Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
I remember how on Saturday mornings my family and I would go down to the neighbourhood prata restaurant, and I’d order two egg and one kosong with a teh peng.
I never thought that one day I’d be trying something called a Pizza Prata.
But that’s exactly what can be found at Prata Alley, which opened in 321 Clementi in late 2017. This cafe serves up innovative renditions of local dishes, to keep up with modern times.
The Pizza Prata that I tried was a new-and-improved version, with salami slices and basil leaves sitting pretty on top. Called The Big One ($12.90), it’s by far the most popular of the unique dishes on the menu.
It’s essentially a pizza that’s topped with salami slices on a layer of melted mozzarella cheese, stuffed with peppers, olives and chunks of chicken. Initially, I was taken aback by the texture; it was confusing to taste something so similar to a pizza but with the doughiness of a prata.
I liked it more and more with each bite and I could taste the strong flavours of the peppers and marinated chicken chunks coming through. It also had a decent spice level that made it a little more prata than pizza.
This vibrant plate of Turmeric Rush ($8.50) is Prata Alley’s rendition of fried rice. When served to our table, I could immediately smell the fragrant turmeric.
The prawns looked beautifully fried, and I liked how the shell was really crispy, giving a nice crunchy element to the dish. Though a bit salty, the shell was what made the prawns flavourful. I did, however, find the flesh a bit dry.
If you like heavy fragrant fried rice, you’ll definitely love this dish. It tasted like Fodni Bhaat (Indian Fried Rice) but just a really spicy version of it. The strong Indian spices all worked very well together, but it can get a little overwhelming after awhile.
A prata stall is only as good as its kosong and curry. With that in mind, I ordered a plate of Plain ($1.30 each, min. of two pieces per order) with a bowl of curry.
And Prata Alley nailed it. The prata was pretty much perfect; it was super crispy and fluffy. I really liked that it was soft enough to easily shred and wasn’t too oily.
I also enjoyed the curry, which wasn’t too thick and creamy and had a piquant spice that was strong but surprisingly faded away quickly. It truly became irresistible when eaten together, and I could definitely see myself coming back just for this.
I was about to leave and then I noticed something that’d sate my sweet tooth. I proceeded to order something from the dessert selection: Nutella ($1.50) prata.
Topped with a single scoop of vanilla ice cream and peppered with rainbow sprinkles, the portion was pretty generous.
I had some difficulty cutting off a slice as the prata was a little tough. The richness of the strawberry sauce overwhelmed all the other flavours, and I could barely taste the Nutella. Also, when eaten with the ice cream, it can get a little heavy.
I did like how the prata did not turn soggy from the ice cream and the sauces, and remained crispy from the first bite to the last. This dish, however, was too rich and I feel that it would taste much better if less strawberry sauce was used and if perhaps a more generous spread of Nutella was given.
Fusion food is somewhat of a hit-or-miss, and the Pizza Prata is a fine example of a hit; it had great flavour and the portion was big enough for two. And not to mention, it’s pretty affordable as well.
If you’re down for something more adventurous, or just aching for a good plain ol’ prata, this cafe might just be right up your alley.
Expected Damage: $2 – $15 per pax
