WADA rating: (37 + 17) = 54pts
QPI: 5 ($40 per pax for quite an extensive set menu but portions are small)
WFI: C (Free corkage but pl do bring your own stemware, staff are not adept with wine)
Tasted once in May08.
Was invited by Uncle L for this Makansutra spinoff event. I immediately said yes to give this Goan Indian restaurant a try since we have been rating so many western and chinese restaurants so far. A much needed breakaway from the norm, this restaurant is situated along the bustling Race Course road off Little India MRT station. The exterior does not look as grand and inviting as its more glamorous neighbours along the same street (Muthu’s Curry, Banana Leaf Apollo etc).
What’s Good
Goan Chicken
The white piece is the chicken. One is the rendang like beef and the spicy prawns.
The best most balanced dish for the night as compared to the rest which were too over-spiced and numbed the palate to all the wines tasted. The chicken had a mild herby aroma to it and also carried a faint yoghurt aura. Meat was tender (but a tad bit on the dry side) with uplifting notes of fragrant lemon grass and curry leaves.
Fish in Banana Leaf
Intense chilies and spicy spices make up the paste that doubles up as a flavour sealer by locking all the juices into the fish. “Chao tar”ness of the banana leaf wrapping is infused quite well with the paste. Taste profile reminds me of the bbq stingray @ chomp chomp stall no. 1.
Rice
Don’t like the type of rice used here (long and thin varietal) but I do enjoy the unique flavourings going into the rice. It is almost bubble-gummish and gives off whiffs of delightful small white jasmine flowers on the nose. A good compliment to the food served here.
What’s Not
The prawns were done too oily but did have a nice crispiness and notes of fresh spices. The other curried beef and fish were not breathtakingly different from normal local Indian cuisine although I have heard that Goan Indian is supposedly unique because of Portuguese influences.
Other Dishes Tasted
A lot of small platters of different curried meats were served and all were big on the aromas. Do try their naan bread (which I called roti prata) in some of the curries...its fluffy goodness.
Comments
A refreshing journey on the spice route. Come here to wake up your palate. This place emits a humble and good home-cooked indian food vibe. Overall, a little less spicy and not as milky as your average Indian cuisine.
Wine Pairings Done
2007 Villa M Gagliardo Moscato
WADA rated 77+pts
Pineapples and hints of bubblegum on the fore….with some half fizzy sprite action. A dash of lemon peel and honey dew showing up on the mid to finish as well. Very quaffable stuff.
2006 Weingnut Friedrich Becker Riesling QBA, Pfalz
WADA rated 75+pts
Fresh lime with wet stones and some soapy action on the nose. The palate is very un-german in its approach and could be easily mistaken as a NZ Riesling. The main body is dominated by citrus, green apples with some nice minerality flowing through. There is also some bitter lime zest on the finish.
2007 Babich Pinot Gris, NZ
WADA rated 71pts
Pale yellow with lime and straw hay nuances. Common finish and somewhat one dimensional in its approach.
2007 Mount Bold Frontignac Spatlese, AU
WADA rated 80pts
Fresh sweet ripe Sarawak pineapples with traces of orange. Short to medium finish. Absolutely a crowd pleaser, so far all my WADE frens that have tasted all found it very agreeable.
2001 Nierstein Pettental Riesling Auslese, Rhein
WADA rated 82+pts
Giveaway airplane fuel nose that shouts its terroir…DBF says it smells like an ice wine. I thought it smelt more like a swimming pool. Lychee pineapple cocktail bordering on the syrup spectrum. However, this did not have enough acidity to pair with the cuisine here.
1995 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley (WS91)
WADA rated 84pts
Deep dark purple even after 13 years of aging. Sweet vanilla nose and quite jammy prunes. Finishes with fine tannins.
2003 Cono Sur limited edition, Maipo Valley Chile
WADA rated 84+pts
Dark purplish. Wilder nose than the Beringer and some milk choc. Unripe plums ...some greenish action and eucalyptus. It does evolve with nicer darker flavours of mocha. Rough tannins but I preferred this over the Beringer just a lil bit more as I thought this chilean wine has just that bit more cowboy character.
2002 Michelton Print Shiraz, Nagambie Lake AU (JO95, JH94)
WADA rated 82pts
Dense deep dark black berrries with hints of raspberries. Very dark mocha and inkish framed with graphite. Mid to long finish.
2005 Peter Lehmann Shiraz, Barossa (WS91)
WADA rated 80+pts
WS highly recommended this wine as a smart buy and I agree but this is for drinking now. Just released, this wine already has balanced dark red cherries with "crayons". Mild dark choc coffee on the finish.
Wine Pairing Suggestions
The food is super spice-infused and overpowers most wines both in flavours and aromas. I suggest sweeter whites with some acid backing to cut throught the oiliness of some of the dishes. Therefore, alsace and german kabinett or even trockens could work. I would really love to try some sparkling shiraz and see how it goes. It could work.
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