Indian cuisine is having a moment. From Rang Mahal’s continued excellence to Revolver’s fiery rise, chefs in Singapore are flying the spice flag with pride.
Mandala Masters made the most of this wave by bringing in Indian Accent, a decorated outfit from New Delhi, and the restaurant has exceeded all expectations with its take on Indian food.
Culinary director Manish Mehrotra takes time out from his busy kitchen duties to talk to us about his time in Singapore and his quick tips for the aspiring home chef.
What are your favourite restaurants around the world?
I have a few. One of the best meals I’ve ever had was at Mathias Dahlgren in Stockholm. I also enjoyed my visits to Brazil and Mexico. I thoroughly appreciated the latter for its street food. I had a great meal at Nahm in Bangkok, too. The wagyu curry is memorable. In New York, I enjoyed Uncle Boons. It has since closed, but it was very, very popular for its Thai food.
My all-time favourite in New York is Gramercy Tavern for the classic Amercian cuisine. In London, it’s Trishna for Indian food. I don’t usually eat Indian food when I travel abroad, but it is a go-to because I really like the flavours. There are so many that it’s difficult to name every single place. But these are the few that I look forward to whenever I’m in these cities.
During your time in Singapore, which places blew you away?
Pangium, Revolver, and Rhubarb are the restaurants I had the chance and time to visit and dine at. I was really happy to eat at Revolver. Great cuisine and very, very tasty. I’m actually headed to Zén after this interview, and I’ve heard great things.
When it comes to elevating your cooking to the next level, what are some of your favourite culinary tips that you swear by?
There are a lot of tips which can uplift your cuisine and cooking. But my advice, especially to the new generation of chefs doing Indian cuisine, is that the flavours are incredibly important.
How does the dish taste at the end? I never allow the presentation to compromise the taste or the temperature of a dish. The latter is critical for Indian food. So, never let extensive presentation compromise temperature and taste. People will come once for a presentation, but return over and over again for taste and flavour.
