Best Indian buffets: 13 places to get your curry, naan and biryani fix

ANNALAKSHMI

#01-04 Central Square, 20 Havelock Road.  Tel: 6339 9993

Set up by the Temple of Fine Arts and staffed by volunteers  from all walks of life, this vegetarian restaurant (daily 11.30am-  2.30pm; 6.30-9.30pm) goes by the concept of “Eat what you  want and give as you feel”–diners pay any amount that they  wish to. On the menu are dishes such as fragrant potato curry, paneers and vegetarian biryanis. They also do one of the best rasams around.

BAYVIEW TANDOOR

#02-01 Singapore Flyer, 30 Raffles Avenue.  Tel: 6333 5191

Enjoy a view of Gardens by the Bay and a North Indian buffet  spread (daily 12nn-2.30pm, $16++; 6.30-10pm, $22++) with  favourites like butter chicken, Manchurian (Indian-Chinese  fusion dishes) and naan. The selection is modest, although the  items for the buffet rotate regularly.

DELHI RESTAURANT

Two outlets including 195C Serangoon Road.  Tel: 6297 1148

This long-standing restaurant has been operating in the heart of  Little India for over two decades. The value-for-money a la carte  buffet (Mon-Fri 11.30am-4pm, $15++) features a wide array of  both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes like masala fish,  chicken tikka, paneer and different naans.

RIVERWALK TANDOOR

#B1-38 The Riverwalk, 20 Upper Circular Road.  Tel: 6536 0875

Riverwalk Tandoor started out as a catering  business and has since been drawing crowds  with its authentic North Indian buffet (daily  11.30am-2.30pm, $17.90++; 6.30-10.30pm:  Mon-Thu, $21.90++; Fri-Sun, $22.90++). It has  excellent rogan josh and aloo gobi (spiced  cauliflower and potatoes), which pair well with  the butter naan.

SHAHI MAHARANI

#03-21B Raffles City Shopping Centre, 252  North Bridge Road. Tel: 6235 8840

Come here for their Sunday Chaat and  Tandoori Buffet Lunch (Sun 12nn-2.39pm,  $36++), where you can feast like a maharaja  at this regally-decorated restaurant. The buffet  includes kebabs, breads and meats fresh from  the tandoor, and a chaat station, where you can  build your own Indian street snacks like bhel  puri (puffed rice with a tamarind sauce).

SITARA RESTAURANT

291 Serangoon Road. Tel: 6291 3211

This iconic restaurant along Serangoon Road (daily  11.30am-2.45pm, $17+; 7-10pm, $21+) offers over 17  items in its buffet including naan, roti and freshly-made  chapati. To go with the carbs is a range of gravies and  curries including moong dhal (yellow mung bean curry)  and palak paneer (cottage cheese in a spinach gravy).

THE MANGO TREE INDIAN COASTAL RESTAURANT

#03-11 I12 Katong, 112 East Coast Road. Tel: 6604 9661

This restaurant specialises in cuisine from coastal cities  such as Goa, Kerala and Mumbai in addition to serving  dishes from North India. The lunch buffet (11am-2.30pm:  Mon-Fri, $19++; Sat-Sun, $24++) includes different  briyanis, freshly made naan and, of course, a range of  seafood, meat and vegetarian curries.

YANTRA RESTAURANT

#01-28/33 Tanglin Mall, 63 Tanglin Road. Tel: 6836 3088

Head here for a fine dining buffet lunch (Mon-Fri 12nn-  3pm, $29.50++; Sat-Sun 11:30am-3pm, $49++) made  with hand-picked, fresh spices flown in from India.  Expect dishes like fish koliwala (spiced battered fish),  paneer tikka and naan made a la minute. They also offer  a small range of desserts including fruits, ice cream and  Indian sweets like suji halwa (semolina pudding).

MELT CAFÉ

Level 4 Mandarin Oriental, 5 Raffles Avenue.  Tel: 6885 3500 Tel: 6377 0070

The mainstay is the Indian spread in this international  buffet (Mon-Sat: 12nn-2.30pm, $62++; 6.30-9.30pm:  Sun-Wed, $78++; Thu-Sat, $88++). Expect both North  and South Indian dishes from tandoori to bhel puri, to a mind-boggling range of curries. Carbs include naans  fresh from the tandoor and fluffy basmati rice.

RANG MAHAL

Level 3 Pan Pacific Singapore, 7 Raffles Boulevard.  Tel: 6333 1788

Buffet lunches (Sun-Fri 12nn-2.30pm, $58++) at the  oldest Indian fine dining restaurant in Singapore do  not disappoint. Stylishly decorated with wood and  marble accents, the restaurant offers a spin on  classic Indian dishes–think broccoli tandoori,  blueberry raita and paneer kofta saag  (fried cottage cheese in a spinach sauce).

STRAITS KITCHEN

G/F Grand Hyatt Singapore, 10 Scotts Road.  Tel: 6732 1234

The buffet (daily 12nn-2.30pm, $52++; 6.30-10.30pm,  $62++) feature mainly local dishes, which of course  includes Indian food, where you can have roti prata  alongside naan and butter chicken. Dinner offers a  wider spread, including tandoori prawns and keema  matter (minced mutton and peas).

TANDOOR

B1 Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre , 11 Cavenagh Road.  Tel: 6733 8333

Named for the circular clay oven, this ornately  decorated restaurant offers a Sunday brunch buffet  (12nn-2.30pm, $48++) with items like tandoori  chicken, kebabs and saffron rice. It also has live  stations where you can have chaat and dosai  prepared a la minute.

TIFFIN ROOM

Raffles Hotel, 1 Beach Road.  Tel: 6412 1816

Open since 1892 but renamed in 1976, Tiffin Room  is iconic for its colonial-style decor and top-notch  service. At the buffet (daily 12nn-2.00pm, $60++;  7-10pm, $75++), you get what you pay for; the  North Indian food here is a touch more refined than  your typical Indian buffets, with a large variety of  chutneys and salads to choose from. Mains include  sea bass in coconut gravy and tandoor-roasted  baby eggplant alongside more options served to  the table.

Featured image: Melt Cafe