There are a few restaurants that we visit regularly, and Manam is one of them. Ever since we first discovered it more than a year ago, we’ve gone back four times. Partly because they keep giving us return vouchers after every meal, creating an infinite loop.
But the main draw has to be their diverse offering of Indian curries. In addition to the usual suspects like naan and butter chicken, their menu also features exotic-sounding dishes like Maangai Meen Kuzhambu and Malabar Chemmeen Curry.
Oh, and they also happen to make what I consider to be the best biryani in Singapore. Long fluffy strands of basmati rice, infused with the flavour of a thousand spices. No other biryani I’ve eaten has even come close.
We were due for our regular grocery run to Don Don Donki at Clarke Quay, and decided to grab a quick lunch at Manam. It was a really hot day, and stepping into the gold-and-brown accented airconditioned room provided immediate respite from the heat.
I chose chicken biryani for our set lunch, and we spent some time browsing the menu to pick an accompanying curry. Manam has such a wide selection of interesting choices, and it was really difficult to settle on just one. To further complicate things, Steve, our friendly waiter, drew our attention to the Chef’s Specials — Smoked Lamb Shanks and Cilantro Lime Grilled Tawa Fish.
The Wife’s eyes lit up when she heard about the fish, especially since it would be served whole, straight off the grill. Steve must have sensed her interest, because he added that each fish is personally handpicked at the market by the chef and at most four would be chosen each week.
And just like that, we went with the barbequed snapper.
Our Briyani Set Lunch came with a soup, raita and a mutton stew. In the good old days, when my metabolism was higher, it would have been just enough for my lunch. But nowadays, the portion is more than sufficient for the two of us to share.
The chicken briyani was as svaadisht as I remembered, albeit with a discernable difference in the spice mix. It was slightly less punchy and more delicate, with an almost floral undernote.
When I asked Steve about it, he was visibly taken aback at my comment. The kitchen had recently changed the chef assigned to make the biryanis, resulting in a tweak to the blend of spices used. I was the first customer to even notice any difference.
Not bad for a self-declared biryani connosaur. (Yes, I know it’s the wrong spelling, but isn’t this version more fun?)
I normally don’t eat the raita that comes with most Indian meals. It’s usually too yoghurty for my taste and gets hived off to The Wife, but I always finish the one served at Manam. It’s less sharp and more creamy and rounded in flavour.
Again, I commented to Steve about this, and again, he was visibly surprised. Because the yoghurt used in their raita is specially made in-house and not bought. By now, I believe I’ve established some street cred at the restaurant.
The mutton stew that came with the set meal was also really tasty. I cross-referenced the menu and found it in the soup section, under the name Nalli Elumbu Rasam and priced at S$9.00 for an ala carte portion.
If you’ve ever had sup kambing at mamak hawker stalls, it’s along the same lines, except with a higher concentration of spices and meatier chunks of mutton. On a cold day, or when the aircon is on full blast, this would be an ideal way to start the meal.
We had to make space on the table when the fish was served. It arrived on a large wooden platter, with lettuce, slices of tomato, red onion, carrots and cut limes. A side bowl of seasoned basmati rice came with the order.
It was an impressive piece of fish, substantial and very meaty with a beautiful char on its surface. Peeling off the skin revealed moist white flakes of the juicy snapper, which was imbued with the flavour from the cilantro lime marinade.
Across so many visits trying numerous dishes, the seafood at Manam has never disappointed. Whether it’s the fish cubes and whole prawns in their curries, or the grilled fish fillets in their appetisers.
Some Indian restaurants try to mask their less-than-fresh fish with robust spices, and they tend to get away with it. But it’s clear that the chefs at Manam don’t pull the same trick. It’s not immediately obvious on your first bite, but as you continue digging in, the freshness is evident.
The grilled snapper was so delicious that The Wife is planning to order it again today, when she’s catching up with an ex-colleague over lunch. Let’s hope that it hasn’t been wiped out by eager customers yet.
Despite being a sidekick, the bowl of seasoned basmati rice was quite outstanding as well. Compared with the biryani, it was less complex, with coriander and green chillies taking centerstage.
After my first spoonful, I immediately tried looking for it on the menu, but it was nowhere to be seen. Next time I’m at Manam, I’ll definitely be asking Steve if I could make a special order. But then again, I might just change my mind and go back to the biryani with a thousand spices.
In my opinion, the best way to end any meal at an Indian restaurant is not with sinfully sweet desserts like gulab jamun. Instead, I always order a cup of unsweetened masala tea, or masala chai.
It’s officially not on their drinks list, and we’ve been pestering them to add it in for the longest time. Despite consistently striking out, I persisted and requested for it again. Seems like fifth time’s the charm, because Steve didn’t politely reject me outright.
Instead, he said that he would check with the kitchen. And when he came back out, it was with a frothy cup of aromatic malasa tea in his hands.
And it was the best cup of malasa tea I’ve had in a long while. Rich and heady, with a milky, but not too milky, body. There was definitely cardamom, ginger, cloves and cinnamon, but I couldn’t identify the remaining 996 other spices.
It was the perfect ending to a delightful meal.
We’ve introduced Manam to several friends, and those who’ve visited have had only good things to say about it. If you’re a fan of Indian cuisine, but find that the restaurants in Singapore offer the same cookie cutter choices, you might want to give Manam a try. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
