Dining

Mustard – The Many Flavors of Bengal and Punjab

By Veron Ang | Tags #Indian #Little India

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I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again — I love Indian food. I personally feel it is one of the most perfect cuisines in the world. But even for me, the gravies somehow taste the same in most dishes after a while. If you are like me, mustard is one Indian restaurant that is refreshingly different.

Of the mostly North Indian restaurants along race course road, mustard sets itself apart by specialising in food from bengal and punjab, two of India’s most sophisticated states in culinary. The key that ties the two together? Mustard, an ingredient that is widely used in both cuisines. This is why the restaurant is named after the yellow spice.

Having been accustomed to the bursting flavors of Indian cuisine, I find the food here to be delicious in a more subtle way. Some of the dishes are very unique and different from what other Indian restaurants offer.

Have you ever had prawns served in a coconut before?

Chingri Maacher Malai Curry (Prawns in Green Curry)

Chingri Maacher Malai Curry (Prawns in Green Curry)
SGD18.90+

Seafood figures prominently in bengali fares. The signature dish of the restaurant is chingri maacher malai, a bengali specialty of prawns simmered in curry with coconut milk. The curry is an unusual shade of light green, spiked with cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.

There are mildly spicy and sweet undertones in the milky gravy. If you are familiar with the Thai sweet green curry, this is like a less spicy version. What’s unique about this is that you can enjoy the curry with a scoop of malai (coconut flesh) scraped from the insides of the shell. Yum!

Maacher Paturi (Mustard Fish in Banana Leaf)

Maacher Paturi (Mustard Fish in Banana Leaf)
SGD15.90+

Another bengali dish recommended by the restaurant is the maacher paturi, consisting of snapper fish wrapped in banana leaf. I was surprised by the generous serving of the fish: a large and thick slab of boneless fish marinated with mustard paste, mustard oil and various spices.

Despite the deep shade of yellow, the mustard taste is rather mild, with a slight tinge of bitterness. I don’t particularly like this one, although it’s one of the restaurant’s few signature dishes.

Punjabi Chicken Curry

Punjabi Chicken Curry
SGD13.90+

For something from the state of punjab, there’s the chicken curry. In stark contrast to the fish, the portion given was extremely stingy with just four small chunks of chicken (and bone). I also found the curry masala gravy to be more salty than anything else.

When the waiter came over to ask us about the food, I commented about the taste of the chicken gravy. On hearing this, he immediately brought it back to the kitchen and had it recooked. When he returned, the dish redeemed itself. The thick gravy was nicely spiced in a way that was delicious but not overpowering.

Masala Chai (Spiced Tea)

Masala Chai (Spiced Tea)
SGD2.90+

Of course, every trip to an Indian eatery should end with a cup of masala chai (spiced tea). It is served unsweetened, which makes me wonder how people can drink it just like that. Sugar in masala chai is a must for me. It makes the drink drinkable and at the same time, brings out the rich flavor of the spices.

Saunf (Fennel Seed)

At the end of the meal, we were given saunf (fennel seed) to chew as a mouth freshener. Having had the unpleasant experience of accidentally chewing on whole spice seeds in Indian gravy, I declined politely. I prefer spice to be all ground up as part of my food rather than a standalone. The box that it came in was very beautiful though, with ornate designs stamped on the metal body.

Mustard restaurant

One thing that I must highlight is that the restaurant is an unexpectedly perfect place for an intimate dinner date! The place is small and cosy, with candlelights on the tables and dim lighting from oil lamps hanging overhead. Nice, soothing music plays in the background, creating a calm and homely ambience.

You know how bad service can really spoil the entire dining experience? At mustard, the waiters are always attentive, though never intrusive, rendering dedicated service to the diners. Great service is something I always appreciate.

Housed in a row of shophouses along race course road with numerous other Indian restaurants, mustard faces stiff competition from bigwigs like muthu’s curry and other smaller players like itself. (Aside: did you know that race course road was named after Singapore’s first racecourse in 1842?)

But if I were you, I would really give it a go :)

Mustard
Little India
32 Race Course Road
Singapore 218552
(65) 6297 8422
Service:

also in Little India

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Sri Vijaya Restaurant - Just Plain Yummy! Sri Vijaya Restaurant – Just Plain Yummy!
Sri Kamala Vilas Restaurant - Chicken Masala Shiokness! Sri Kamala Vilas Restaurant – Chicken Masala Shiokness!

For more on Sparklette:

About the Author

Veron Ang is the founder and chief editor of Sparklette. She lives in Singapore and has dined and traveled across the world. She also runs Sparklette Studio, a web design and WordPress development firm. If you'd like to connect with her, head on over to the contact page or follow her personal updates on Twitter: @VeronSG.

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17 responses

Leave your comment

py
July 3, 2008

Yes, I was told that Race Course Rd was named after the first race course. Someone told me that it was there that the first flight in Singapore had taken place.

