There are not as many firsts for Kuah in Singapore. But this weekend we got to share a first time at the Tiffin Room in Raffles Hotel. We went with their special set menu The Joyous Flavours of Holi. We ordered one vegetarian and one meat meal so we could try all of the flavors. The meal started with our 2 favorite dishes of the lunch.
The first was a welcome drink named, Thandai. It was made with almond, fennel seed, black peppercorn and rose petal. I was a bit worried about this drink as I’m not a huge fan of fennel seed or rose flavors in food or drinks. I found the drink to be really refreshing when paired with the spicier dishes. Although I should point out that Kuah did not find any of the dishes to be spicy.
Our absolute best dish was the Bharwa Puri Chat. It was the perfect mix of flavors and textures. The meat version was tandoori chicken chaat mixed with lentil dumplings and tamarind chutney, served with sweet curd, pomegranate and spicy mint chutney. The vegetarian version was the same except it had tandoori pineapple in place of the chicken. Although they were similar the chicken one was more comforting and the pineapple one was more refreshing.
After enjoying such an amazing start the second appetizer was very lackluster. The meat option was a grilled tandoori black cod with yogurt and rose petal. The vegetarian option was pan-seared cashew nut and cottage cheese kabob with rose petal. Both were served with deep fried onion and spinach with chickpea flour and spices.
Not only was the taste of these a let down the presentation was also unappetizing. I didn’t bother finishing my fried spinach and onion. It just wasn’t worth the calories and fat of a fried dish.
Next was the main course. The meat verison was brought out in tiffin boxes. It consisted of:
- Boneless chicken leg with almond, saffron and Indian spices
- Lamb chop in mustard and spinach paste
- Deep-fried lobster with mustard seed, curry leaf, coconut and spices
- Indian basmati rice with morel mushroom and saffron
- Yellow lentil curry chaat
The vegetarian options were similar flavors served in smaller bowls. It consisted of :
- Carrot, bean, green pea and puffed lotus seed served with almond, saffron and Indian spices
- Baby potatoes with mustard and spinach paste
- Deep-fried Indian cottage cheese with mustard seed, curry leaf, onion and tomato
- Indian basmati rice with morel mushroom and saffron
- Yellow lentil curry chaat
Although the vegetarian and meat options were similar they tasted very different. I preferred the vegetarian versions. We both found the meat ones to be a bit too salty. Believe it or not my favorite was not the lobster dish but the carrot, bean, green pea and puffed lotus seed dish. It was great on naan and rice.
Tiffin came about during the time when the British were colonizers in India. It was the name of a light meal eaten during the day and also the name of the containers, the home-cooked meals were packed in for office workers or school children.
The final course was dessert. This was the same for both the menu options. To me the presentation was lacking in color and not very appetizing. It was interesting to try all of it and I appreciated that it wasn’t too sweet. However, it did seem to be missing flavor. It consisted of a yellow lentil pudding, traditional white flour sweet filled with coconut and dried fruits, and a sweet samosa. I wish that the flavors of the dried fruits popped more. It all just ended up being a slightly sweet bland flavor.
I’m so happy that Kuah and I got to experience this meal together. It was a fun atmosphere and started with a few real wow bites. For the most part I wouldn’t feel the need to go back but would recommend it as a worthwhile experience for someone who hasn’t been before.
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