Thasevi Food

237 & 239 Jalan Kayu
Opening Hours: 24 hours; closed on last Tuesdays of the month and on Fridays for prayers from noon to 2.30pm

If you want crispy and THE roti prata, this is the place to go to. It’s the original Jalan Kayu roti prata since the 1960s and the one and only in Singapore, it insists. The crispy and cheese prata are good even when eaten on their own. Ask for the more delicious mutton or chicken curry rather than the one that normally comes with the prata. The stall also has tissue prata, which is extremely crispy, and prata with ice-cream and garlic. Expect to pay S$0.60 for a plain prata and S$1.20 for one with egg.

For the benefit of those who don’t know what roti prata is, it is composed of dough containing copious amounts of fat, egg, flour and water. The form of fat used is usually ghee (clarified butter). The entire mixture is kneaded thoroughly, flattened, oiled and folded repeatedly. It is then allowed to proof and rise, and the process is repeated. The final round of preparation consists of flattening the dough ball, coating it with oil and then cooking on a flat iron skillet with a lot of oil. The ideal roti is flat, fluffy on the inside but crispy and flaky on the outside.

Annalakshmi Vegetarian Restaurant

133, New Bridge Road #B1-02
Chinatown Point, Podium A
Tel: 6339 9993
Opening Hours: 11am to 10pm, Tue to Sun; 6pm to 10pm, Monday; closed on Monday mornings
Website: http://www.annalakshmi.com.sg/index.htm

Ok, this is an Indian vegetarian restaurant but before you dismiss it as another Indian restaurant, read again. In this restaurant, their motto is “Eat what you want and give as you feel”. This means that you can eat as much as you want (provided you finish every morsel that you order otherwise you sin?) and you pay whatever amount you feel. For e.g. you finish 10 plates of food and you feel like you should pay only S$1 (shame on you if you do that), you can be sure that you won’t be hounded by the police.

So if you feel like having Indian vegetarian food, why not pop into this restaurant and experience dining in a different way?

They also have an outlet at Amoy Street with slightly different opening hours. Check their website for details.

Komala Vilas

• 76-78 Serangoon Road
  Tel: 6293 6980/6294 5294
  Opening Hours: 11am to 3.30pm (lunch) & 6pm to 10.30pm (dinner) For Level 2
  11am to 10.30pm For Level 1
• 12-14 Buffalo Road
  Tel: 6293 3664
• Website: http://www.komalavilas.com.sg/ourmenu.html
  

This Komala Vilas is not to be confused with the Komala’s fast food restaurant. Personally, I much prefer this Komala as I find it gives me better value for my money.

If you want to have the meals set, you should go to Level 2. If not, you should try to find a place at Level 1. I’m usually found at Level 1 and you find that sometimes you have to share your table with a stranger. This place is quite popular with tourists, so I guess that’s why they have the menu showing pictures of the food all over the walls. It’s easy for us to order.

Komala Vilas is one of a plethora of small, casual eating places in the ethnic quarter of Little India, serving up cheap, filling and delicious Indian food in a fast-food setting. The vegetarian menu provides a whole traditional South Indian meal, with favorites such as the dosai, a vegetable-filled crêpe, and thali, a complete meal comprising rice, lentils and a selection of curries, all served on a banana leaf. A great place for breakfast, open from 0700. No credit cards.

I always love their paper dosai (S$2.20 only!) (see the picture above). A must try is also their special tea/coffee which comes in a small metal “urn” and a small bowl. You are supposed to pour the tea/coffee from the “urn” into the small bowl and then back into the “urn”. This is to cool the tea/coffee so that you can sip safely without burning your tongue.

Allauddin's Briyani

Blk 665, Buffalo Road, #01-297
Tekka Market Food Centre
Opening Hours: 10am to 6pm daily

This is the most famous nasi briyani stall in Tekka Market. The grains are quite dry, but not as loose (stirring and pre-fluffing in the pot helps).

The nasi (rice) has a tad more flavour (some may call it saltier) and the mutton is grainy and quite soft, but a little dry and gamey.

The queue at peak hours is at least 20 minutes but it moves fast as the server is precise and methodic.

He slaps some nasi on a styrofoam plate, lowers a piece of mutton onto it, covers it with more nasi, pushes you a bowl of thick but not-too-spicy dulcha curry (as how most of his Chinese customers like it) and you’re down by $3.50.

I’m not a briyani person but this is one of the best briyani I’ve ever tasted. It’s a little bit dry, so pour the curry over the nasi for a better taste.