Master Prata (Alexandra Central)

Master Prata is a prata shop on the ground floor of Alexandra Central mall, at 321 Alexandra Road. It is best known for crisp, flaky prata made from dough prepared in-house and served with thick curries.

The shop is run by Asraf Jahabar, the third generation of a prata-making family. His father made prata on Jalan Kayu, the road in the north of Singapore once famous for crispy prata. Asraf still makes the dough to his father's recipe. Before settling here, the family stall moved between several sites, including Bukit Pasoh, Shenton Way, Jurong West and Bukit Purmei.

What to order

Start with a plain crispy prata to taste the house style, then add an egg prata. The menu runs to a long list of fillings and toppings, from cheese and banana to chocolate. Plaster prata, with an egg cooked on top, is another good pick.

• Curries: fish, mutton and chicken, made with proper spices rather than ready-mixed curry powder.
• Mee goreng: fried noodles cooked with a sambal made on site.
• Maggi dishes: chicken Maggi goreng, and a prata with Maggi noodles folded inside.
• Dhum biryani: a slow-cooked rice dish made with basmati rice.
• Roti john: a toasted baguette with egg, here topped with mutton.
• Fried chicken: a simple side to share.

The curry is the key partner for any prata. Many diners pour a little over the bread, while others prefer to dip each piece so the crisp layers stay crunchy.

Good to know before you go

• You can eat in or take your food away.
• Prata is usually eaten by hand. Tear off a piece and dip it in curry, though a fork and spoon are fine too.
• Prata tastes best straight off the griddle, so eat it soon after it arrives.
• This is a casual, low-cost place to eat, which makes it a good stop if you are watching your budget. Our guide on how to eat cheaply in Singapore has more ideas.

Nearby

If you are staying in the area, Momentus Hotel Alexandra is in the same development, and its rooftop restaurant, Verandah Rooftop Rotisserie, suits a slower dinner. For a walk with views, head to the Southern Ridges and Henderson Waves. Art lovers can visit the galleries at Gillman Barracks. For a heritage stroll, try our Tiong Bahru heritage walk. You can also browse all restaurants in Tiong Bahru and Alexandra or more Indian restaurants in Singapore.