Return to Praba Sri Lankan Restaurant

 On my second visit to Praba, the Sri Lankan restaurant near South Harrow Station, they were able to provide me with a mango lassi. Thirst quenching and cold.

Also milk is a source of calcium, so I like to think it is good for me, helping with osteoporosis.

Again, I ordered masala dosai.

Masala dosai at Praba restaurant.

This time the pancake was cooked crispier. Still okay.

We wanted the bill split. They wanted to charge each of us extra if we paid with four credit cards. We spent a long time discussing this with the waiter. At first we were disconcerted and unhappy. This seemed a whole palaver.

But after we had eaten, our mood changed.

Finally, one of the four of us decided he was happy to pay for all on his one card, because he got cashback with Chase Bank.

So we other three all did a bank transfer to our friend. Not next day, but immediately. Much simpler. Easier to check the bill in front of you. Be sure the cash had been transferred. Job done.

There are terms and conditions you must apply to be eligible for the UK Chase deal.

Useful Websites

https://www.chase.co.uk/gb/en/support/where-can-i-earn-cashback/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chase_Bank

See my previous post on this restaurant. Please share links to your previous posts.

Indian Vegetarian Delights at Restaurant, Fennel by Komalavilas, in Singapore

Fennel Restaurant in Singapore

An Indian friend organized our get together at Fennel restaurant. Fennel is a plant and the restaurant is vegetarian.

What is fennel? A  plant with a large white root and fine hair-like branching green growth.

The seeds can be sugar-coated in colours and eaten as breath fresheners after a meal.

If you want to grow a plant, or identify a plant, this is what you will see when it is flowering.

Fennel 

by Komalavilas

Here is the interior of the restaurant. It grows on you.

The menu shows pizza.

And lots of other options.

What we ordered:

The Drinks

Coke light. 

Bilterbitch (New Zealand beer) Long glassful. Thirst quenching excellent.

The coffee (brand Brut, which my friend likes, was in a tall, slim coffee mug, more than she expected so she shared it with her husband. We were all given water which was refilled. I liked the idea of the mango lassi or the coconut. 

I also wanted the bread but my husband persuaded me that my diet did not allow these as well as rice and potato. 

Biriani

I opted for the biriani with vegetarian 'chicken' flavour sauce. I can't say I detected any, but I didn't miss it. 

Masala Dosai

My husband ordered the masala dosai and the potato stuffing was great. If I were to return I would opt for that dish. I had potato in my platter, which was like a thali, several small bowls. 

Gobi Manchurian

After we enquired about the gobi manchurian which our friend ordered, she offered to let us taste it. I used a clean spoon to take a mouthful. It was spicy and sweet, excellent. I remembered from Hatch End tandoori restaurant in Hatch End, London, years ago, I used to order alloo gobi. Aloo was potato and gobi was cauliflower. I would never guess that this dish contained cauliflower. But it is a must for next time.

Dessert - carrot - full marks

 I chose my biriani platter option because it included the carrot halwa dessert which was terrific. Probably cheaper to order it separately, but my husband might have argued me out of it so I went for the set meal.

I liked the way the dessert dish was on one side. Less danger of accidentally eating your sweet with the savouries. But perhaps this was random, because the other small bowl on one side was savoury. it would help if staff explained which was the savoury dish.

Our communication was hampered by the fact that we were wearing masks and so were the staff. the bill ends with the words:

Thank you. Please Visit Again.

One of our group has a partner who works in customer relations and we started discussing this. One person said that people in customer relations are trained. If the staff are not smiling, greeting you with welcoming words, saying good bye with polite words and a bow of the head, it is because they have not been trained.

One of our Indian friends said that back in India, service is worse than at restaurants in Singapore. I was surprised, because in England the restaurants which used to give the best service were the Indian restaurants. 

There the owner-manager would open the door and greet you and escort you to the table even if you were joining your friends who were already seated. The restaurant owner, or the waiter who served you, or both, would race ahead of you as you left and bow and say thank you and please come again. the top Michelin restaurants would also do that. And the five star hotels. 

