It was past noon by the time we were done "ohh and ahh-ing" at the Q1 Tower. Really, really famished.
We already spotted the signage to The Tandoori Place, indicating that their entrance is located along another street. This restaurant was in our Halal-food list so it got us pretty excited.
Saw the Halal symbol from far so we crossed over to take a look. Located across from Q1 Tower, along Surfers Paradise Boulevard. Yes, you read right. In a church building.
On the left is Santoshi India House. They sell stuff from spices & groceries to jewellery to DVDs. They also have a fast food section that reminds me of Komalas. But that shop carried a heavy incense scent, which was quite a turn off. And the food don't look too appetising then (lunch hour was over).
Their website HERE.
On the right is Ballady, a small eatery selling mid-eastern cuisine but it was already closed for lunch when we went in (staff were already lazing around).
Stumbled into yet another kebab shop which also sell seafood items like seafood basket and fish & chips. Located on the corner of Surfers Paradise Boulevard and Laycock Street.
All these eateries are like 5 mins away from Q1 Tower.
(pic courtesy of my colleague, Roza)
Seems like this restaurant is located within a service apartments block. AEGEAN Building.
The interior seem quite lavish. In fact when I see the decor, I was like, "Oh oh, this is gonna be costly.."
The whole restaurant have split levels. The entrance + a small, cosy dining area on top. There was a display corner with all their awards and accolades and I saw a framed Halal logo, supposedly given to them by a Muslim travel agency.
Then we come down to the main dining area with its grand, double-volume space where we had a view of a small waterfall outside; also where the bar is located. You might get taken aback with their extensive liquor collection but I guess it's the norm here, considering they need to accommodate the local crowd.
Another much lower level is where the kitchen + service area is, the washrooms and also a private dining area.
(pic courtesy of my colleague, Roza)
Knowing how filling North Indian cuisine can be, the ladies opt for naans (tandoori bread) while my colleague order a single serving of white rice for her spouse.
Plain and garlic naans for variety. And they came very warm, fresh out of the tandoor (cylindrical clay oven). Fluffy and soft.
Cheese Naan ~ $4.25
(pic courtesy of my colleague, Sri)
Another colleague ordered this. Looks enticing, eh?
Palak Paneer ~ $15.95
"...homemade cottage cheese cooked with spinach and spices..."
Eversince my first time tasting this dish, it's an almost 'must-have' whenever I dine at a North Indian restaurant.
The cottage cheese kinda' vary with the various restaurants since it's usually homemade. Some can be hard and very much like chinese tofu. Some can be soft and chewy and some is somewhere in between. This one was much like the latter.
The spinach gravy was done nicely here too. Strongly spiced. Can hardly go wrong with this dish, I guess.
Beef Korma ~ $16.95
"...delicately flavoured boneless beef enriched with a mild aromatic creamy sauce..."
My mum ask for a 'milder' dish since most of the dishes tend to be heavy on the spice and maybe heat. This korma is very, very creamy and rich tasting. The thick sauce was superb when paired with the naan.
This must have been my first time ordering beef in an Indian restaurant.
Dhingri Mattar ~ $15.95
I want another vegetable dish because I deem the cottage cheese to be more of 'protein'. Scanned though the menu and only this dish caught my eye.
Mushrooms... More protein. *gah!*
Guess, we're relying on the spinach gravy and peas to be more 'veggie'. And the gravy here seemed to be tomato-based, anyway. Yummy, nonetheless.
Chicken Tikka Masala ~ $17.95
"...tender chicken breast roasted in tandoor and cooked in a special gravy..."
When I first tried this dish at an Indian restaurant in Bangkok (of all cities), it was kinda like 'love at first taste' (corny, I know). Must have been the smoky aroma from the chicken tikka that pair really well with the spicy tomato-based gravy.
All in all, the food's pretty good, actually. Not as heavily spiced like the Northern Indian food here in S'pore. Maybe it's to suit the tastebuds of the Australian crowd.
The bill eventually came up to a little over AUD100 for the 5 of us. Not that too expensive, actually. Especially for a place with such a setting.
We were so full that we're glad that the plan after that was to go shopping. Maybe can help burn off the calories from all that rich cream and spices!
Their website HERE
The Tandoori Place
30 Laycock street,
AEGEAN Building ,
Surfers Paradise. (Opposite Legend Hotel)
phone: 07 5538 0808
(There are many other branches. Go to their website to check.)
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