One of our favorite areas of Singapore is Little India. Like Chinatown, Arab Street, and Geylang, Little India is one of the ethic enclaves. Walking around there is just like walking around a city in India. The sights, sounds, and smells are terrific. There are jewelry shops where highly detailed gold artworks are sold by the gram (just like in India). There are video/music stores with the latest Bollywood releases on DVD, VideoCD and audio CD. There are handicraft stores and silk store galore. There are stands that sell flower garlands that Hindus take to temple with them as part of their worship rituals. And of course there are grocery stores and fresh fruit and vegetable stores.
Then there are the restaurants!
From the north to south of the Subcontinent, just about every variety of Indian food can be found. On prior visits, we've had dishes from Kashmir, Nepal, Kerala, and Tamil Naidu. This time, we decided to try The Banana Leaf Apolo, one of the highly rated options among the many choices in the district. It's a breeze to get to: from our apartment we just walk down the street to Lucky Plaza and take the #65 bus which takes us directly to Little India.
The restaurant is famous for it's fish head curry, one of the "uniquely Singaporean" regional specialties. We decided to give that a go another time as we were more interested in something more traditionally Indian. After pouring through the 10 page illustrated menu, we opted for tandoori lamb chops, black dal (lentils), and baigan burta (eggplant). For breads, Raye chose garlic naan and I was delighted to pick romali roti, a type of bread I really like but haven't found anywhere outside of India. And of course, Kingfisher beer. What a feast!
Like the restaurant name suggests, it was all served up on a banana leaf that serves as both placemat and plate (see photo). They'll bring silverware for those who prefer the Continental approach (that would be Raye), but the locals (and Paul) prefer the Sub-Continental approach of eating with your fingers.
The total bill came to S$50 ($36), with the lamb and beers the high ticket items.
After dinner we walked around, took in some more sights and smells, and enjoyed some pistachio barfi (Indian "fudge" made from condensed milk), and sohan papdi.
Another great evening in Singapore.
1 comment:
Banana leaves are very useful. Like your restaurant, we've used them as a table covering for a party. Here they're available at Mexican grocery stores. In the Caribbean they weave hats and baskets from them. You've inspired us to return to The Banana Leaf restaurant here very soon - but I've never seen a banana leaf at our local banana leaf restaurant.
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