Looking forward to your next Little India post. You seem to have nice things to share whenever you visit it.
Reply
Veron
July 4, 2008

That’s very interesting! I googled for “First flight in Singapore” and came up with nothing. It would be great to learn more about this little piece of Singapore’s history.

Back to Little India. I think the reason why there is always something nice to share is that the place is largely unexplored by Singaporeans. It’s so colorful and rich in culture, that there is always something new to discover :)
Reply
X Wings
July 4, 2008

Hi Veron,

Apparently came in at the wrong time of the day again….feel super hungry again after reading your Blog…hahahaha…

The pics are real nice too !!

Regards
Reply
Miss Qian
July 4, 2008

Wao, nice food post!!

I don really like Indian food, but the Prawns in Green Curry looks nice and new to me, think it only found in SG… should go try one day!!
Reply
Viswali
July 4, 2008

Hi Veron. Glad to see another post about Indian food from you! I absolutely love the tastes of Indian food no matter which Indian state it comes from :D
Have visited Mustard before and found the tastes diferent from other North Indian food. Something refreshing! Lookig forward to more posts about food!!
Reply
Peko Peko
July 4, 2008

Oh dude, your photos of Chingri Maacher Malai Curry make me want to jump on an airplane and fly over there for dinner!

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

You folks in Singapore have got quite a wonderful variety of yummies.

KyotoFoodieã®Peko
Reply
Veron
July 4, 2008

X Wings: Thanks :D Truth be told, I get hungry at times too while blogging these food posts.

Miss Qian: Ooh if you’re new to Indian food, Mustard would be a good start. The flavors here are milder but still delicious, and suitable for “newbies” :)

Viswali: Mustard is indeed different. A pity they don’t have that many customers, at least not during the time I was there. It was a Friday evening and only one other table had customers!

Peko Peko: Oh come on! The whole world knows you guys in Japan have the best stuff!
Reply
Manas
July 4, 2008

A good indian food place is Gillman Village. Its on Alexandra Road, near River Valley High. Its in the food court in the colonial looking building. Cheap and very good! Reminds me of my mom’s cooking :)
Reply
Veron
July 4, 2008

Hey I’ve always wanted to check out Gillman Village. There are a few restaurants there, although I didn’t know they have a food court too. Will look out for the Indian stall. Thanks!
Reply
py
July 5, 2008

My apologies…my memory slipped.

It should be that the first plane landing occured at Race Course Rd. Here’s the link: http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_85_2005-01-22.html

Yup, it is a colourful place. :)
Reply
Trish
July 5, 2008

Hi Veron,

Just wondering have you been working at Science Park 2 before? Because i find you quite familiar, like i’ve seen u.

I used to work at SP2 last year. You’re blog is nice, will read up on your update.. :)
Reply
r.p
July 5, 2008

yea, i love indian food. Those food shown in the web looks totally unique. Would like to try, but the problem is none of my friends like indian food. =(
Reply
Foodaholic
July 6, 2008

wow that thing in that coconut looks fantastic!
Reply
Veron
July 6, 2008

py: Thanks for finding us the link! I did further research and found that in 1911, Farrer Park was the only place where a plane could land in Singapore before the Seletar Air Base was built. I wonder how long the runway was at that time. There’s certainly no hint today that there ever was one in Little India!

r.p: Haha I think once your friends make the first step in trying out North Indian food, they’re gonna love it. In any case, you can always go indulge in a meal yourself! One of my philosophies in life: Don’t let anyone hold you back when it comes to good food :)

Foodaholic: Certainly one of the most unique stuff I’ve had in Singapore.
Reply
Bubblegum
August 13, 2008

Hi Veron! Great blog! Well, I have some recommendations on places to eat too :) First is Riverwalk Tandoor at The Riverwalk Galleria. The food, service, ambience is fantastic and you should go for their dinner buffet, which starts at 6pm. Second is The Banana Leaf Apolo at Race Course Road. It has the best masala chicken (my opinion lah ;)). Ask for briyani rice with masala chicken and chicken curry. The briyani rice, vegetables & curry is free flow and the pricing is not bad there. But expect to wait for a table there on weekends. I made a reservation though. Third is Samar Restaurant at Baghdad Street. Its goood :) The pricing is ok lah but for the food, ambience and entertainment (they have girls singing and dancing) on friday, saturday and sunday nites(except ramadhan), I don’t mind paying. Not exorbitant but ok. You really need to check out these 3 gems :) These are my fav eating spots lol Cheers!
Reply
AN
September 16, 2008

I am quite ashamed of myself. Being an Indian, I have NEVER eaten any of those things you mentioned above except the fennel seeds!

MUST(ard) TRY! BTW, Fennel Seeds after a heavy duty Indian spicy meal is a must…
Reply
Veron
September 16, 2008

Aww… don’t feel bad. Some of those dishes above are pretty rare, especially the prawn one. Tastes awesome too.
Reply