Tucked away in a CBD shophouse is Kamal’s Restaurant, the self-proclaimed “specialist in fried chicken briyani”. It seems that many of its patrons agree with the claim, as each day the eatery is filled with customers feasting on their chicken briyani, prata and other Indian Muslim dishes.
We had to verify that claim for ourselves. And so a colleague and I dropped by one afternoon to try the fare.
Of course, we started with the Fried Chicken Briyani ($8). Judging from the pile of basmati rice and the sizeable deep-fried chicken thigh, I knew I was in for a hearty treat.
Tearing into the chicken, we noticed that it looked a tad dry—and sure enough, it was. While the exterior was great, especially with the crispy orange batter that had flavourful notes of turmeric, masala and more, the flesh of the chicken wasn’t very juicy at all.
However, the fluffy, fragrant, and flavourful basmati rice here was a treat. The aromatic herbs and spices used to prepare the dish shined through with each spoonful, and I liked that there was a touch of nuttiness and tartness—courtesy of raisins—as well.
You can add some of the mutton curry served on the side should you want more flavour. It does possess quite a noticeable gamey taste, however, so those who aren’t fans of mutton might want to avoid using this curry.
We then decided to try some of Kamal’s Restaurant’s prata, which are also highly raved about. The Plain Prata ($1.50) and Egg Prata ($2.20) were our picks.
While I wouldn’t exactly call these pratas amazing, they definitely hit the spot. They were golden brown, fluffy, and even a little buttery. Dunk them into the mutton curry to imbue the prata with a piquant meaty flavour.
As a small side dish, we got a small plate of Sambal Prawns ($4.50).
I wasn’t expecting these to be served fresh from the kitchen, but they arrived in a really cold and unappetising state. I did think the prawns were pretty fresh and crunchy overall, and the sambal that coated each piece had a nice spicy, savoury flavour that matched the sweet prawns well. The stall just needed to do a better job of keeping the food at least somewhat warm before serving.
Kamal’s Restaurant is a no-frills eatery with a modest interior—it almost looks like a canteen. It can feel pretty cramped during peak hours, but if you’re just here for the food, the space should pose no real issue.
Kamal’s Restaurant is a five-minute walk from Telok Ayer MRT Station.
The chicken briyani at Kamal’s Restaurant had some issues—namely how dry the chicken itself was—but it was still quite delicious. The prata was also solid, so overall I’d say the eatery is worth a shot if you’re in the area and would like to have Indian Muslim dishes.
For a three-generation briyani stall with a 58-year-old recipe, read our Geylang (Hamid’s) Briyani Stall review. For cafes around the area to check out, read our best Telok Ayer cafes listicle.
Address: 7 Stanley Street, Singapore 068726
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 7am to 6pm, Sat 7am to 5pm
Tel: 96221 7677
Website
Kamal’s Restaurant is a Muslim-owned eatery.
Photos taken by Raelynn Ng.
This was an independent review by Eatbook.sg.
Summary
Pros
– Briyani had fluffy and flavourful basmati rice
– Solid prata options
– Moreish mutton curry
Cons
– Fried chicken was a little too dry
– Sambal prawns were served too cold
Recommended dishes: Fried Chicken Briyani ($8), Egg Prata ($2.20)
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 7am to 6pm, Sat 7am to 5pm
Address: 7 Stanley Street, Singapore 068726