Restaurants
1600/-
Pricey
-By Karen Anand
Decor
April Rain is the new restaurant of Chef Milind Sovani, who although of Indian origin, has spent many years in Singapore putting Indian food on the map there. He has not changed the decor of the restaurant very much - dark wood tables and chairs and discreet lighting in an intimate space on two floors. What he has clearly concentrated on is the change of menu which encompasses Indian and what I would like to call 'nostalgic continental'.
Food
Some of the dishes are presented in a very contemporary manner and others take you back to the days of 'club cooking'. I like the sol kadi pani puri served in a shot glass - the flavours were spot on and the presentation exquisite. The filo wrapped oregano cheese sticks would satisfy any vegetarian and the green planet soup of broccoli, spinach and zucchini was outstanding! 'Continental' main courses are huge portions swimming in sauce. They are all tasty but not what I would call cutting edge cuisine. I am sure they are very popular with the local clientele. The stuffed cottage cheese steak in Cajun marinade with pickling sauce is a very decent vegetarian option. Tenderloin Steak on a cheesy mash would get any young man excited. There is a huge variety of pastas, bakes and pizzas. However what stole the show for me was the excellent Indian food - mildly spiced and not oily at all. Do try the lahsooni jhinga, Tulsi murgh and Mumbai pav bhaji served in a martini glass with herbed garlic bread - again a lovely presentation. I do recommend you try a tasting platter of the starters. There is plenty to choose from in main courses. All sound quite lip-smacking and form a pan Indian choice. The nalli gosht, beautifully aromatic in a light jus thickened with roasted besan, is stunning. Rotis and black dal are really up to the mark. Vegetarians will not be disappointed - there is more than enough choice. For those who hanker for something Singaporean, Milind has created a composite menu representing Singapore - laksa from a Singaporean suburb called Katong, chilli crab, chicken rice, satay, mee goreng, mutton rendang and roti paratha. Judging by the fact that the restaurant was full on a Tuesday evening, I am sure April Rain is going to become a local favourite.
Plus and Minus
Cocktails need a huge improvement.
Must Try
DishesnMalvani Kurao jatra (crispy fried fish topped with prawn bharta), surmai or bombilrnfry.
Review posted within last 6 month
Service: hospitality at its best....you won't regret visiting this place...people working here are very friendly, well-mannered, polite n happy to serve...putting up a warm smile on face, they welcome guests...politely serve water n offer menu...they are quite suggestive too...without taking much time they again will appear by ur side with food...
food: they serve delicious n delectable fares...drinks were not much...starters were nice n so were the main course....well-cooked n aromatic....
ambiance: it was not too decorative, but quite soothing n calm place
overall had great time n soon planning to visit again....
Review posted within last 6 month
I recently visited this restaurant for the first time with a close friend. I did not like the ambience which requires some better lighting however for couples this might be a good place for dining. We ordered Tulsi Murgh some dal and roti and we liked the simple, low oiled Indian food of this restaurant.
They also have Italian and Singaporean dishes but that I will taste on my next visit.
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