauliflower Aloo Gobi.
All in all, Jaggi’s is perfect for a party of both meat-eaters and vegetarians – do not miss this!

Enter for a great meal!

TASTE:
Jaggi’s Northern Indian Cuisine
34/36 Race Course Road
Opening Hours:
Mon – Sat: 11:30 – 15:00
Mon – Sat: 18:00 – 22:30
Sun: 10:30 – 22:30
Phone: +65 62966141

Where Chefs Eat: Mauro Muroni of the Mangiatutto Group of Restaurants

HEAR:
Listen to this week’s Makan Kakis talk about their Greek restaurant at Sentosa’s Quayside Isle, Mykonos here.
Listen to Executive Chef Mauro Muroni of the Mangiatutto Group of Restaurants talk about some of his favourite places to eat in Singapore!

Denise with (L) GM Gerri Sottile & (R) Executive Chef Mauro Muroni

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Here are some of Mauro’s favourite places to eat in Singapore – obviously as an Italian in the East, he’s more inclined to rave over Asian cuisine, as seen from his choices. It’s all about Japanese, Indian & Chinese cuisine for him!

If you’re ever at Resorts World, you’ve got to try Syun, which is Japanese fine dining at its best, especially if you want some of the freshest sashimi & sushi from their dedicated sushi bar! Click here for more on Syun!

A neighbour to Chef Mauro’s restaurant Mykonos at Quayside Isle is this great place for curries, tandoori and other spicy Indian delicacies. Click here for more on the Earl of Hindh!

Finally, when he wants a noodle & dumpling fix, Chef Mauro heads to Ion Orchard’s Paradise Dynasty for their famed 8 treaure xiao long bao & soupy noodles. Click here for more on Paradise Dynasty!

This Biryani is Da Bomb!

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When our foodie friend & resident hot dog man Kelly Koh isn’t serving up dangerously delicious dogs at The Rockin’ Diner, he’s out venturing beyond his beloved home turf of Katong for more yummy makan places to try. Surprisingly, his favourite place to chow down on biryani isn’t in Katong and this week, he reveals where to find what, in his opinion, is the best Mutton Dum Biryani in Singapore.

The meat is cooked together with the rice in the same sealed pot till it’s fork-tender – dry, but super-soft. This Dum Biryani is all about texture and how tender mutton can be. And you don’t have to worry about the pungency of the meat – the mutton is decidedly un-gamey after being so skillfully good for hours with the rice & spice. In fact, you get a lovely fragrance from the spices, but it’s not so spicy that it blows your head off. You can get a little extra kick from the curry gravy if you ask for it, but really, all you need is an unadulterated plate of the mutton and rice, with a little fresh salad of cucumber, onion & carrot on the side.

TASTE:
Bollywood Biryani
B1 Cafe
Basement 1
Peninsula Shopping Complex

Appam Adoration

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Click here for this week’s fluffy, fermented episode!

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If you live in the West, chances are you’re familiar with Ghim Moh Market, a veritable treasure trove of all things delicious. However, the original has been under renovations for a while now and thankfully many stalls have been relocated to a temporary market & food centre, including our Makan Kaki, Juwanda The Fabulous Baker Boy‘s favourite – something he calls a “lost art”. So it’s time for the unique Indian classic, APPAM, to be found!

You’ve got to pay a visit to Heaven’s Indian Curry in Ghim Moh for this nostalgic culinary tradition – they’ve been around for decades and produce excellent Thosai, Putu Mayam and yes, Appam. Understand that it is really quite rare to find the fresh, made-from-scratch kind and also understand that this is truly one of the go-to places for authentic, delicious appam, which is essentially a little pancake made from a fermented rice flour batter that is delicately cooked in a hot mini-wok.

The result is a light, tangy pancake that has lovely, paper-thin crisp edges and a middle that puffs up like a little globule due to the fermentation at work. When paired with orange sugar and coconut, you will rediscover the lost art of eating appam. In Juwanda’s words, you have a sweet and zingy dish that is simple, unadulterated, yet really amazing.

Since opening in the 90s, Heaven’s Indian Curry has spawned several other branches, started by the original owner/ chef’s son, but nothing beats the first and original stall! Try it – we hope you like it as much as your Makan Kaki!

TASTE:
Heaven’s Indian Curry
Ghim Moh Temporary Market & Food Centre
#01-13
(Beside bus depot)