Located in the lively nightlife district of Clarke Quay lies Gabbar Bistro Bar. I love brunch (and alcohol), hence, when I heard of their Bottomless Brunch that’s only available on weekends, I knew I had to make my way down and see what the fuss is all about.
As soon as you step foot into the bistro, you’ll notice an even spread of artistic hand-painted murals of famous Bollywood celebrities all over.
Of course, I was on the hunt for one man only: their namesake, Gabbar. And there he was, sneakily placed near the entrance for all to see him in his glory.
Despite being around since 2019, this was my first-ever visit to Gabbar. Let the record state, I’m utterly ashamed of myself. Hey, there’s always a first time for everything, right?
If you’re only here for Brunch (sans the ‘bottomless’), it will only set you back S$30. Brunch will come with free-flow homemade Kolkata Pani Puri, along with your choice of any three dishes.
If you’re here for the Bottomless Brunch, all you have to do is add an additional S$50 to enjoy a free flow of your choice of alcoholic beverage for two hours. They also have Cocktails at S$12 per glass and S$40 per pitcher.
Not a fan of alcohol? No worries. You can opt for free-flow masala chai at S$25 per table.
Inspired by street food from across the Indian subcontinent, I was obviously spoilt for choice. So, I obviously went a tad bit overboard with my order (only to regret it after).
I started off with a popular item off ‘Gabbar Classics’, Bombay Vada Pav— an Indian slider loaded with deep-fried potato dumplings with a spicy dry red chutney and chilli. Visually, it was thicc and I wasn’t prepared for the immediate fiery hit upon the first bite. However, the tanginess of the chutney softened the blow and made it bearable.
Next up, is the Bombay Pav Bhaji with a twist. Another popular Indian street food, which, I’ve never had before. The doughnut-looking dish is essentially a soft bread roll stuffed with vegetable curry. Honestly, I’ve never had anything like this before and I can assure you, this is something I’d definitely be coming back for. I mean, who can say no to a stuffed bread roll of any kind!?
For my love of eggs, I had to get the Bombay Grilled Sandwich and Masala Omelette.
The Bombay Grilled Sandwich is quite easily an Indian version of a Club Sandwich, to me at least. The grilled buns are loaded with heaps of herbaceous potato masala, mint chutney, tomatoes and onions, and topped with a generous amount of Amul cheese and coriander. I also learnt that this was the owner’s own creation; a brilliant one at that!
The Masala Omelette on the other hand came atop a soft slice of bread. Although it was tasty and bursting with flavour, I would’ve preferred for the slice of bread to have a layer of melted cheese for the bread to stick to the egg, and not ‘run away’ from my knife as I cut into it.
I especially loved how both dishes came topped with a chock full of coriander too.
Moving on to the heavier dishes, I had the Amritsari Chole Kulche— a Punjabi-style mildly leavened flatbread with a side of freshly-roasted chickpeas masala and tamarind dip. If you’re hungry, this dish will fill you up immediately. Tear a piece of the bread, scoop up the chole masala, and top it up with a bit of the tamarind dip for a sweet and tangy taste.
Saving the best for last is the Kachori Aloo Subzi— a delicious deep-fried disc made out of lentils served with a side of savoury potato gravy. Personally, the Kachori reminded me of a puri, however, it tasted far from it. The Kachori is also stuffed with a spicy sauce that paired really well with the potato gravy. Words cannot describe how addictive this dish was.
Apart from the delectable food, Gabbar also has a resident DJ, DJ Harvy, who plays impeccable Bollywood hits to give you the full Indian experience. There’s more to India than food but all I’ve to say is that Gabbar Bistro & Bar perfectly executed every dish and left me feeling absolutely stuffed!
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Price: $ $
Our Rating: 5 / 5
Gabbar Bistro & Bar
3B River Valley Road, Blk B Clarke Quay, #01-14, Singapore 179021
Gabbar Bistro & Bar
3B River Valley Road, Blk B Clarke Quay, #01-14, Singapore 179021
