Bombay Brasserie

It’s not everyday a new Indian restaurant debuts in Singapore. And while most of our favourite Indian joints are humble establishments serving up messy plates of flavoursome nosh, Bombay Brasserie aims to take things up a notch – or several notches, in fact. The first thing to acknowledge is its location at the chic South Beach development, placing it in a prime position for business folks to stop by for a meeting or if they’ve got guests to impress. 

The restaurant is part of a large hotel chain in Southeast Asia – the Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) – and has outlets in locations like Dubai and London. The inspiration here is a Parisian, saloon-style restaurant with bleached white curtains, velvety cushions, gold accents, tiled floors and more. Things are pretty prim and proper, but thankfully not stuffy, because the classy brasserie serves up all manner of familiar Indian fare.

Indian and European flavours sit comfortably side by side on the menu but with no mixing, as this is the brand of ‘fusion’ that the restaurant stands by. Case in point: a unique amuse bouche that sees baguette slices with butter presented alongside papadum crackers with mint sauces, chilli pickles and other condiments. 

Turn your eyes to the chaat section of the menu. It offers a modern take on chaat, which are savoury snacks typically found on roadside stalls or food carts in India. The Aloo Papdi Chaat ($18) is a refreshing option where you’ll get a burst of flavour from pomegranate seeds, yoghurt and lime. Other snacks to try include the classic pani puri with mint and tamarind sauces and the double-crusted crispy chicken tikka croquettes ($25). The camembert spinach kofta ($35) is a vegetarian ‘meatball’ which comes swimming in korma sauce and with a side of rock salt naan. Flavours are extremely strong with this one, so you’re better off ordering this near the start of your meal instead of at the tail end.

And as far as comfort Indian dishes go, butter chicken with carbs is an unbeatable combination. The restaurant plates up an elevated version of the dish, calling it “Our Butter Chicken” ($40). It comes with fragrant cumin rice perfect for dousing in heaps of that curry and fluffy stacks of lachha paratha on the side. For the uninitiated, these are whole wheat flatbreads made with unleavened dough and a pinch of salt and ghee, with the texture of a prata and a taste similar to chapati.

If you have space for it, check out the tandoor section as well, which sees crabs, prawns, salmon, chicken and more, all fired up in the restaurant’s clay oven and accompanied with mint chutney and other pairing sauces. 

Exorbitant price point aside, the restaurant does a more than decent job of executing favourite Indian flavours. Just save your visit for a fancy occasion or that important meeting coming up. For something a little more wallet-friendly, Bombay Brasserie also offers daily high tea from 3pm to 6pm at $27 with a choice of three savouries, a dessert, and a hot beverage or beer.