Looking for good Indian food? Try the British Club!

During the recent year end festivities, we were invited by a friend to dine at the restaurant known as Verandah Cafe at the British Club, of which he was a member. We were told to expect very good Indian cuisine which he claims is one of the best in Singapore. Our initial reaction was one of surprise, then we reasoned that it was not unexpected as the British are known to love their curries.

The Verandah Cafe is an alfresco restaurant next to the poolside at the British Club. Located near the old turf club in Bukit Timah, the club is surrounded by a lush forested area. With not a highrise building in sight, the Verandah is a relaxing place to be at sunset when the gentle breeze wafts through the large patio like dining space. The restaurant serves quite a wide range of food, including a mix of both Northern and Southern Indian dishes. We had an assortment of curries to go with the basmati rice, naan and roti.

All the curries were rich and flavourful. I can’t recall all the dishes but here are the ones that I remember. The lamb rogan josh was not gamey but still had a robust taste which would appeal to those who like the stronger curries. The eggplant curry was really well made. The eggplant being cooked till it was nice and creamy in texture. We also had a lighter Southern Indian curry – the prawn Chettinad curry. The lighter curry was good as it did not mask the delicate natural flavours of the prawns. Having just been to a Chettinad restaurant in little India recently (read our review here), we also took the opportunity to show off some knowledge about Chettinad cuisine.

My contribution at the dinner was a bottle of Chateau Beaucastel 2000. The Chateauneuf du Pape wine had aged nicely and was probably at its peak. It was generally agreed that it made for a good pairing with the Indian food which in this case was strong in flavours but not very spicy. Chateau Beaucastel, incidentally, was recently named the best value wine brand by Liv-Ex, using a formula that they devised that took into account various factors such as trade volume, price and Robert Parker scores (see their report here).

The meal ended on a sweet note with brownies and ice-cream. It was a delightful meal and we would certainly want to come again, provided we get invited. If you are thinking of joining a club and like Indian food, this is something for you to consider. The prices here are quite reasonable as you can see below.

 The British Club
73 Bukit Tinggi Road
Singapore 289761

www.britishclub.org.sg