Atmosphere

The atmosphere was relaxing.

Soothing blue and Perfect Pink

 The walls are brick but painted a soothing blue with an amusing saying in pink:. Order dosai and tell me I'm pretty.

The children's high chairs would be useful if you have children. Usually high chairs at the back are clutter but these were pink which matched the pink writing on the wall. Perfec

Return visit? Yes.

Directions

How to get there? We thought the venue was out of the way. So we took a taxi. 

However our friends took a 65 bus from Dhoby Ghaut station. If you want a guide to buses, the bus stops have posters showing the bus directions search websites.

 Address

413 River Valley Road

Singapore 248311

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_New_Year

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_New_Year

About the Author

Angela Lansbury teacher of English (advanced and English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language, French and other languages, aspiring polyglot.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Member of many toastmasters  speaker training clubs and speaking contest judge.

Angela Lansbury, the author of 20 books including Wedding Speeches & Toasts, and Quick Quotations, has lived in the USA, Spain and Singapore. 

She  has several blogs and writes daily on at least two of the following:

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

 Please share links to your favourite posts.

Nalan Vegetarian Restaurant - for Masala Dosai, and Biriani and Mango Lassi

I had asked my Indian friend for a restaurant which served Masala Dosai. the restaurant chosen was vegetarian. I had not realised that masala disai is a south Indian specility and usually to be found in vegetarian restaurants. Ok, fine by me, but not by my spouse notr the spouse of the orgnaizing host.

Nalan, hower is a find. It feels spacious, not so crowded as all those restaurants in Little India, some of which feel like an Indian reailway station, cramped, crowded and rushed.  Sometimes they overwhelm you with turbans and sarees so you feel like an outsider if you are Asian Chinese or European or mixed race expat and not in your most ethnic clothes.

The atmosphere of Nalan is relaxed and just right.

Nalan restaurant in Singapore is easy to reach, at central City Hall MRT station. However, it is hard to find. Cross the road to the large semicircular theatre complex with the empy plaza in front.  Take the right hand entrance and go downstairs. You find jumping small foundtains illuminated in green lights. At the back of the Nalan restaurant is a request to go to the front. They don't explain that you go clockwise, past another restaurant alongside, to get to their front entrance.

Menu
Dosais are hug pancakes. Freshly cooked, they are often too crispy. Add the condiments and they turn into a thin pancake. Confusingly, local Singaoreans describe this difference as we, whilst I from the UK would call it moist.

The menu choices include thalis and a biriani thali if you can't make up your mind. The biriani thali which I had includes rice, potato and a puffed up hollow semi-crispy bread, a bit like a squashed balloon. It included one tiny portion of gulub jaman, my favourite dessert.

Avoid The Ginger Tea
It is just what I did not want, tea with added ginger, tasting of tea, no ginger. I though it would be lemon tea.

I complained, not once, but about five times. The manager conceded to add some ginger. I went to see them make it. The maker was adding something thugh a sieve. It made no difference to the taste.

I wanted tea made with water and ginger, not tea with added ginder. If I ordered lemon I would not want tea with the addiiton of grains of lemon flavour. I would want a piece of fresh lemon floating in tea.

The manager would not replace it or take off the price from the bill.

So, in my opinion, go for the food, and have drinks somewhere else.

Author
Angela Lansbury

MTR Vegetarian Indian Restaurant, Singapore

Problem
Where to eat Indian in Singapore, not too expensive, indoors, convenient?

Answer
MTR fits the bill with regard to convenience. Just near Farrer Park MRT station, which is one stop from Little India. The restaurant is opposite a colourful Indian temple. And only a block or two quick walk from the huge Indian department store Mohammed Mustapha's.

MTR
MTR stands for Mavalli Tiffin Rooms. The restaurant is comfortable enough, not so grand that you are paying excessive prices. We were welcomed immediately and went into their second and less crowded room. The dishes are pictured on the menu and conveniently flash across the TV screen on one of the walls.

