The ultimate guide to Little India

This restaurant chain founded in 1974 by S. Chellappan is well known for upholding the South Indian tradition of serving food on banana leaves. One of the highlights on the menu: fish head curry that quickly gained popularity among diners. With a secret blend of spices and pineapple, the savoury dish became a signature for the restaurant. The success of the restaurant led to multiple branches across the city, as well as an expanded menu that introduced North Indian dishes to their offerings. Pace yourself, so as to have an appetite when you reach the dessert of fried dough balls that are soaked in a sweet, sugar syrup called gulab jamun.

The history of one of the city’s oldest restaurants stretches back to 1924, when a Brahmin family opened up a joint along Selegie Road serving traditional Indian vegetarian dishes. That original branch is still dishing out all manner of flatbread and curries, but now it has four sister outlets, thanks to the late MK Ramachandra. The second-generation owner – and well-documented cat lover – is responsible for transforming his dad’s restaurant into the chain it is today. On the food front, the prata is a safe bet, but our pick goes to the onion rava masala thosai: potato curry wrapped in a crispy shell of the fermented pancake that’s studded with onions. 

Ready for a sugar rush? Moghul Sweets offers a large variety of authentic Indian sweets. Balls of laddoos are exhibited along with other desserts such as Pinni, Kesari Pedha, Karachi Halwa, Mathura Pedha, Pink Tikkee, Suji Halwa, Dil Kush, and Chocolate Burfi. Prices are affordable too, so don’t be afraid to pack a few laddoos to go with your afternoon tea. 

The brightly lit shop at the corner of Verdun Road is often packed with regulars tucking into crispy dosai and fluffy uttapam. When it comes to South Indian vegetarian fare, Arya Bhavan is one of the most authentic spots in town. Crowd favourites include the ghee rava masala dosai, chilli parotta, podi idli, mushroom 65 – to name a few. The place is also popular for its rice thali sets which are available for lunch. Don't skip the hot beverages, the milky masala tea and coffee with jaggery sugar will make your dining experience complete. 

For what it’s worth, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife frequent this vegetarian eatery – we were told they were there just days before we visited. Madras New Woodlands serves predominantly South Indian dishes that are lighter than your average greasy piece of prata. Try pongal, a sticky mix of rice and lentils cooked in milk and served with three sauces. You’re supposed to mix them all together and eat it in one go. The paper thosai is also popular – light and crispy, it retains its crunch even after being drenched in curry. 

Among the scores of Indian restaurants in Little India, Muthu’s is easily the most dressed up. To boot, the kitchen more than holds up its end. The smell of spices hits you the moment you push through the front door. The menu is small (try the creamy butter chicken, and the crispy onion-flecked brinjal) with a very good vegetarian section, but the star attraction is the fish head curry. Even the small serving is a huge bowl of tart pineapple- scented sauce bathing a fleshy whole fish head. The fancy serving island – dotted with hot trays of luridly coloured curries and a hulking tandoor – offers a takeaway option.

Home to one of the best wet markets in town, the pasar’s adjoining food centre has become a hawker institution offering great grub from a range of cuisines. Great things are always said about the biryani at Tekka Centre, and The chicken dum biryani served at Yakader (#01-259) is the reason for its popularity – buttery, yet not greasy, the chicken is impossibly tender and beautifully spiced. Other good Indian cuisine options on offer include the very decent bowls of butter chicken, best with the crispy garlic naan, at SJ Tandoori (#01-218); and the mixed plates of shrimp fritters, fishballs and potatoes drenched in a spicy thick orange sauce at Temasek Indian Rojak (#01-254).

We like the basic-but-effective Komala Villas, which has been open since 1947 and has branches on Race Course, Buffalo, and Serangoon Roads. The food comes in hearty sets on metal trays – go for the whopping vegetable biryani set, which comes with chapati, papadum, saffron rice, veggie curry, daal, raita, and a whole range of pickles and sauces.

Tekka Market is home to dozens of stalls that claim to be the best in the same thing: biryani. Yet among them all, Allauddin’s comes out top. Its reputation lies in the biryani rice. Perfumed with heady spices, the fluffy basmati reawakens the taste buds instead of weighing down the palate. So despite its generous portion, you won’t have trouble scooping up every single grain of rice and shred of mutton. Special mention goes to the vegetable dhal and achar that add zing to the meat and rice. 

Known for its hearty localised pasta dishes and rich indulgent cakes, The Malayan Council is the best place to go in Little India of some comfort food. Dig in a huge plate of smoked duck lemak chilli padi pasta or share a serving of Singapore chilli lobster – which comes with the mandatory fried mantou buns for mopping up the sauce. Finish off the meal with a slice of ondeh-ondeh cake which comes with crunchy gula melaka bits and coconut cream. 

Another in the clutch of cafés on Rangoon Road in Farrer Park, Brunches Cafe is a vintage-themed spot serving all-day breakfast, gourmet sandwiches, and café standards. Their high tea set, with slices of cake, mini tarts, and sliders, is limited to ten sets a day, and is served in a birdcage. Apart from brunch staples like the eggs benedict, Brunches Cafe also serves vegetarian options such as the truffle-infused mushroom dish and brioche french toast. Diners can also buy the furniture that they sit on or shop at the vintage retail corner. 

