Street food and Sindhi cuisine at Kailash Parbat

PUBLISHED October 31st, 2012 01:49 am | UPDATED March 30th, 2016 05:01 pm

You know an Indian restaurant is going to be good when an Indian foodie friend takes you there. So I had high hopes for Kailash Parbat, not only because of this recommendation, but also because it has quite a following in its motherland India.

There are three reasons which set Kailash Parbat apart from other establishments in Little India.

1)   This place absolutely rocks chaat, the ubiquitous street food which is oh so popular in India. Interesting fact – chaat means to devour with relish or eat noisily, and I can promise you there will be a fair bit of that going on when you visit Kailash Parbat.

2)   This is one rather stylee, slinky outfit and there is something very pleasant about filling yourself with wonderful flavours and aromas in a setting that is light and sophisticated.

3)   It’s the only restaurant in Singapore to serve authentic Sindhi delicacies native to Sindh in Pakistan.

Other than that, it’s 100% veggie so a great spot for all those out there who prefer a life without meat…or just like a break from it every now and then.

So let us start with the chaat. One of the chaat dishes that Kailash Parbat is famed for, is its Pani Puri ($5.50). A snack filled with a bit of potato and mashed chickpeas inside a hollow fried crisp filled (by you) with a mixture of spicy water and chutney. I’m amazed that people are able to adeptly eat this at the roadside because I’m sure I would end up with half of it down my front! That being said it makes for a wonderful interactive experience and flavour sensation. Hint: the trick is to open your mouth wide and shove it all in in one go or face the consequences!

The Crispy Corn Basket ($7) might not sound that exciting but inside the golden casing lies a mixture of beautiful, fresh flavours featuring pomegranate – highly recommended!

Also a must try here are the Bhee Ki Tikki or Lotus chips ($7.50) – essentially a bunch of lotus root coated in spicy gram flour and deep fried – I guess this is the Sindhi version of fries but it seems healthier.. rightly or wrongly so. Totally delish and very more-ish.

Fusion naans are all the rage these days, so check out the Masala Cheese Naan ($4.50) – the only way to describe it, is to say that it’s like a fragrant India pizza! Very tasty and perfect for mopping.

But what to mop up?

Cue some Sindhi curry – Bhugal Bee Aloo ($11). Made with potato and “Drumsticks” – called so because they are long, slim green things with a rounder end like a drumstick (the secret to this one is to suck the insides out and put the fibrous skin to one side) sitting in a tomato-based masala, what is so lovely about this curry is how mild yet perfectly spiced it is.

Now this might sound weird here, but I’m about to get really excited about rice. Yes rice. Because it was at Kailash Parbat that I tasted the most heavenly rice of my life! Why? Because it was spinach rice and so beautifully spiced and held together by soft spinach, it was so more-ish and tasty you could eat this entirely by itself!

We didn’t get onto desserts feeling absolutely stuffed by this point, but do be sure to order a lassi (from $5) to wash it all down with – they are made just perfectly here!

If you’re a lover of Indian cuisine and looking to try something a little different from the standard, then Kaliash Parbat should without doubt be on your list. I know it is definitely going to feature on my go-to places in Little India.

Kaliash Parbat is located at 3 Belilios Road #01-03, Hotel Grand Chancellor, Little India, 219924.