3,332 views

Gurkha Palace Restaurant – Saunf Far, So Good

Rating:

By Veron Ang

It has been a long while since our last visit to Little India. Apart from the colourful temples and shops selling sarees and collectibles, this vibrant district is also a treasure trove of delicacies. Being a huge fan of Indian cuisine in general, I love coming here to indulge in the affordable and mostly reasonably priced food.

Many of the larger restaurants such as Muthu’s Curry and Mustard can be found on Race Course Road. But do you know that directly adjacent to it is Chander Road which has the hidden gems? One such place is Gurkha Palace Restaurant, a Nepalese and Indian restaurant that is run by a Nepalese lady!

(We haven’t actually planned to have a meal then. But the lure of authentic Nepalese cuisine certainly piques our curiosity enough that we go in for a quick bite!)

Boneless tandoori chicken cooked with tomatoes, cream and mild spice

Kukhura Makhani (butter chicken)
S$8++
Rating:

When we ask for recommendations, the waiter immediately points out that the Kukhura Makhani (butter chicken) is a must-try. This is chicken cooked with tomatoes, cream sauce and mild spice.

The dish arrives in a spectacular riot of colours, with many chunks of boneless tandoori chicken bobbing in the thick gravy. The gravy is quite salty and rich, infused with Nepalese herbs and spices. It’s pretty good, although it can get quite heavy after a while.

Cheese naan

Cheese naan
S$3.50++
Rating:

What better way to mop up the gravy than with hot, fresh naan? We go for the oven-roasted cheese-stuffed naan which, rather peculiarly, tastes no different from the plain naan!

As usual, tearing apart the naan with our forks and spoons prove a challenge as we aren’t accustomed to eating with our hands… yet. Speaking of which, how do you eat your Indian food?

Nepalese special tea

Nepalese special tea
S$2++ / 5++ (cup / pot)
Rating:

To wash everything down, we go for a pot of the Nepalese special tea with fresh milk. It tastes great!

Indian mouth fresheners

At the end of the meal, you can pick from a selection of mouth fresheners at the counter. They include saunf (fennel seed) and some other unidentified seed/object.

Gurkha Palace Restaurant
Photo by Steel Wool

It looks like Nepalese food is very much similar to North Indian cuisine! If you need help remembering the name of this street, just think of Chandler from Friends!

Have Your Say!

A little birdie also told us that there is a little outdoor cinema along this street. Has any of you seen it?

Are you a fan of Indian/Nepalese cuisine? Where else have you tried Nepalese food? Let us know in the comments!

Gurkha Palace Restaurant
Little India
51 Chander Road
Singapore 219548
Tel: +65 6292 4316
Service:

Bus services: 23, 64, 65, 66, 67, 131, 139, 147, 857, NR6
Nearest MRT: Little India

Opening hours: 11am – 3pm, 6 – 11pm

Tags: casual, curry, dinner, Indian, Little India, lunch, Nepalese, restaurant

Subscribe to new posts

About the Editor

Veron Ang is the Founder and Chief Editor of Sparklette, a Singapore restaurants guide, lifestyle and travel blog. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer science from the National University of Singapore and runs a web design firm at Sparklette Studio. To get in touch, head on over to the contact page or follow @Sparklette and @VeronSG on Twitter.

Maxwell Food Centre: Madam Tan’s Nasi Lemak – Got Lemak?

Relish – All About Burgers!

Comment using Facebook

Responses Leave a comment

linjie
19 comments

haven’t tried nepalese food before. Can try nxt time
Reply
Posted May 24, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Melissa
133 comments

That area along Arab Street and Bali Lane have quite a number of eateries that sell more unusual cuisines, mostly middle eastern. Downside is that most of them are quite pricey. A lot of people go ther to smoke shisha.
Reply
Posted May 27, 2010 at 5:45 pm
- Veron
  3439 comments
  
  Agree with you on the price factor, although there are a number of restaurants that charge pretty decent prices for the exotic cuisine, such as Deli Moroccan and Altazzag Egyptian Restaurant. I’m not a shisha smoker though ;) Are you?
  Reply
  Posted May 27, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Rabin Rai
1 comment

Wow VERY eye-pleasing, informative and well-written food blog! I must check out the butter chicken at Gurkha restaurant next time I’m around Little India!
Yummy!
Thanks for making it easy to remember the location. I still remember “Chandler” from F.R.I.E.N.D.S! HAHA! ;)
Reply
Posted May 29, 2010 at 11:43 pm
- Veron
  3439 comments
  
  Thanks for the compliments! As a huge fan of Friends, along with their many small jokes surrounding the name “Chandler”, I find it hard to forget!
  Let me know if you have more Nepalese restaurants to recommend :)
  Reply
  Posted June 1, 2010 at 11:55 am
EuJzin
26 comments

Been gg to Gurhka’s for years. I love it for the simple, affordable, yummy and deceivingly huge portions. My faves are the bryani and mango lassi
Reply
Posted June 7, 2010 at 2:12 pm
- Veron
  3439 comments
  
  Wow, looks like this humble little restaurant has been around for a long time!
  Reply
  Posted June 7, 2010 at 3:26 pm
EuJzin
26 comments

My other indian faves are Chat Masala, Khansama, Lagnaa, Bombay Cafe, Chennai Dosa, Haveli
Reply
Posted June 7, 2010 at 2:21 pm
- Veron
  3439 comments
  
  Not many non-Indians can rattle off the names of so many Indian restaurants in Singapore. I am impressed!
  Would give my vote to Lagnaa, too. Not only do they have excellent food, the barefoot dining concept is refreshing. Plus, the chef-owner bothers to go around to chat with customers.
  Reply
  Posted June 7, 2010 at 3:28 pm
  - eujzin
    26 comments
    
    Actually, I think it was your post (a while back) abt Lagnaa that got me started on an indian food trail! Thks! =)
    Reply
    Posted June 8, 2010 at 12:02 am
Name (required)
1 comment

kantipure restaurent near mustafa
Everest Kitchen
518 Macpherson
both nepali food :)
Reply
Posted November 9, 2010 at 9:42 pm
- Veron
  3439 comments
  
  Thanks, anonymous :) A Nepalese friend of mine recommended a restaurant near Mustafa. It may just be the same one! And yes, Everest Kitchen is already on my list of places to check out :)
  Reply
  Posted November 10, 2010 at 1:40 am
Justin
1 comment

Hi there!
I just tried nepali food recently. Must say i really loved it.
I was wondering if you know of any place that sells nepali spice tea bags in singapore?
Thank you =D
Reply
Posted January 16, 2011 at 4:45 pm
- Veron
  3439 comments
  
  Hi Justin, you can try Little India? Sorry, I really don’t have a clue! Maybe next time you head to a Nepalese restaurant in Singapore, you can ask the staff.
  Reply
  Posted January 17, 2011 at 1:18 pm