This restaurant, which has been around for the past 15 years, serves up a distinct Indian cuisine heavily influenced by Chinese and Tibetan flavours. It’s my first time trying anything like this, so I’m pretty excited yet clueless at the same time. Thankfully, we have restaurant manager Jack and owner Deepali helping us with our order. (They’re also part of the team behind sister restaurant Kolkata Beckons.)
Menu highlights
There’s quite a lot to choose from, so the warm and approachable service makes all the difference – especially for someone new to many of these dishes. We start with the popular pan-fried chicken momos (from $12.90), bathed in a sweet and sticky chilli garlic sauce. I’m told that the Tibetan momos are handmade daily by one chef, which explains why they’re so good! The layer of skin isn’t too thick and there’s just the right amount of skin-to-meat ratio, which makes it the perfect dumpling. There’s also a vegetarian option, and you can get them steamed instead for a healthier meal. Fun fact: in 2009, Tangra’s Tibetan momos were crowned the best dish of the year during the Singapore Food Festival!
For more sweet-savoury goodness, tuck into the crispy chilli baby corn ($14.90), a bestseller that makes a great appetiser to nibble on before the mains arrive.
There are plenty of vegetarian options at Tangra, but meat lovers will be equally pleased with the selection of seafood and chicken dishes. The parsley fish ($16.90) – fried fish pieces coated in a fresh parsley paste – is a must-try; the zingy and refreshing flavour of the parsley make this one more addictive with each bite.
If you love fried rice, get the Sichuan spicy fried rice ($12.90). Featuring fluffy basmati rice tossed with veggies and spices, this delicious stir-fry was a favourite at our table. It has the perfect level of spice, which can be customised according to how hot you like your food. Top tip: this tastes equally good when you have it as leftovers the next day! For those who can’t take spice, there’s also a non-spicy version.
Craving something a little healthier? The vegetarian Hakka noodles ($12.90) ticks all the right boxes with its generous serving of fresh veggies. Simple yet satisfying.
Last but not least
On the desserts menu, you’ll find a fab array of Bengali sweets to sample. Top picks include the gulab jamun ($6.90) – fried cheese balls soaked in sugar syrup. And my husband devoured (all by himself) the baked sondesh ($9.90) – freshly curdled cottage cheese, roasted in dates; he proclaimed it the highlight of his meal.
We’ll be back for more!
For takeaways and deliveries, order here. The restaurant is also open for dining in.
Tangra Chinese
28 Race Course Road
6293 4842 | reservation@fifthseason.com.sg
fifthseason.com.sg
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