Casual mod-Indian fare at 27 Degrees West

NEW RESTAURANT

27 Degrees West 362 Orchard Road Singapore 238887 Tel: 9100-0949 Open daily 12 pm to 11 pm (12 am on Friday and Saturday)

“CELEBRITY chef” and “Orchard Road” are not words that go together in the pursuit of authenticity. The laws of the universe dictate that authenticity is never so convenient. It involves diligent investigation. Language skills. Navigating inhospitable territory (that is, anywhere not near an MRT station). And potential abuse from a cranky purveyor of said authenticity.

But there’ll come a time when you have the munchies for butter chicken and naan, and you don’t care about its pedigree. That’s when you head to 27 Degrees West, where a celebrity chef doles them out in the blissful convenience of Orchard Road.

Apparently the restaurant gets its name because if you head 27 degrees west, you will eventually end up in India (or a Sheng Siong in Bukit Batok if you share our sense of direction). But if you stay put, the casual-ish eatery has an appealing greenhouse vibe in a standalone, glass-encased space flanking Yotel and International Building. It’s long and narrow, split into different sections, including a cocktail bar and a half-open, half-air-conditioned dining room that the lunch crowd is herded into the day that we visit.

The celebrity bit belongs to Mumbai dessert chef Varun Inamdar, who claims a huge Internet following and royal title of “Prince of Chocolate”. We’ve never heard of him. He’s also said to do a mean butter chicken, but opinions will vary. 

The eatery suffers from lunchtime syndrome – an affliction where restaurants reserve most of their energy for dinner and offer just the bare essentials for your mid-day meal. We think the staff are reasonably friendly, but they don’t stick around long enough for us to confirm it. They take your orders and disappear, return with your food and dissipate so you don’t get a chance to change your mind or add anything to your order.

The lunch menu is small, and the cooking serviceable with some decent touches. It’s Indian with a modern twist that feels more dated than innovative, such as a crab thermidor with a gratinated topping (S$35) that’s pricey and a bit of a yawn. A solitary blue swimmer shell is stuffed with a mixture of creamy crabmeat spiked with thecha (green chilli) and a crumbly cheese topping. It starts off with a comfy richness, but gets monotonous after a few bites. 

Crispy kale and puri chaat (S$15) makes more sense, with an appealing salad of deep-fried battered leaves tossed with pomegranate seeds, tiny crunchy dough balls and potato for a lively lucky dip of textures and tartness. Three puris filled with creamy potato and tart yogurt sauce complete this happy dish.

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The lunch thali (S$39.90) is a boon for the undecided. This mini buffet is a tribute to different Indian regions, with each mouthful a nod to Kerala, Kashmir, Tamil Nadu and the like. There’s puffed bhatura, lentils, creamy chickpea or bean curry, deep-fried vegetable fritters, assorted crackers, chutneys and relishes. Much of it is salty or fried, but the white rice balances everything out. Wash it down with the restaurant’s thoughtfully crafted, Ayurveda-inspired mocktails.

The signature butter chicken (S$29) might beat any counterparts you can find on Orchard Road alone, but not beyond it. Tender chicken submerged in a rich, tomato-based gravy is matched with your choice of naan – not quite the resilient, pillowy kind, but a flatter, crisper version. A potato aloo dum (S$25) made with hasselback potatoes is a yogurt-based vegetarian curry that’s a little too tangy for us, but the spuds are suitably dense and waxy.

We can believe Inamdar’s dessert credentials when we get a taste of the pistachio and honey semifreddo (S$15). Not at all cloyingly sweet, it’s a lovely spear of fragrant pistachio ice cream chock-full of crunchy nuts and flowers, with just a light drizzle of honey. 

A limited menu is good for a quick, fuss-free meal, but it doesn’t leave a strong enough impression to make you want to explore its dinner repertoire. Maybe the chefs bring out their A-game at night when the cocktail bar gets into full swing. But our stomachs don’t like being discriminated against according to the time of day. The restaurant wins for convenience and acceptable food, but if 27 Degrees West wants to be a heavy hitter, maybe a slight change of direction would do it some good.

Rating: 6