The name of this casual restaurant may sound odd to some but for those who do not know, the restaurant Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh is designed based of a fictitious origin story that reflects a love affair between a Mexican Girl, Ms. Maria and an Indian Boy, Mr. Singh.
The restaurant located in Tanjong Pagar showcases two cultures that are very similar in terms of gastronomy and design. Through a vibrant palette of yellow and blue colour inspired from the cities of Oaxaca and Jaipur, diners will be whisked away on a culinary journey from India to Mexico.
Featuring tapas and small plates starting from $12, discover them in a comic-style printed book that tells of Ms. Maria and Mr. Singh’s transcultural love story across five themes: Love At First Bite, I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing, I Need You Now, For Wedding And Maybe A Funeral and Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.
To begin, enjoy an addictive complimentary bowl of crispy Mixed Chips ($8 for each bowl thereafter) comprising sweet purple potato, sweet orange potato, yam, and yellow corn tortilla that is accompanied with four house-made dips ($4 per dip thereafter) such as Pickled Mango, Chilli Cheese Sauce, Guacachutney and Pickled Baby Corn.
Theme 1 – Love At First Bite
Embark on a transcultural love journey with their iconic Papdi Chat ($18), a yogurt explosion of flavours inspired by the popular Indian street food made with crisp fried puri, sweet and sour chutneys, yogurt and sev.
For something more special, the Cold Curry Ceviche ($20) challenges the perception of what a typical curry is by presenting it cold and raw with cured scallops and crispy corn instead.
Local flavours are also given a shoutout with the Spicy Crunchy Okra ($12) deep-fried in a buttery chickpea batter for extra crunch and served with chillies and pickled dip, as well as The Guacamole Of My Chips ($16) that serves whole chips with a freshly made guacamole fragranced with local Singaporean herbs.
Theme 2 – I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing
Ease into the second phase of passionate love where quesadilla gets unconventional with renditions like Truffle Quesadilla ($28) that spices up the classic mixed cheese in flour tortilla with paneer masala, decadent truffle paste and honey.
If you a feeling up for it, savour a staple within Mexican cuisine, the Mole sauce which comprises chocolate, spices, fruits, nuts, chilli peppers and over 60 different ingredients in Hate Veggies Love Peanut Mole ($14) that presents crispy fried lotus root atop cauliflower, peanut mole, and butter guacachutney.
Theme 3 – I Need You Now
As things take a more serious and heated turn, look to items made for sharing like Prawn Tempura Tacos ($20 for 2pcs) that serve tempura prawns with slightly pickled purple cabbage, and mizuna leaves on blue corn tortilla, drizzled with chipotle prawn head mayo that gives a punch.
Our favourite would be the Maria & Singh Fish Tacos ($18 for 2pcs) which slices up Barramundi fillet and presents them in perilla leaf tacos served in two different marinades – one in Ms. Maria’s marination and the other, a choice of Mr. Singh’s for a taste of two cuisines in one dish.
Theme 4 – For Wedding and Maybe a Funeral
Go all in with mains like the iconic Gaggan’s Crab Curry ($32) which is a signature dish of Chef Gaggan since 2016/2017, a coconut and coriander-based curry dish, fragranced with shallots, tomatoes, tamarind and juicy chunky crab meat.
North Indian classics are also well represented by the Chicken Tikka Masala ($14) of succulent chicken chunks cooked in a spiced tomato, cream base curry. If you prefer seafood, whole fish options are also available like the Patrani Fish Tamale ($30) of roasted Barramundi fillet, rubbed with patrani masala before roasted in banana leaf.
Theme 5 – Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
If love is the sweetest thing, then it definitely should not be ordinary, as exemplified by the happily ever after dessert menu. The Avocado Falooda ($16) serves vanilla ice cream with a borderline savoury avocado mousse, coconut jelly and lemon foam while the Mango Yuzu Snowball ($24) comprises a mango yuzu base topped with white chocolate snow and chopped mangoes.
Shake It Up For Love
Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh’s outpost in Singapore also features specially crafted cocktails. Amongst the highlights from the cocktail menu ($22 each) are sweet-smoky Banana Rhubarb Old-Fashioned filled with spirit forward, bananas, and a hint of rhubarb; Pineapple Cilantro Sling, concocted with fresh greens, pineapple, and touch of spice from jalapeño; and Anise Agave Margarita, a refreshing blend of anise, agave, and lime that are filled with a herbal, citrusy flavours.
Love Should Never Be Mild
At Ms Maria & Mr Singh, they say that: “Love should never be mild”. The interior infuses the couple’s love story throughout their design, building on Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh’s narrative as the characters evolve from love-struck novices to culinary veterans.
Floating above the bar, traditional Indian sarees are adorned with bright red and yellow flowers resembling embroidered Mexican huipil, seamlessly marrying the two cultures. With much to offer, visit Ms Maria & Mr Singh for a culinary experience like no other.
Address: 43 Craig Road, Singapore 089691
Opening Hours:
- Lunch: 12:00pm – 3:00pm (Fri – Sun)
- Dinner: 6:00pm – 10:30pm (Wed – Sun)
Website: https://www.mariaandsingh.sg/
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