South Indian Restaurants in Singapore

A guide to South Indian restaurants in Singapore

South Indian restaurants in Singapore serve the food of states such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. Many Indian Singaporeans have Tamil roots, and Tamil is one of Singapore's four official languages. So this style of food is closely tied to local life. The cooking uses rice, lentils, coconut, tamarind and curry leaves. Meals can be simple, good value and often vegetarian.

South Indian dishes to know

Tiffin: light meals and snacks

In South Indian restaurants, 'tiffin' means light dishes eaten at breakfast or as a snack. Look for these:

• Dosa: a thin, crisp pancake made from fermented rice and lentil batter. Locals often spell it thosai. Masala dosa is filled with spiced potato.
• Idli: soft, steamed rice and lentil cakes.
• Vadai: a fried lentil fritter, often shaped like a doughnut.
• Uttapam: a thick pancake topped with onion, tomato or chilli.

These come with sambar, a lentil and vegetable stew, and chutneys made from coconut, tomato or mint.

Meals and curries

• Banana leaf meal: rice served on a banana leaf with vegetables, curries, rasam and papadum. Rasam is a thin, peppery tamarind soup. Papadum is a thin, crisp cracker. Read Banana Leaf Rice in Little India: How the Meal Works.
• Thali: a set meal of rice, bread and small bowls of curry on a metal tray.
• Fish head curry: a whole fish head in a spicy, tangy curry with okra and other vegetables. It is a dish closely linked to Singapore. See Fish Head Curry.

Drinks and sweets

Try South Indian filter coffee, strong coffee with hot milk, poured back and forth to cool it and make it frothy. Sweets include payasam, a milky pudding, and kesari, a sweet semolina dish.

South Indian restaurants on this list

• Komala Vilas is a vegetarian restaurant in Little India. It is a good place for dosa and a banana leaf meal.
• Saravanaa Bhavan is also vegetarian and also in Little India. Its menu covers dosa, idli and set meals.
• Banana Leaf Apolo serves South Indian food on banana leaves and is known for fish head curry. It suits meat and seafood lovers.

Other Little India choices include Ananda Bhavan for vegetarian meals and Muthu's Curry (Race Course Road) for fish head curry. For a budget meal, the hawker centre at Tekka Centre has many Indian food stalls.

Eating in Little India

All three restaurants on this list are in Little India & Jalan Besar. Little India MRT station is the easiest way in. Walk along Serangoon Road and its side streets between meals. Visit Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Kali. Cover your shoulders and knees, and take off your shoes before you enter. Read Little India Temple Etiquette: What Visitors Should Know first.

If you want to stay close to the food, see hotels in Little India & Jalan Besar.

Tips for a South Indian meal

• Use your right hand. If you eat with your hands, use the right hand only. Asking for a spoon and fork is always fine.
• Say when you are full. At banana leaf meals, staff often top up rice and vegetables. Say so politely when you have had enough.
• Fold the leaf. Many diners fold the banana leaf towards themselves when they finish. It shows they enjoyed the meal.
• Ask about heat. Some curries are very spicy. Staff can point out milder dishes.
• Halal food. If you need halal food, look for the MUIS halal certificate on display. MUIS is the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore.
• Know rough costs. A dosa or a vegetarian set meal is among the cheaper sit-down meals in Singapore, often around S$5 to S$15. Fish head curry is a large dish for sharing and costs more. Prices change, so check menus first.

FAQs about South Indian restaurants in Singapore

Is dosa the same as thosai?

Yes. Thosai is the common local spelling of dosa. Both mean the same crisp rice and lentil pancake.

Is South Indian food vegetarian?

Much of it is, and many South Indian restaurants are fully vegetarian. Others also serve meat, fish and seafood, such as fish head curry.

What is a banana leaf meal?

It is rice served on a banana leaf with a mix of vegetables, curries and papadum. Staff often refill the rice and vegetables as you eat.

Where can I eat South Indian food in Singapore?

Little India has the widest choice, from vegetarian dosa houses to fish head curry restaurants. Indian stalls in hawker centres across the island also serve dosa and prata.

Is South Indian food spicy?

It can be. Many curries use plenty of chilli and pepper, but dosa, idli and coconut chutney are mild. Ask staff if you are unsure.