I was invited by Chef Javed of Punjab Grill to try his restaurant and being very interested in Indian cuisine, of course I had to shelve time out to try. After all, Punjab Grill is one of most famous in Singapore among the fine Indian cuisine category and they have won many awards since its debut.
The cooking style here is mainly from the Punjab region (as the name suggests) but what makes this restaurant different is that they serve molecular gastronomy style dishes, served in a 10 course royal tasting menu. For the less adventurous, they do serve more traditional dishes as well. The menu has a large variety.
For this tasting, Executive Chef Javed has prepared a few dishes from the a la carte, 5 course or 10 course menu, as well as items not listed on the menu. I guess you could always show the Manager Shan or Chef Javed my pictures should you want to order the same items in case I didn’t get the exact name of the dishes.
This was like papadum but instead of chick pea, whole wheat flour was used instead. It was very addictive and I could go on munching on this forever, with the mint dip.
Litchi Mist
Curry Patta Margarita
With curry leaves.
It is not a common practice to have wine with Indian cuisine but since this is a modern Indian restaurant, they offer a wide variety of wines and alcoholic drinks to go with the food. They also offer wine pairing.
Amuse bouche
Wild mushroom cappuccino shorba laced with truffle oil and cepes foam
This was very much like a western soup but the garnishing on the side had Indian elements. It’s designed to be drank straight from the cup.
Pan seared foie gras and tava grilled and Hokkaido scallops with pineapple confit
This is my first time seeing foie gras in Indian cooking. It was more or less similar to typical western prepared foie gras actually, seared to crusty on the outside, creamy and soft inside. Of course, the accompanying items like the bread below was Indian style so that makes it different from the French way of serving.
As for scallops, I’ve never had it in Indian cooking too but this one here was excellent. The scallop had a very nice grilled taste and the texture inside was bouncy. The Indian style topping matched nicely too with fragrant spices keeping it interesting, and that also made it different from scallops found anywhere else.
Lamb patty
This lamb patty was spicier than I expected, because I don’t encounter spicy patties often. Being a lover of lamb, acquiring the taste since the beginning of this year, I loved it nonetheless.
Tandoor prawns on saffron seafood pilaf with coconut fish curry
It was tough to choose between the scallops and this dish if I had to name only one favourite. I think this won ultimately because every item in this plate was so good! The prawn, the rice and the curry.
I don’t have much experience with pilaf and for this one, the flavours were unfamiliar but addictive at the same time. I normally try to cut on carbo (following paleo eating rules but if you see everything I’ve been eating you know I #fail) but this rice is worth the carbs and food coma that follows.
I started eating thinking I’ll just have one mouth but ended up polishing the whole plate, including every drop of that coconut fish curry (which I also thought I’ll only use to dip my prawn in initially). The prawn itself was very fragrant and nicely grilled too. I loved this dish so much I can stare at my picture all day reminiscing the taste.
Palate cleanser of raspberry sorbet and chat masala in crushed ice
Butter chicken served in a smoked tomato tart shell
Dal punjab grill, pygmy mirhci paratha & pygmy pudina paratha
Chef Javed believed that Indian food can be more than just butter chicken and naan or chicken tikka masala, but of course a legit restaurant like his would still serve this iconic, world famous dish. Except that his was served in a completely different manner.
The butter chicken was served in a tart shell and on the side was dal cooked overnight in a tandoor, not over the stove. The 2 types of paratha it was served with is similar to our local prata.
Even though there are many creative dishes in this restaurant, I must say the classic hot favourite Indian dish, butter chicken, was done really well here with the chicken being very tender and flavours well absorbed in (chicken can be prone to being tasteless when not well marinated so I am not a big fan of chicken typically). One of the better butter chickens I’ve tried so far for sure!
Dessert platter
The kulfi and green apple chocolate mousse were my favourites. This platter has more western elements I feel and not so traditional for Indian desserts. Being not very used to the richness (of milk and sugar content) of Indian desserts, I enjoyed this better than traditional desserts actually.
This is Chef Javed, the executive chef of Punjab Grill. I honestly loved the food here and definitely one of the best Indian meals I’ve had in Singapore based on both taste and creativity and I’m glad to have a new addition to my personal list of good Indian restaurants in Singapore.
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Food: 8.5/10
Value: 7.5/10
Overall: Great place for Indian food cooked with creativity and not so traditional dishes.
Punjab Grill
2 Bayfront Avenue
#B1-01A
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Singapore 018972
Tel: 66887395
Lunch: 11:30 am – 2:45 pm
Dinner: 6:00 – 10:30 pm
Hungry Bird 