Chindamani Indian Restaurant (Serangoon North): Crispy, flakey goodness since 2008
I have a weekly thing where every Saturday morning, I go to the market with my family, and it often ends with breakfast at Chindamani Indian Restaurant. According to their website, the business began in 2008, but I don’t remember exactly when we first started eating from that stall. It’s been long enough that their food is a core part of my teen memories.
Despite the name, it’s not really a restaurant, but a standalone hawker stall at Zhi Yuan Coffee Shop in Serangoon North.
The front of the store is plastered with photos of the founder, Mr Ramesh, and his regulars. I remember when Mr Ramesh used to man the stall in its infancy. We patronised his stall weekly, and he came to recognise my family and often greeted us with his megawatt smile.
When we ordered dishes like chicken curry or the nasi briyani, he’d sometimes give us an extra pappadum, or bigger portions of rice. Eventually, we heard news that he was able to expand his business and open more locations.
He still sometimes comes by to check up on the original stall, but we haven’t seen him for a while. The food, however, hasn’t wavered from how it tasted when he first started.
What I tried at Chindamani Indian Restaurant
I am a creature of habit, and often default to either the prata or nasi briyani. I decided on prata: 1 kosong or plain (S$1.30 per piece), and 1 egg (S$2).
Since I got lucky and the stall wasn’t busy, my order didn’t take too long to come together. And yes, I do like sugar with my prata – it’s good with the curry. This is a hill I will die on.
I was in a Mutton Curry (S$5) type of mood, so I got a serving of it. They serve a decent portion, which comes with a single potato chunk.
The mutton is fork tender and comes apart easily. Some pieces are fattier than others and more tender while the leaner chunks can be a little dry. The curry is thicker, more meaty-tasting and slightly spicier than the one served with the prata, which is a fish curry.
I dug into the prata with my fork and spoon, listening to it crackle satisfyingly under pressure. The plain prata presents a variety of textures; from super thin crispy bits to slightly chewier parts where it was folded over.
The prata curry is slightly tart and mildly spicy. If you really wanted to, you could just have it on its own – it’s pretty addictive. I often dip the curry-drenched prata into a little sugar for a little bit of sweetness.
The egg prata veers more to being a little softer, and the egg filling is tender and not overcooked. I like to eat the egg prata differently – instead of dipping, I’ll spoon the curry gravy over and fold it up into a little pouch of curry-filled goodness.
Hot tip: if you want the prata to stay crispy longer, sit further inside the coffee shop. Don’t be me who sat near the outdoor section, and got rained on by a sudden thunderstorm. I also somehow managed to pick a section of the exterior that had a leak in the roof. It’s hard for crispy things to remain crispy while getting splashed with rainwater. Still tastes great, though.
Final thoughts
I’ll be honest – there’s a high chance you won’t agree with me that Chindamani Indian Restaurant makes the best crispy prata in Singapore. Taste is subjective and there’s plenty of competition.
But the fact remains that I’ve grown up with it, and the food has remained consistent for the past decade or more – well, that makes it the best for me. This is my comfort prata, and it tastes like home.
Expected damage: S$2-S$10 per pax
Order Delivery: foodpanda
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