Anglo Indian Cafe & Bar – CHIJMES outlet
Built in the 19th century, CHIJMES on Victoria Street is one of the most majestic structures in Singapore. From a foodie’s perspective, it has authentic Asian restaurants, bars and coffee houses. Hence its a favourite destination for people who want to unwind after work as well as tourists who are looking to explore Singapore. The latest addition to the refurbished CHIJMES is Anglo Indian Cafe and Bar, a restaurant showcasing Indian food from the British Raj period. They have a precedence of serving good food from their successfully operating outlet at Shenton Way which has a loyal clientele. Their new outlet at CHIJMES positions them to attract tourists who want to taste Indian food due to their liking for the cuisine and ease of location. They have both indoor and alfresco seating which helps to soak in the ambiance.
The Orders
Their menu mainly has North Indian food and some Indian Chinese dishes. Personally, I prefer their North Indian dishes in terms of authentic taste and consistency in preparation. Since they serve Indian cuisine, the place has a significant variety of vegetarian dishes.
In the starters section, you cannot miss their delicious ‘Paneer Tikka’. These are large size cottage cheese cubes marinated to perfection with yogurt and spices and served with mint chutney. They are grilled in tandoor style which gave them a discernible flavour. For the price, I wish there were more paneer pieces but otherwise this dish is highly recommended.
Among North Indian curries, our favourite curry to try at a restaurant is generally the ‘Chole’. Prepared in Lahori style, the chickpeas are gently simmered in a gravy base and have a soft texture. The spices used were well-balanced and had been well absorbed by the chickpeas. This will serve as an apt accompaniment to your naans and rotis.
When okra is cooked to perfection with minimal ingredients, it will shine through in a curry. We decided to try the ‘Bhindi Masala’ as its a vegetable that pairs well with rotis. The okra was cooked with tomatoes, green chillies and spices and tasted decent. Basically, this curry lacked the perfection to taste like an authentic dish. The gravy coating on all the okra pieces was not uniform and hence the consistency in taste was not the same with every bite.
Dals are common as a side dish in an Indian restaurant. Anglo Indian has a nice assortment of dals to choose from and we ordered the ‘Dal Bukhara’. This dish is made using black lentils cooked on slow fire with tomatoes, ginger, garlic and spices. The soft and creamy lentils will melt in your mouth and the spices slowly unfold creating a memorable experience on your tastebuds. Highly recommended, do not miss this!
They do not have a bread basket on their menu. Individual orders have to be placed for rotis and naans. All their naan varieties are good as is the Laccha Paratha.
For quality Indian food in the central location of CHIJMES and a nice ambiance, Anglo Indian Cafe and Bar is worth a visit.
| In a Nutshell | Deelightful Rating |
| Cuisine Type: Indian | ★★★1/2 |
| Nearest MRT: City Hall | |
| Address: 30 Victoria Street, #01-13 CHIJMES, Singapore 187996 | |
| Timings: Mon-Sun: 12pm – midnight | |
| Website: https://www.facebook.com/Anglo-Indian-Cafe-n-Bar-259651134076104/ |
Wonderful food n service. Its our fav resturant in Singapore.
Glad to know that Reema 🙂