Tiffin Room, Raffles Hotel Singapore

One of my Indian colleagues was telling me that the Indian food at the Tiffin Room here at the Raffles Hotel (1 Beach Road, 6337-1886) was pretty good. So I came by tonight to check it out, especially while I was still suited up from work (I wasn't allowed in there once for afternoon tea because I was wearing shorts).

All they had for dinner tonight was a buffet...and a darned expensive one at that: S$49 (US$32.70). For that money, you get access to a fairly large spread, which of course includes curries, but also a pretty impressive Indian pickle selection (including some pickled garlic and chili peppers) and of course starters and desserts, all of which I enjoyed, particularly some lentil and almond salad as well as a mushroom-based curry. Unfortunately, the kebab selection was disappointingly limited for what was allegedly a North Indian place (just some small cuts of chicken-based seekh kebab-like things), but I did get a kick out of the spicy mulligatawny soup (is it supposed to come with a lemon wedge and fried shallots as garnishes though?).

Yes, that price is sky high, and is highway robbery compared to what one should pay for Indian food. But you are dining on linens and have a huge staff just waiting at your beck and call; it was so attentive - some might even say borderline excessive - that they pulled out the chair for me every time I approached it, folded my napkin up nicely every time I left it, and cleared my finished plate within no more than 10 seconds after I finished it.

So while the food was good, I suppose that what you're really paying for here is the Raffles Hotel ambience. Sure, I guess it's kinda novel playing the stuffy imperi...err...colonialist for a few moments, slowly sipping away at some masala tea after the meal. But at nearly fifty bucks for this run (not even including drinks and such), this is pretty much also going to be the last time for me. I suppose that they can command such a premium given how much the hotel guests are paying for their rooms here anyway.