Saravana Bhavan: Intentionally Vegetarian
With iwatch_ueat, Nuffthing and davienne
Ghee Roast "Rocket" Dosa Masala $3
I have said it before and I will repeat it again. Of all the different vegetarian cuisines, the one that would come closest to converting me into a herbivore has to be Indian vegetarian. Yes, it comes closest but I am still far from chanting "Fish are friends, not food"!
Very far.
But you know, the day may come when I finally have to succumb to having to lower my cholesterol levels and protecting my heart. Thankfully, I have not reached that stage just yet.
If you have been to Chennai, you will know of this very famous restaurant chain. If you have not, you might not -- but now you do, like I did. This restaurant was recommended by one of our readers, Raihana Starbuck, who quite kindly shared her family's favourite eating spot with all of us. She said that "this is the only place in Singapore which has food like what it does in India". Having never had the opportunity to visit India, I thought I might go try it out and get a taste of some "real" Indian food.
What struck me most about the place is the apparent mismatch between the prices and the environment. For $3, you could sit down and enjoy the Ghee Roast Masala Dosa in air-conditioned comfort. And the Dosa was excellent, crispy and thin on the outside with a soft fluffy centre. The coconut and onion tomato chutneys tasted fresh and had a nice bite to it. The addition of the Ghee to the Dosa really gave it even more ooompph, which of course does not help if you are eating this to cut down on your cholesterol intake. The only drawback was the (potato) masala which could have been more tasty. 4.25/5
Idli $2.80
Nuffthing asked what this dish was. So I described it to him as "Wha Kor Kueh" in curry, which I thought came quite close. Idlis are steamed rice cakes which is what Wha Kor Kueh is. In retrospect, I think I should have likened it to Putu Piring without the gula melaka. At any rate, the idli is served in their standard dhal and drizzled with ghee which as I mentioned earlier, always adds oommmph to any dish like how pork lard does to Chinese dishes. 4/5
Vadai $2.20 for 2
The Vadais were served fresh and were nice and crispy on the outside and fluffy and savoury within. My only complaint by this stage is that they seem to serve the same dhal for every dish. I was kinda hoping to taste something different. But I guess it is my own fault for not knowing what to order. 4/5
Masala Tea $1.30
Don't forget to wash the whole meal down with some Masala Tea. Masala Tea, like Teh Halia is a wonderful way to finish off the meal as it serves to wash down all that spice and oil and aids in the digestion of the food. Aside from that, the four of us had some fun practicing our Teh Tarik skills on the table. Some Masala Teas can go a little too heavy on the spices, but I found this one just nice. 4.25/5
Conclusion
Well, I really enjoyed the whole experience and managed to save a few chickens in the process. Truth be said, I don't think I have ever had bad Indian vegetarian food. Then again I haven't really looked. Actually I wouldn't mind going on an Indian vegetarian trail to find the best Indian vegetarian food in Singapore. Perhaps you all can write in and let me know?
Update: 7 Sep 2008
Update: 30 Nov 2008
TKY has informed us that the restaurant is now situated at 86 Syed Alwi Road Singapore 207663.
Saravana Bhavan
86 Syed Alwi Road
207663
62977755
7.30am to 11pm daily
19 comments:
Leslie, I will try the Vadal next time. Thanks to your blog, I now have a list of places to visit when I return to Singapore. I noticed you have not reviewed a good place for turtle soup. Can you recommend one?
The famous one is Ser Seng next to Jackson centre at Macpherson. I have not had turtle soup before, so this is second hand info.
gg > There's another place in Geylang Lorong 15. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the place but they do serve up pretty decent turtle soup which my mum swears by.
ieat & i treat > I've also just tried Saravanaa Bhavan's prata and dosa on Sunday and I really liked them both! Much better than the prata at Roti Prata House on Thomson Road :)
Fantastic work. I agree that indian cuisine offers the best vegetarian food. I've got a little hole in the wall indian restaurant near my office and you can't beat a quick indian buffet for lunch
www.reciperate.com
Saravana's meals are nice, too (and rice and dal are re-fillable). If you want different dals, that's what you have to get, as sambar is the only thing served with the items you mentioned.
Did you know that in India, the dosa, idli and vada are considered either breakfast food or only for a snack? So, did you get full?
Idli is part rice/part dal, so slightly different from putu piring. But, I like the taste of both!
