Sunday, December 10, 2006

Chat Masala @ 158 Upper East Coast Road

This place, Chat Masala, is pretty well-regarded in the dining scene and is regularly featured in magazines like Wine and Dine. DH and I only recently discovered this place though, and are relative novices to Indian cuisine.


We ordered 3 naans to share: cheese (SGD3.20), garlic (SGD2.50) and fruit&nuts also known as kashmiri naan (SGD2.80). They were all fluffy and tasty enough, although a bit heavy on the butter. I think the garlic naan went best with the dishes. The cheese naan was tasty by itself, but is a tad too heavy when eaten together with the dishes. The kashmiri naan, studded with dried fruit (like what I usually eat for breakfast) was a friend's recommendation, but I find pairing sweet bread with savoury dishes a little odd.


We also ordered the reshmi kebab (SGD14.80), the mushroom methi (SGD13.80) and the palak paneer (SGD11.80).

The reshmi kebab is made of chicken pieces marinated with spices, then coated with cheese and grilled. The result was flavourful, and tender. I liked this best of the 3 dishes, and I think DH did too, as it disappeared the fastest.

The mushroom methi is sauteed fresh button mushrooms with fenugreek leaves. It tasted rather unique. Actually fenugreek is a kind of herb, and its seeds are commonly consumed by nursing mothers to boost milk supply. DH kept making jokes about it ("Eh dear, I think I am going to start lactating tonight..").

The palak paneer is cottage cheese cooked in pureed spices and spinach, it's the green-coloured dish on top. It sounds rather strange but it's actually very tasty. DH walks by and mentions that this was his favourite dish tonight. Stamp of approval from the carnivorous caveman himself.

Our only gripe is that the portions are small, and the meal was expensive. It was filling though, and we didn't have room for dessert.

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