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I stumbled upon Brinda’s after an aimless wayfaring spell brought me to the heart of Bukit Merah. Tucked in a corner of Blk 162, its cool blue was in glaring contrast with the other shops along the same stretch. And like how the colour screams at you to take notice, their logo has distinct blue lettering wrapped in a clashing yellow.
A short perusal of Brinda’s Google listing determined that this was no ordinary diner. It touts a comprehensive list of services — everything from corporate events and catering to weddings and 24-hour island-wide delivery — with their Bukit Merah restaurant as the nerve centre. All Halal-certified.
What I tried at Brinda’s
As this is chiefly an Indian eatery, I opted to have their Chicken Keema Thosai (S$6), which was served on a plastic plate. This rather jarring choice caught us by surprise, and I made an offhand joke along the lines of a catering-themed presentation (beyond earshot of the staff).
Brinda’s Chicken Keema Thosai is made with a thicker batter to accommodate the keema layer within, but at the cost of the crispiness and airiness characteristic of plain thosai.
Alongside the thosai (which looked like it was peering limply over the dismal crockery) sat a shallow pool of coconut and tomato-garlic chutney.
A surgical slice through its keema-filled crust exposed the air to the first of many spice salvos, the subsequent mouth-watering aroma immediately triggering our salivary glands.
We cautiously lifted the mantle only for it to fold with some crackle, indicating to our delight that not all crisp had been lost. I enjoyed how the soft skin returned a crunch here and there, working with the rich chicken keema (like a saucier minced chicken masala) to deliver a one-two punch of savoury and sour.
As the acidic notes intensified, we further elevated the thosai with a dunk in both chutneys. It’s here that I began to feel the heat rearing its ugly head, and the need for a palate cleanser became evident. If there was any hint of sweetness, it was drowned out by the torrent of salt.
Instead of the brazenly artificial taste you get at run-of-the-mill joints, the doses are restrained and pleasant. I didn’t mind that it was partially unmelted.
Our Mutton Briyani Meal (S$10) was served on a banana leaf atop the tray; ergo. no disposable plate for me to comment on.
Compared to other nasi briyani I’ve had, Brinda’s is less flavourful in all respects. Not a demerit per se, as some prefer their breath not to smell like lunch afterwards. I would rather have fragrant, rich rice on my briyani than not, though.
The sturdy mutton, on the other hand, was hard to justify. After judging a significant sample size, I concluded that most pieces were tough the whole way through, not helped by a mostly dry gravy. Not in the mood for prolonged attrition, I skipped them entirely. A real shame, as the serving size of mutton was massive underneath all that rice.
On the side was some runny mutton curry and raita. The curry made a decent addition to the blocks of toughened meat and the over-boiled egg. I was looking forward to a proper palate cleanser in the raita, but it was somewhat watered down.
The papadums were still crispy after almost 15 minutes, a good contrast to all that soft, soupy action we had been embroiled in. Unfortunately, it did nothing to change the profile we had been subjected to till then.
Our final undertaking was an Omelette at S$3.50. I could no longer enjoy the flavour of salt, but its size does justify the price. As some form of pittance, the slices of onions graced my palate with a much-needed earthy, mild sweetness.
Final thoughts
If you can look past the disposable plates (not a tough ask), Brinda’s is another place to have a hearty meal or get-together any hour, any day. With an expansive menu of North & South Indian cuisine, there are choices aplenty. It just so happened that we made the mistake of picking distinctly savoury dishes to test our palate.
Google reviews for Brinda’s are quite mixed, so I would caution you to expect some variance in quality. My opinion? Perfectly adequate. For a 24-hour eatery open 7 days a week and offering a multitude of other food services, quite respectable.
Two salient things to note: Water is free-flow, and there’s a self-service condiment station. Hopefully, no one’s as oblivious as I was.
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