The Jury is in!

This review of ‘The Song of India’, located at 33 Scotts Road, Singapore. 228226 is the latest by the Oakham Curry Club (OCC). Singapore branch.

The Song of India, is the ultimate in luxury fine dining for modern Indian Cuisine in Singapore. Located just a stone’s throw from Orchard Road, in a classic black and white heritage bungalow, it forms the setting of grand opulence and sophistication with its stylish interiors and lush green surroundings for a gastronomical journey through India with its award winning cuisine. Since opening its doors in April 2006, The Song of India has established itself as one of the iconic restaurants of Singapore and has garnered numerous awards – will it add the much sought after, the fashionable, the sensational OCC sticker of recommendation?

The OCC is a well-respected Institution with multiple international franchises. The OCC takes pride in searching out the finest Indian restaurants and providing impartial reviews of Curry Houses all over the world. Members vote anonymously without being influenced by other members (we call this “no swaying”) on 5 categories, and an average score out of a maximum 10 is given to each restaurant we review. Restaurants must score an average of 7/10 or above to receive the OCC sticker of recommendation. All OCC members have been through a rigorous selection process to gain entry into the Club. In short, we all know our curries.

Do we enjoy appointing the club to judicially appoint the scores? I’ll let you, the reader, be the judge of that!

Quality: 7.73

Customer VC care: 8.82

Value: 5.8

Service: 8

Atmosphere: 6.83

The Song of India like my friend who was run over by a steam train, should be chuffed to bits with an overall score of 7.44. Congratulations on being awarded a coveted OCC sticker of recommendation to put next to the Michelin star.

The night of the 12th was a rainy evening. The OCC that night were like coconuts - Hard on the outside but sweet once you crack us; also full of alcohol and holding an umbrella.

Note – I am writing this review whilst watching the film 12 Angry Men (a 50s courtroom drama with Henry Fonda. A jury of 12 deliberate the conviction of a youth accused of moider* - it’s a lovely film) which aligns nicely with the 12 dish menu we were treated to in the restaurant’s private dining room. Feedback on the private room and atmosphere from the group was mostly positive; commentary however on the “cavernous, yet sad and empty restaurant” nods to the fact that it was pretty much empty.

Dish 1 – a tempered chicken and almond soup with a crouton stick. Just like Juror 1, the jury foreman, it set the scene well. The first soup many of us have dipped into at an Indian restaurant, but nonetheless a “tasty and unremarkable” number.

Dish 2 – Mustard enhanced smoked salmon & tandoori chicken with mint chutney. I liken this to Juror 6, a tough but principled bloke. He offers a bloke out in the film… the chicken was tough. Lets just leave it there.

Dish 3 -  Lime sorbet laced with truffle oil. Juror 3 stands out here. He’s a cuss word. Truffle oil is a cuss word. Snazzy sorbet though, but the group couldn’t get past the truffle oil.

Dish 4 – Coastal prawn curry (opposed to the inner city prawns that I prefer) – Juror 2. Proper meek bloke. No real zing and a solitary prawn, a curry doesn’t make. Meh

Dish 5 – Bhuna Lamb Ghost – Juror 9. A solid dependable old bloke. A Bhuna lamb is a staple of any good curry house. The Song on India didn’t disappoint here.

Dish 6 – Dumpukht chicken in potli masala – I don’t know what these words mean. Juror 4 is unflappable and looks European for what it’s worth. Thin glasses. Anyway..  It was good chicken to be fair.. echoed by the group.

Dish 7 - Garlic enhanced spinach and cottage cheese. Vegetarian. Juror 11 a lovely European fella who makes watches. Nice, very nice but you would never order him in a restaurant.

Dish 8 – Black lentil delicacy – Juror 7. My favourite juror, he just wants to go and watch baseball. Who wouldn’t. The ‘delicacy’ was more of a ‘plop’ but it was delicious. Very very delicious.

Dish 9 – Rice. Solid. Juror 5. Just nice in the background. Need him there

Dish 10 – Naans & YogYog – Juror 12. All style, changes his mind a lot… Not a comparison but I’ve made my bed and I’m lying it in. The naans were great by the way.

Dish 11 – Pudding. Alphonso mango kulfi & Gulab jamun as well as fresh fruits – Juror 10. He’s an idiot. This pudding reminds me of 2012.. I couldn't get tickets for the Olympic synchronised swimming so instead I watched a woman drown through a kaleidoscope. Drizzling random stuff on a plate with a bowl in the middle is not my idea of a pudding. Personal preference here, but if it’s not something clean to finish the palate or chocolate, or indeed something you can have with custard, then what’s the point! Speaking of sneakiness, I wonder how many chameleons snuck onto Noah’s boat…

Dish 12 – The wines and the service – Juror 8, Henry Fonda. Top notch, held the whole meal together.The above reads negatively, but I do love a good moan. Feedback on the value was prominent, whilst the food wasn’t quite thimble sized, it wasn’t far off. We’re not tight, but when I bought a dishwasher recently, I sorted by lowest price first; i ended up buying a sponge. Additionally, a lot of commentary on whether Indian food suits the fining dining set up done this way which is curry for thought... A look back at the scoring suggests that OCC sticker is given on service and customer care; I would ask future restaurants to bare this in mind..

Sadly, I have to go, I’ve accidentally booked myself onto an escapology course and I can’t get out of it.

Never apologise, never explain. Sorry, but that’s my motto.

Ps. The OCC’s door is always open, so if you know how to fix hinges that’d be great. Check out our other reviews and check back each month for the latest on the Singapore curry scene!

*RIP Taggert. RIP.