Swaadhisht

This time, I relished the amazing flavours of India at Swaadhisht. In sanskrit (an ancient Indo-Aryan language), swaadhist means tasty and they most definitely lived up to their name. Located in Little India, the restaurant serves a variety of both North and South Indian dishes. But they’re specialized mostly in South-Western Indian cuisine (mainly food inspired from the region of Kerela in India).

Menu: Chicken Dum Briyani
Venue: Swaadhisht
Price: S$ 9.00
Verdict: 4.5/5

This is their signature dish and it was the best briyani I’ve had in Singapore!

The rice was fragrant and the chicken that came along with it (it’s buried inside the pot so you can’t really see it), was tender and delicious. The portion is more than enough for 2 persons.

Don’t be deceived by the plain look of this dish. I know it looks like plain basmati rice (the kind of rice used to make briyani). However, you need to taste it to believe when I say that this is one of the best briyanis I’ve had here.

Menu: Chettinad Chicken
Venue: Swaadhisht
Price: S$ 6.00
Verdict: 4/5

This was like an accompaniment for the briyani, especially if you enjoy gravy with your rice. While the portions were not huge, the gravy was smooth and extremely tasty. The dish was garnished with just enough spices and it was quite obvious that coconut was used to add to the extreme taste of this dish!

We had to wait at least a good 20 minutes before the dishes arrived but trust me it’s worth the wait. The chicken was cooked just right. Like most of us, I tend to dislike ala-carte non-vegetarian dishes that have been overcooked or re-heated just minutes after the order. However at most of the Indian restaurants that I’ve been to, that’s what happens with exceptions to this one of course!

Their service was excellent because they gave us all dessert on the house, despite having ordered only ala-carte dishes! Is that great or what?! The pricing was not too over-priced especially when I compare them to their direct rivals (restaurants that serve similar dishes that are located within close proximity from them). On the whole, it was an excellent and fullfilling experience for me at swaadhist. Can’t wait to get back there!

Cheerios,
Tina

PS – For more info visit http://www.swaadhisht-singapore.com

Pizzeria

Squisito! La cena era deliziosa!

Get lost in the flavours of Italia at Modesto’s. This restaurant has not only won several awards for it’s amazing wine and dine experience, but it has also won my heart! Located at the Orchard Parade Hotel in Tanglin, the place attracts all kinds of crowds.

They are well-known for their traditional wood-fired pizza (Italia Stile! Mua mua!) and that’s exactly what I had for dinner.

Menu: Pizza Ai Wustrel
Tomato, cheese and chicken sausages

Venue: Modesto’s
Price: S$17.00 (Regular)
Verdict: Very Good (4/5)
Service: Good

Who are they kidding when they actually say Italians make the best pizzas! Unless you’re a fan of the deep dish American pizzas you get at Domino’s or Pizza Hut, you will enjoy every bit of the thin crust pizza you see in the picture.

Pardon me for the missing slice. We were a little bit too hungry.

The toppings weren’t overcooked neither were they too much or too little in proportion. They were just enough. The amount of cheese was just right and the chilli flakes that accompanied this pizza was just amazing. All you needed was just a dash of it. It was enough to complement the succulent flavours in this pizza.

Well that was the star of our food review. But here comes the co-star of the evening.

Menu: Calamari Fritti
Succulent pieces of fresh squid coated in a special Modesto’s batter, deep-fried to perfection and served with tartar sauce

Venue: Modesto’s
Price: S$15.50
Verdict: Very Good (4/5)

My mother (mamma mia) always used to tell me squid is the trickiest dish of all seafood. Too over cooked, it loses it’s tenderness. Too under cooked, it’s just raw and disgusting!

But these calamari rings my friends, were cooked to perfection! A light squeeze of the lemon and there was this tingling taste of citrus in the rings. This added more zest to the overall taste of this appetizer. Wow!

My overall experience at Modesto’s; a perfect place for all occassions. Be it a special date (thanks to the dimly lit and romantic ambience) with great food and drinks or a football match with some beer (there’s an outdoor bar with a huge plasma tv playing ESPN) or just a chill-out session with friends (the outdoor dining area).

However, the service could have been better if the waiters and waitresses smiled a bit more LOL!
But other than that, I would definitely recommend this place for all pizza and pasta lovers.

Cheerios,
tina

P. S. – For more info: http://www.modestos.com.sg