MTR Singapore

MTR Singapore is a South Indian vegetarian restaurant at 438 Serangoon Road, at the northern end of Little India. It is a branch of Mavalli Tiffin Rooms, better known as MTR, a restaurant brand that began in Bangalore in 1924. The Singapore shop was the brand's first branch outside India.

The Bangalore original was started by Parampalli Yagnanarayana Maiya and his brothers, and the Maiya family still runs it. MTR is often credited with creating rava idli. The story goes that rice was scarce during the Second World War, so the kitchen made idli from semolina instead. In Singapore, the restaurant is a joint venture between the MTR brand and a local company, Samanvay Singapore.

What to order

The menu is fully vegetarian and changes by the day, with one menu for breakfast and lunch and another for snacks and dinner. The kitchen says it uses no MSG, preservatives or egg. Dishes to look out for include:

• Rava idli: the house speciality, a soft steamed semolina cake mixed with yoghurt, cashew nuts, coriander and curry leaves, and served with potato saagu.
• Pudi masala dosa: a rice and lentil dosa spread with ghee and a spicy chutney powder, with spiced potato inside.
• Uddina vada: a savoury lentil doughnut, crunchy outside and soft inside.
• Other dosas: ragi dosa, made with millet flour, and set dosa, a thicker dosa that comes three to a plate.
• Rice dishes: bisibele bhath, a spiced rice and lentil dish with vegetables, and pongal.
• Something sweet: badam kesari bhath, a rich, sweet porridge of vermicelli cooked with saffron and ghee, with cashews and raisins.

Masala tea is a good match for the food. If some of these names are new to you, our list of dishes to try in Little India is a helpful start.

The setting

This is a simple, no-frills place where the food is the focus. The dining room is plain and takes up two shop units. It fills up at busy times, and reviewers have found people waiting outside at lunch, so a queue is possible. The South Indian breakfast dishes make it a good first stop before a morning in the area.

Good to know before you go

• Dietary needs: everything on the menu is vegetarian and made without egg, and dishes that suit Jain diners are marked on the menu.
• Allow some time: food is cooked to order, and the restaurant asks for at least 20 minutes to serve you.
• Takeaway and delivery: you can call the shop to order takeaway, or arrange delivery through WhatsApp or GrabFood.
• Daily menu: not every dish is served every day, so check the menu on the restaurant's website first.
• Awards: the restaurant lists a Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence for each year from 2015 to 2019.

Getting there

The nearest MRT station is Farrer Park, a walk of about five minutes. The restaurant faces the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple on the main stretch of Serangoon Road. That makes it easy to combine with a walk through Little India or a shopping trip to Mustafa Centre.

Nearby

For a heartier meal with meat and seafood, Gayatri Restaurant on Race Course Road serves North and South Indian dishes. See more restaurants in Little India and Jalan Besar, browse our Indian restaurants in Singapore, or read our guide to vegetarian and vegan food. The daily menus are on the MTR Singapore website.