A hidden gem on Desker Road in Little India, Allo is a French restaurant with affordable set lunch menus and a cosy ambience. Its three-course La Pasta set menu starts at just $15.90, with main pasta options like primavera pasta and mushroom aglio olio, or more premium prawn arrabiatta and braised beef cheek pasta with a small top-up. Meanwhile, the La Proteins menu (from $22.90) has heftier mains like roasted whole leg chicken, pan-seared barramundi, or roast beef. Starter options include tomato soup, prawn salad or smoked duck breast salad, with both menus ending on a light and sweet yoghurt gelato. Other highly recommended dishes include the flavourful lobster bisque ($18) and the truffled camembert with fig compote ($28). 

A self-proclaimed 'super chill café' in Little India, Main Street Commissary serves up mean cups of coffee and comforting brunch and main items. Check the classic avocado toast ($12.50) or the hearty Breakfast of Champions ($16.50), and for something more filling, go for its winning salmon cream pasta ($17). 

Main Street Commissary is more than just a café though. It often runs exhibitions showcasing photographers, artists, tattooists – you name it. An aspiring barista looking to master latte art? Main Street Commissary also runs workshops for various levels. 

It’s hard not to get excited by the thought of a good biryani, let alone crab biryani served with fresh crabmeat, together with flying fish roe that lends some crunch. Served at Meatsmith Little India where the menu is all about barbecue-style dishes but with an Indian twist – seriously, why hasn’t someone else thought of this earlier? Aside from the show-stealing crab biryani, there’s also pork ribs with coconut chutney, potatoes dusted with a spicy gunpowder seasoning, tandoori chicken cooked low and slow; all cooked in a tandoor oven, spit roaster, or smoker, so the food is next-level delicious and juicy.

With over 1,000 bottles of whiskey – from the ultra-rare to the award-winning favourites – on its shelves, The Whiskey Library is one of the best places in Singapore to sip and savour a dram. Housed in The Vagabond Club, the luxurious boutique hotel with its red velvet banquettes, a stunning collection of art and locally handcrafted furniture, the bar oozes sophistication to the highest degree. Enjoy a pour of your favourite Scotch – its collection comprises mostly limited-edition single-cask bottles – or get the bartender to whip up an old fashioned to pair with an international selection of cigars.

Drink the night away at Olibier Rooftop Bar, a charming and laidback drinking hole hidden at the top of a shophouse on Dunlop Street. Besides a rotating selection of bottled craft beerz, the bar also occassionally has live DJs spinning tunes and even a tarot card reader to look into your birth chart. Patrons love this spot for its friendly atmosphere and easy-going atmosphere – the perfect, lowkey spot to unwind in fresh air and a bottle of beer in hand as the sun goes down. 

This neat coffee spot in the Farrer Park neighbourhood serves espresso drinks to complement café fare like chicken cheese burritos, Croque monsieurs, and hot favourite popcorn-topped panna cottas at wallet-friendly prices. But the main draw for the java-jonesin' are its cold-brewed bottled coffee and chilled Valrhona dark cocoa brews, which the devoted can take home to ration sips.

A Singapore institution, Mustafa is open round the clock, offering 75,000-square-feet of bargains. It’s a treasure trove of discount shopping, carrying everything from skincare and electronics to sportswear and luggage. Sumptuous sari fabrics can be found in the basement, and beauty products at ground level, a supermarket with fresh produce and flowers at its uppermost floor, and even a corner for London souvenirs, of all things. 

The brainchild of sisters Sindi and Shruti Suria, Pottu Kara Maami started as a home-based boutique before setting up shop in Little India. It offers saree-seekers a variety of options from modern silhouettes embellished with embroidery, sequins, and block prints to traditional pieces like mangalagiri cotton sarees, and kanchipuram sarees. It's even got an online store, complete with a catalogue at your fingertips. With its stunning collections, there's no doubt you'll be spoilt for choice.

What started as a small shop in Little India has grown into a multinational company with outlets in Malaysia and an export house in India. The go-to shop for textiles, Haniffa is a fabric haven – whatever colour or design you desire, you'll find it here. It also boasts an exclusive range of silk sarees that aren't easily available elsewhere. Going beyond textiles, the store has expanded to include jewellery, electronics, and even food products in its repository.

Blame it on the growing automation of our lives where hands are reduced to just typing and swiping, it's no wonder maker crafts like pottery is growing in popularity. Besides selling handmade ceramics, pottery tools, kits and glazes, Mud Rock Ceramics also conducts classes at its Maude Road space, so you can get a feel for throwing pots, slab building and glazing. But if getting your hands dirty isn’t for you, then put in a custom order, or drop by and hope to purchase one of their creations.

Here's where you can pick up a fragrant garland. But if flowers aren’t your thing, they retail everything from coloured rice used for kolam, pooja (offering items), copper goods, Indian cosmetics, and all manner of henna items. They’re also one of the few shops in Little India selling freshly made paan, the red coloured betel leaf liquid.