New Delhi’s Indian Accent restaurant looking to open in Singapore

SINGAPORE – After its two-week-long pop-up at the members-only Mandala Club here ends, the acclaimed New Delhi restaurant Indian Accent is looking to open a permanent outpost in Singapore. 

The 14-year-old establishment is ranked No. 19 on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Its 40-strong team has been cooking in Singapore since Tuesday, led by its famed culinary director Manish Mehrotra and executive chef Shantanu Mehrotra. 

The brand also has a branch in New York, with another set to open in Mumbai in May. 

During his time here, Mr Rohit Khattar, founder and chairman of global hospitality company EHV International, which is behind Indian Accent, has been scouting for suitable locations. 

The pop-up – which runs till May 25 – will be a way of “getting our feet wet”, he adds. 

Highlights from the menu here include meetha achaar pork spare ribs with green mango rice, wagyu pathar kebab with bone marrow nihari and lily buds, and doda burfi treacle tart glazed with caramelised milk ice cream. 

The pop-up seats about 200 diners a day from Tuesdays to Sundays, with two sessions available for dinner. Prices start at $188++ for lunch and $238++ for dinner.

With more seats available, the number of covers sold at this pop-up is set to surpass that of the 2,100 seats sold for two-Michelin-starred Narisawa restaurant’s five-week pop-up, says Mr Zaran Vachha, managing director of Mandala Masters which curates the residency programmes. 

Narisawa’s pop-up – which ran from March 24 to April 30 and was priced from $518++ a person – saw up to 36 diners a day. 

Should Indian Accent eventually open in Singapore, it will follow in the well-trodden footsteps of other chefs who opened permanently here after their Mandala Masters pop-ups. 

In 2022, chef Mauro Colagreco of three-Michelin-starred Mirazur in France opened Italian restaurant Fiamma at Capella Singapore. Chef Gaggan Anand, likewise, opened an outpost of Bangkok’s Indian-Mexican restaurant Ms Maria & Mr Singh in Craig Road.

Mirazur’s pop-up ran for 18 weeks, while chef Anand’s extended residency lasted for eight months.

In the future, however, Mandala’s pop-ups will run for just two to six weeks. 

On this faster-paced strategy, Mr Vachha says: “Gone are the days when we do residencies for three or six months. We want to keep up the excitement and urgency for people to make their bookings. It also gives the right amount of time for guest chefs to settle in and bring their whole team out.

“As the world opens up and there are more events happening, a more compact residency works for us.” 

Other guest chef events

Indian Accent’s pop-up kicks off a slew of other foodie dining events in May featuring high-profile chefs. 

One of them is Singaporean chef Mathew Leong, executive chef of the two-Michelin-starred Re-Naa in Norway, who will be back for a two-night collaboration with Cassia’s executive Chinese chef Alan Chan at Capella Singapore. Their six-course dinner ($298++) on May 19 and 20 will highlight Nordic and Cantonese flavours from each chef’s cuisines. 

This is showcased in the appetiser trio, which features charred A5 wagyu tartare, rossini gold caviar and kaffir lime tart, honey-glazed Iberico smoked char siew, and salmon and scallop wonton with aged hua tiao shellfish bisque. 

For the seafood dish, chef Leong will serve up flavours of the Nordic coast with an Asian touch, with his dish of grilled Norwegian king crab and smoked cauliflower chawanmushi served with shellfish espuma and citrus aromatic oil. 

Chef Leong says: “Born into a Cantonese family, I enjoy eating Cantonese and Chinese dishes, and have been trying to hone my skills in both cuisines since my speciality has always been in Nordic-French cooking. 

“It feels really nice to come back home to cook and interact with the chefs here as I don’t often get such opportunities.” 

Then on May 22, chef Han Li Guang of one-Michelin-starred modern Singaporean restaurant Labyrinth is collaborating with chef Nelly Robinson of Sydney’s Nel Restaurant for a one-night-only event. 

Limited seats are available for the 14-course dinner ($298++ a person), which features a selection of innovative dishes such as Labyrinth’s Hainanese “Chicken” Pie and Nel Restaurant’s pea and ham dish. 

Marina Bay Sands (MBS) is also staging a Where Your Senses Feast food and wine festival from May 15 to 28, which features a series of experiential dining concepts.

Tickets are selling fast. Popular events include The Great Chef Showcase by Australian chef Luke Mangan ($716 a person) on May 18, and a collaborative dinner featuring two of the Philippines’ most celebrated chefs – Jordy Navarra of Manila’s renowned Toyo Eatery and Johanne Siy of Singapore’s Lolla. The dinner ($656 a person) is held at Marquee Nightclub on May 24.  

The festival’s star event is the luxurious Six Star Dinner – priced at a whopping $996 a person – which features the food of MBS’ Tetsuya Wakuda of two-Michelin-starred Waku Ghin, executive chef Greg Bess of one-Michelin-starred Cut by Wolfgang Puck, and guest chef Stefan Stiller of the three-Michelin-starred Taian Table in Shanghai.

Dishes include Brittany blue lobster with chanterelle and fresh almond, and Stone Axe Full Blood Wagyu filet mignon with wasabi pea puree, caramelised red onion and yuzu kosho.

May 19’s dinner is already sold out, but limited seats are available on May 20.