The first time I’ve ever heard of Brindas was looking at a wrapped ad on a cab.
The advertisement described the company as an Indian cuisine delivery service, and nothing more. The thing about static ads is that it’s useless if you don’t already have some semblance of what the brand’s all about. With The Prata House and Casuarina Curry just a few bus stops away, I thought little more of it after that until today, when I decided to pop by the dimly-lit restaurant for lunch. Located under the former HDB Hub complex at Bukit Merah Central, I almost always pass it thrice everyday – in the morning when I head to work, when I go for lunch, and when I head home. It turns out that Brindas had adopted a fast-food restaurant setting, and the smell, the mostly Indian demographic, reminded me of a slightly inferior version of Komala’s. While the prices weren’t the lowest, I decided it was a tradeoff. In Bukit Merah Central, basic comforts such as ventilation and seating are luxuries, so I could accept the higher than average prices, from time to time, at least.
Even though I wasn’t expecting much, I was thoroughly blown away by the fish, which was a fillet, and possibly a fried dory. The curry was cooked nearly to perfection even though I must add that they were very, very stingy with it. The briyani rice, I must admit, was a little uninteresting and unexciting – it generally lacked flavor, especially since they’re not particularly generous with the curry, the contrast is stark. I mean, each spoon of rice was reinforcing the blandness of it all.
Levin 