Followers of my blog will know that I am a great supporter of the vegetarian offerings along Syed Alwi Road. With that being said, the different (lesser known) Little India streets also offer suitable reasons to visit. Norris Road, for example, has a number of very cheap and authentic Indian eateries. Mani Iyer Mess is one that has recently cropped up. The restaurant is hardly non-Indian customer friendly, with a non-English alphabet menu on the wall. During the afternoon they sell only white rice or briyani set meals, with more options becoming available in the evenings. This place is 100% vegetarian.
Mani Iyer Mess
Location: 21 Norris Road
Contact: Unknown
Opening Hours: Unknown
Upon entering I asked 'do you have bhattura?', to which the waiter replied 'the bathroom is there'. Lost in translation. Since I didn't fancy eating the bathroom, I decided to opt for the
Briyani Set Meal. When ordering meals like this, you must be aware that at any point in time, you can request for the dishes to be replenished. Therefore, in reality, this is an unlimited buffet-style set meal. All the food from this eatery had very strong turmeric flavour. Turmeric is usually a background spice in Indian cooking. However, for this case, the turmeric flavour was very profound. The dishes were flavourful and not too salty - But, I found the spice level a little too harsh. Price wise it represents terrific value for money.
Price: $5.00. 7/10
Conclusion - If you're looking to experience truly authentic South Indian 'home style' cooking, then I can assure you that Mani Iyer Mess is definitely a place to visit. As I mentioned at the beginning of this review - This may not be somewhere a non-Indian will feel comfortable, for many reasons. But I encourage everyone reading this, to have an open mind and give it a go!
Overall Rating
Food - 7/10
Ambiance- 6/10
Service - 5/10
Value - 8/10
Hi Luke,
ReplyDeleteCan you please post a photo of their menu if you took it so that we can decipher it and the price.
Thanks.
Hey anonymous,
DeleteSo sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the menu. But prices for all dishes range from $2.50-$5.
Luke
Hi Luke, thanks for all your hard work and perseverance to keep updating us w new veg outlets....wish you a merry Xmas and a New year filled w good health, joy and hope!
ReplyDeleteHey Laura,
DeleteYou are most welcome. As long as people find it useful, then I will do my best to keep posting as regularly as I can.
Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year to you too!
Luke
Luke,
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and your family!
And not forgetting, Happy New Year too!
Always looking forward for your new recommendations...Thank you for the efforts and do keep up with the great work!
Regards,
Ashley
Hey Ashley,
DeleteSame to you too!
Luke
Hey Luke,
ReplyDeleteThey've opened a stall at the PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex food court, with a menu in english. The menu is almost the same- and the food is pretty awesome too.
That brings the total number of vegetarian stalls at PSA TP Complex to 4. When are you coming down to review the place? :)
~Div
Hey Div,
DeleteThat is fantastic, I will head down to PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex soon to check it out. It is quite rare to find four vegetarian stalls in one food court, so definitely worthwhile for me to visit.
The other three stalls are all Chinese vegetarian?
Thanks!
Luke
Hey Luke,
ReplyDelete2 are chinese vegetarian, 2 are Indian vegetarian. One of the Indian vegetarian places is actually an Indian Muslim vegetarian joint (if you can work around the semantics of that).
I think its the only one of its kind in Singapore, but I could be wrong.
Of the two Chinese joints, one is run by an old lady whose food will remind you of grandma's cooking.
And on top of that, the two coffee shops across where I work in Tanjong Pagar also have two vegetarian stalls. One is a Punjabi Dhaba, and the other a Chinese vegetarian stall.
In short- book a week for eating here. ;)
~Div
Hi Luke,
ReplyDeleteWe went to Mani Iyer mess after my friend recommended. It was afternoon and we were exhausted after shopping at Mustafa. We ordered set meals. Being south Indian even I felt the spice levels are on top but the quality of the food is value for money. The taste almost matches with home cooked food. The waiter kept serving us lentils and curry. which we liked... it was liked. But couldnt consume more because of spice level.
If you are looking for simple rice, dal and curry visit Mani Iyer mess.
Hey anonymous,
DeleteAgree with your statement completely. Perhaps I will do another review of Mani Iyer Mess in the future! :)
Luke