I tried this place last night with my girlfriend, we've been big fans of Komala Villa's for a long time. Often visiting the one at East Coast Park.
I really do like South Indian veggie food. And I was not disappointed here. Great selection. We had the Special Masala Dosa, a type of Vada I forget and some Bonda, plus 2 Masala teas and a small sweet for less than $15.
Fantastic value for money and very tasty food! Thanks for the tip!
Thanks for this review! My (indian) fren and I were just thinking where to go next for our Indian meal and Davienne directed me here.
Will definitely check it out!
for north indian / nepalese food, you might want to give shish mahal at albert court hotel a try :)
Based on what you have written, it makes me realy want to rush off to try it immediately. As a Vegetarian, I have not been to this place before.
Thanks :)
I recently had my first vegetarian indian food at Komala Vilas Restaurant Serangoon Road, and was very impressed it. Is the only place I want to eat at Little India from now on.
The milky chai are so hot and creamy , so different from any other I tried. I like the strong taste and aroma of the milk that soothes any spicyness in the curries. The curries are rather mild and perfect with the breads and rice. The curries are usually chickpeas, lentils or vegetables cooked in various ways with a myriad of spices. Yoghurt and coconut are often used.
They have an extensive menu, serving thosai(try the masala thosai), bhaturra, chapatti, rice meals....
I went back a few times at different times of the day on different days , they are always crowded.
They also have shelves of colourful indian sweets which is a delight to look at, although in general i find indian sweets too sweet for my blood sugar level.
http://www.komalavilas.com.sg
hey anon,
Are you connected/related to komala vilas??? we are talking about saravan Bhavan here. Appreciate if you give your 2 cents on the food here. If you recommend others please say how it fare against food found here.
BTW I went there just before cny and have the masala thosai. One word describe it, unique but I prefer the chutneys at Sri kamala vilas at Buffalo road which is more minty.
Sarvanna bhavan has really good food. I go there frequently...
I just followed your advice and paid a visit last night - excellent food! I ordered the same items in your review... next time I will venture into some additional dishes
HI Guys
Here is a news to all u beautiful vegetarian people. I have come across a rocking vegetarian restaurant in Chinatown, its called DELI VEGE. the address is 200 south bridge road, in the same lane as the red chinese temple, the indian temple and the mosque..pls pls pls go and try their mind blowing food. they offer italian, western, chinese and japanese vegetarian food and is soooooo cheap..trust me u will thank me after being there, their walls and graphics r done so soulfully, u will get a shock after visiting the restaurant tht how come u hv never been here before, thts cause they opened recently, 5 months ago..so check out the most hapenning place for the vegetarian crowd, DELI VEGE
You should write this in the forum section as well. And if you are the stall owner, there is a section where you can advertise your stall.
Hi, Doc and everybody. FYI, Saravana Bhavan is no longer at Belilios Lane. I don't know if it has closed down or shifted, but it's not there. I went looking for it yesterday (26 aug 08). It's not there. hai... I ended up eating at Komalas :( Not that Komalas isn't good, just felt a little pissed I couldn't find Saravana Bhavan. Thanks.
my friend and I also tried to find the restaurant last Friday (5th sept 08) and were disappointed to find that it's not there anymore.
anyway, in the end, we asked someone from another shop, was told that it moved to somewhere near mustafa centre. i haven't not confirm this yet though.
kindly update your blog entries on the listed address to help other foodies. thanks.
ny
Saravana Bhavan has moved to a new premises on Syed Alwi Road opposite Mustafa jewellery section. If you like Dosas, idlis and vadai, you should try Murugan Idli Shop on Syed Alwi Road. It's awesome.
Saravanaa bhavan has 2 outlets in Singapore, with the flagship outlet located opposite Mustafa Centre( Gold Section), at 84 Syed Alwi Road.Saravanaa Bhavan is the Largest Group of Indian Vegetarian Restaurants in the world, with about 60 outlets, serving about 150,000 satisfied customers across the globe.
They serve South Indian, North Indian, Indian Chinese, Chaat, Indian Sweets, Khulfi, Natural Ice Creams, Savouries, and Authentic Indian Filter Coffee and Tea, at very affordable prices.The USP of Saravanaa Bhavan, is that dishes are freshly prepared by expert chefs, and not by machines or waiters.
If you want to know the real taste of Indian Vegetarian food as it is made in India, go to Saravanaa Bhavan.
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