I started with a mango lassi. The price list is separate from the main list which is a bit annoying.
 When I finally got to see it, I found that prices didn't make much difference to what I ordered. For example, the desserts were all the same price except one which was 50 cents cheaper.

Added Costs
They do add ten per cent to the sit down meal, and, oddly, ten per cent for takeaway, which I presume is to cover the containers. So no saving in having a takeway meal, unlike England where you save the ten percent service charge.

Masala Dosai
They had more vaiations on dosai than I'd ever seen before with great explanations. From the menu I learned what had always puzzled me. Sometimes I get a masala dosa which is soft like a tandoori nan and sometimes it is a greasy crisp. From their copious explanations I discovered that one type of dosai is cooked both sides, with the resulting crisp which I don't like. Their menu is very clear.

Masala - spice
Dosa - pancake

Masala dosai is usually with spiced potato and I like potato so this is what I go for.

That said, the food did not live up to our expectations. Despite everything said on the menu, and by reviewers on Tripadvisor, I was underwhelmed. I don't like over spicey food, but I do expect it to taste of herbs or coconut or almond or something distinctive. We were a group of four, and the two other lunch guests were not excited either. I was the only one who wanted to order dessert.

We don't have the urge to go back.

My return visit in Singapore will probably be to the Indian restaurant in Albert Court, which I have visited three times, usually at one year intervals on visits to Singapore. Their food can be too spicey.

Noise Level
The echo was so great that even talking at top volume there's no fear of others hearing your private conversations.

So, for brilliant food, look elsewhere.

Location
For a prime location, reasonably clean surroundings at reasonable prices, here's the place.

Happy Note?
Let's end on a happy note. I was really pleased with the location. Not far to walk. They had two of my favourites, mango lassi and masala dosai. The prices were fine. The menu was amusing with the history of the restaurant and a bit about Singapore too.

(Photos to be added later.)

Useful Websites
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masala_dosa

TRAVEL
visitsingapore.com
Singapore Airlines official website
https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/sg/

Train line of Singapore, government official map:
https://www.lta.gov.sg/content/dam/ltaweb/corp/PublicTransport/files/Train%20System%20Map%2029122016.pdf

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Vegetarian Indian Restaurant Planned For Hatch End - S a k o n i s

Problem
Where to eat in Hatch End? Usually about 16 places to eat in the short main street. What's new?

Answer
You already have a choice of two Indian restaurants in Hatch End, Coriander and Delicious Khana. Now a third is planned. A sign on the old Santander site promises another restaurant. The name of the restaurant is S a k o n i s. (I have inserted spaces inserted to thwart the spell checker.)

According to the sign they are recruiting. My eyes open and I smile because the word recruiting makes one think they might be opening shortly. Maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part.

If you can't wait, they already have two other branches in Harrow and Wembley. Looking at their website, my favourite items are the masala dosai (savoury rolled pancake with coconut chutney) and the sweets which I should not be eating.

They say they serve north and south Indian and Chinese cuisine.

Tips
http://www.sakonis.co.uk
http://www.sakonis.co.uk/menu/restaurant-menu/

S a k o n i s in Wembley:
127-9 Ealing Road
Wembley
Middlesex
HA0 8BP
To book a table, Tel:+44 (0)208 903 9601.
Opening times: Monday to Friday 12 noon to 9.30 pm.
Weekends 9 am to 10 pm.

S a k o n i s in Harrow:
5-8 Dominion Parade
Station Road
Harrow HA1 2TR
Middlesex

For directions from Harrow station:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Harrow-on-the-Hill,+Station+Approach,+Harrow+HA1+1BB/Dominion+Parade,+Harrow+HA1+2TR/

Getting To Hatch End
Hatch End station is on the line from Euston to Watford.
Buses are the H12 and H14.
https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/arrivals/490001142A/hatch-end-station/

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. More posts on restaurants in London on this blog. Please share your favourite posts.