Murugan Idli Shop

Murugan Idli Shop is a vegetarian South Indian restaurant at 76 Syed Alwi Road, at the Farrer Park end of Little India. As the name suggests, it is known for idli, soft steamed cakes made from a fermented rice and lentil batter. It is a simple, low-cost stop for breakfast, lunch or a light dinner.

The brand began in Madurai, a temple city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Its story there goes back to the 1960s. S. Manoharan took over the family business in 1991 and opened the first branded restaurant in Madurai in 1993. The chain reached Chennai in 2003 and Singapore in 2010. Today the brand's store finder lists Syed Alwi Road as its Singapore outlet.

What to order

The menu covers South Indian tiffin, the light dishes eaten at breakfast and in the evening. Portions are small, so it is easy to try several things.

• Idli: the house speciality. Tear off pieces and dip them in the chutneys and sambar, a lentil and vegetable gravy.
• Dosai: thin, crisp crêpes made from rice and lentil batter. Have them plain, with butter, or as masala dosai with a spiced potato filling.
• Uthappam: a thicker, softer pancake. There is a ghee version too.
• Vadai: savoury lentil fritters. Choose medu vadai, masala vadai or sambar vadai, which comes soaked in sambar.
• Pongal: a soft rice and lentil dish flavoured with ghee and black pepper.

South Indian filter coffee is the classic way to finish. Mango lassi is a cooler choice on a hot day. If these names are new to you, read our list of dishes to try in Little India.

The setting

The dining room is plain and air-conditioned, with little decoration. Your place is set with a banana leaf, and staff bring several chutneys before the food arrives. Reviewers have mentioned mint, coriander and groundnut chutneys. Staff come round with refills of chutney and sambar as you eat, at no extra cost.

If you like eating off a banana leaf, our guide to banana leaf rice in Little India explains the full rice meal you can find elsewhere in the area.

Good to know before you go

• Vegetarian food: the menu is vegetarian, so it suits diners who avoid meat and fish.
• How to order: you tick the dishes you want on an order slip, a bit like at a dim sum restaurant. Then you hand it over and wait for the food.
• Budget: prices are low, which makes this a good pick if you want to eat cheaply in Singapore.

Getting there and nearby

The shop is on Syed Alwi Road, the same street as Mustafa Centre. The temples and shops of Little India are close by, so a meal here fits easily into a day in the area.

For more South Indian food, try MTR Singapore or Podi & Poriyal on Serangoon Road. You can also browse all Indian restaurants or more places to eat in Little India and Jalan Besar. The brand's official website has its history and other branches.