INDULGENCE

There’s a seemingly infinite number of Indian eateries here in Singapore, each offering its own take on flavours from the vast South Asian country. We at EL always look forward to taste-testing curries and other spiceinfused specialties, so we were thrill

Yantra by Chef Hermant Oberoi is a contemporary, stylish fine-dining restaurant serving North Indian cuisine with amazing flavours. The atmosphere is cool and trendy and the ambience is great.

Dishes here are best shared – and none of them disappoints. For starters, we opted for the varqui crab ($32), light curry leaf and pepper crabmeat layered with filo sheets and topped with a chargrilled prawn, and Grazing Goat ($45), tender Kashmiri lamb chop with meat-filled khandvi rolls, coconut foam and a goat cheese salad. We also enjoyed the ganderi kebabs ($28) – spiced chicken mince on sugarcane sticks. For mains, we couldn’t resist the chicken tikka makhani (butter chicken, $40) along with an unusual recommendation of asparagus with fenugreek leaves and chestnuts ($34), and a moist lucknavi gosht biryani (mutton biryani, $40) and garlic naan ($10). A palate-cleansing sugarcane sorbet ($12) prepared the way for chenna payesh ($19), a glass of creamy cottage cheese dumplings with milk and berries.

Pssst! Check out Yantra’s weekday lunch buffet ($29.50 per person), and weekend brunch ($49). Star dish: The amazing chicken tikka makhani, my all-time favourite. This one was the best yet.

Previously on Duxton Hill, this gem relocated to the Singapore National Gallery at the start of 2016. As Singapore’s main stage for cultural fusion and the evolving art scene, the spot is a perfect fit as Chef Abhijit Saha continues to ingeniously present an age-old cuisine with futuristic flair. The new setting adopts a more minimalist look while reflecting the characteristics of the food – modern, colourful and light.

Browsing the menu is a treat in itself. Interpretations of regional Indian cuisine, classic favourites and familiar flavours are interspersed with atypical ingredients and combinations that are quick to spark your curiosity. The tandoori-baked brie ($20) with sweet-and-sour chutney, and the Interpretation of Meen Moily ($35) – turmericgrilled sea bass with coconut and curry leaf panna cotta and tamarind rice – were among those that grabbed our attention.

For the full Saha experience, we recommend the tasting menu (starting from $85 for vegetarian, and $95 for non-vegetarian), available in four- or six-course options. The dishes are light and virtually free of heavy starch components such as rice and naan, so the flavours take centre stage and the guilt is kept at bay. Our experience began with an apple-and-cinnamon-spiced popsicle to kick-start the taste buds; everything that followed surprised our palates and dominated the conversation. The pistachio-crusted lamb chops with haleem and the chicken ghee roast were particular favourites and went perfectly with the Grover Art Collection Rosé and Pinot Noir that were paired with the respective courses – straight from selected Indian vineyards.

The final note was sweet and delectably fluffy: coconut and banana espuma papaya orange salsa and plantain chips. Star dish: Absolutely everything on the six-course non-vegetarian tasting menu ($118; wine-pairing $85).