Restaurant review: Yantra's new menu offers transcendent Indian fine dining in Tanglin Mall

Indian food to most non-Indian Singaporeans starts and ends with comfort food like roti prata and briyani. While definitely delicacies in their own right, there’s a whole other world of flavours that the sub-continent offers, and it’s one that Yantra transport you to effortlessly.

From inventive vegetarian plates to tender, melt-in-your-mouth cuts of meat, the Northern-Indian restaurant reopens in Tanglin Mall with a new menu with absolutely no holds barred.

Combining knowledge from renown food revivalist Pritha Sen and the cutting-edge skills of Executive Chef Pinaki Ray, tradition and innovation come together in a menu familiar to the dinner tables of Indian families, but with a refinement and balance that elevates the homely dishes to true fine dining.

Behind unassuming doors, the restaurant’s ground floor space opens up to a gorgeous paintings adorning stunning traditional-inspired interiors, with passageways leading to five different dining areas – each designed to take you on a journey through India’s deep history and varied cultures. We settled in the Jaipur dining hall, with rich silk wallpaper carrying specially designed wall-lamps that resembled the eyes of an elephant.

The evening begins with the Chaat Banarasi ($18), a yoghurt dish with colourful magenta crisps and chana chaat chickpeas hiding a treasure trove of spices underneath. Each bite is a wonderful mixture of textures and tastes, with the crisps offering a nice crunchy contrast to the soft yoghurt while the blend of sweet, salty, and spicy flavours intermingle in perfect balance.

Next came a trio of starters starring tender curried potatoes in the Taka Luchi Alu Dum ($16), lush charcoal grilled mutton with lime and paratha in Nizam’s Kathi Kebabs ($24), and the Ema Datshi ($18).

The latter, a Bhutanese and Tibetan chilli-cheese soup, carries all the flavour-depth of cheese while the spice ensures that it never gets too rich. All three were excellently distinctive bites, we felt that the earthy flavour of the mutton stood out the most.

The main dishes stream in with the same intensity. For the plant-based plates, the Haleem Rashmi ($32) sees jackfruit as a meat substitute, mimicking slow-cooked pulled pork here, alongside whole red lentils, and hand-pounded cracked wheat. 

For the meat proteins, look no further than the Sutta Gosht ($34), which translates to ‘sleepy mutton’. Slow-cooked in its own juices and aromatic spices for over four hours, it’s absolutely divine when enjoyed with the unassuming side of Ma Di Dal ($24).

You’ll want some freshly baked Naan ($3) to pull the Punjabi-style creamy black lentils, slow-cooked wood fire, and that melt-in-your-mouth mutton for the best experience. The Hyderabadi Chicken dum Biryani ($36), however, paled in comparison despite the delightful presentation and a fantastic aroma.

Concluding with the mildly citrusy Bhapa Doi ($18), a Bengal speciality of steamed sweet yoghurt, sprinkled with cardamom and the fragrant dried flowers and treacle of the Mahua tree, it’s safe to say we’re keeping Yantra on our list of favourite Indian restaurants in Singapore.

Don’t miss cocktails from the on-site Corbett Bar, or a wine recommendation by Yantra’s own sommelier like we had, because, needless to say – like the food – they knocked it right out of the park.

Yantra is located in Tanglin Mall, 163 Tanglin Rd, #01-129/130/131, Singapore 247933, p. +65 6836 3088. Open Tue-Sun 12pm-3pm, 6.30pm-11pm. Closed Mon.

This article was first published in City Nomads.