Rang Mahal, Pan Pacific Singapore

I'm really glad this dinner happened because I've been wanting to come to Rang Mahal (Level 3 Pan Pacific Singapore, 7 Raffles Boulevard, tel : +65 6333 1788) for the longest time and the cost always deterred me.

The restaurant looked nothing like how I imagined it. I suppose it was actually more pleasant looking that the slightly old-ish look I had in mind. These guys have been around since 1971. That's a couple of years shy of half a century. Today it is run by Milind Sovani, previously from The Song of India. 

Everyone gets papads. They're spicy and pretty good with the spiced fruit chutney.

Amuse bouche was a deconstructed vada pav and some plum drink. It didn't look anything like a vada pav, deconstructed or not. It did taste like one though.

Their ajwaini tandoori black cod was good. Ajwain is a spice - carrom seeds. Not a nation lost in the mists of time. This cod was expensive but very nice. The meat was flaky, delicate yet also a balance of spices and lime with the flavour from the fish and smokiness from the tandoor.

More from their tandoor were the duo green and white asparaguses. These were enveloped in a tangy mustard cheese that paired up pretty well with the sweetness of the asparaguses. Again, great balance in flavour.

We had lamb chops. Smoked in applewood the menu mentioned. Nice. Lamb-y and smoky with the spice marinade that coated it. Tender that we worked through the ribs with just butter knife.

That's Roquefort kulcha. No prizes for guessing why this appeared in our orders. This brought a smile on my face. But I couldn't in fairness credit that smile to the skills of the restaurant. Because Roquefort.

We ordered this because it sounded like a curiosity based on the description on the menu which said 'Mumbai’s special minced masala lamb with soft eggs & buttered buns'. Keema with egg on a cast iron plate to make like shashuka I'd say! Most expensive keema - or shashuka with bread I've had. But this was really well done. Again, flavours and the balance.

Dessert was a rasamalai. We were a little worried that these would taste like wet cardboard but they didn't. It was nice and juicy.

And masala chai to finish. It was a $12 chai. I had initially thought it would be just a cup. It came in a pot which made 3 cups so $4 sounded especially reasonable in a place like this. The masala mix was very toned down which would normally not be my preference. I'm one for more strength from the spices and perhaps some heat from the ginger but this was still a pleasant tea.