Billowing gauze curtains in amethyst, majestic upholstered seats and a chic address. Walk into Queen's Tandoor at Robertson Walk and be awed by a setting fit for royalty. Newly opened in December 2006, this restaurant which serves Indian and fusion cuisine, exudes a genteel elegance befitting its name.

• The Vibe
  With four restaurants under its belt, Queen's Tandoor has deeply etched roots in its country of origin, Indonesia . Having been in the scene since 1986, Queen's Tandoor has garnered numerous awards including “Best Indian Restaurant” and has since expanded its business to include neighbouring Manila, with Singapore being its latest foray. Staying close to its roots, the waiters and waitresses wore uniforms with batik motif. The restaurant also boasts two marquee-like VIP rooms which seats 12 patrons each, equipped with LCD screens, complemented with “lighted' tables creating a private yet cozy enclave. Whether you are seated indoors or outdoors, you are bound to feel at ease as the restaurant aims to ensure that everyone is treated royally.

• The Food
  For lunch, patrons are in for a treat. Buffets are priced at a very affordable $15.90 nett per head. The restaurant also throws in free flow of soft drinks. The buffet spread is placed right at the center of the spacious restaurant, directly in front of the hexagonal “see-through” kitchen. If you are done drooling over the varieties of tandoors that are being skillfully skewered, start off your gastronomical pleasure with a buffet befitting a culinary adventure of east meets west.

  The lunch buffet spread changes daily but on the day that the SD team visited this restaurant, the buffet spread included a mix of Chinese and Indian food. Karishma, the restaurant co-owner informed us that the variety of fusion includes Thai, Japanese and Indonesian amongst others - so there is always something new every day. The buffet spread ranges from fish to chicken gravy to noodles, rice, bread and vegetables as well as a selection of raitas and gulab jammun as dessert.

  Highly recommended starter from the buffet selection is the warm and moist naans, freshly baked. Karishma shared with us that freshness was integral to all facets of the ingredients used at Queen's Tandoor, right down to how the food was to be served. Apart from naans, the fragrant pulao rice went well with the assorted gravies. Try the dhal, a typical south Indian dish or savour the creamy fish with curry sauce. The fish was tender to the point of simply melting in your mouth giving a pleasant sourish aftertaste. For vegetables, the kailan with shitake mushrooms came off tops with the fresh kailan oozing healthy goodness coupled with the soft and tangy mushroom. Alternatively, opt for a very Chinese styled Wanton. Mix and match to your liking and you will be bound to be back for more servings.

  For more selections, patrons can opt for the ala carte. A dish not to be missed is the Indonesian-inspired “Nasi Siram Ayam Lada” ($15.90), a house specialty and a very popular dish back in Jakarta. Served on a sizzling hot plate, you simply can't help but inhale the redolence of the dish as it sizzled before you. Certainly a novelty in Singapore, this dish was made up of rice, drenched in black pepper gravy. For non-vegetarians, opt for the Kebab Sampler ($19.90) to complement your meal. The sampler included chicken, fish, mutton kebab and prawns. Of the Kebab sampler selection, the prawns were simple scrumptious. One can literally taste its freshness and was succulent right down to its buttery and delicately spiced aftertaste, guaranteed not to burn your palate.

  Not forgetting the children, surprise them with a paper pizza. Available in either vegetarian and non-vegetarian ($19.90), this specially made pizza belied the notion of a typical thick-crusted pizza. Rather, this one was paper thin, giving it its crispness and looking not dissimilar to a crispy chip except that this one was sliced in a similar manner to a slice of pizza. Simply bite into one and savour its crispiness alongside a delightful topping of tiny cubes of chicken and a smattering of green chilli. Certainly addictive and definitely a winner not only for children but adults alike! End your meal on a sweet note with Kulfi ($4.90), an Indian ice cream made from fresh milk, served in a metal cone - certainly one of the best ones around!

  Queen's Tandoor also boasts a chaat bar placed near the wine bar. Chaat is a broad term referring to snacks and appetizers. Request for instance dhosai or pani puri and watch as the chefs skillfully whip up your meal. Likewise, choose to be seated at the nearby bar counter and partake in your drink(s) while you wait for food to be served.

• The Service
  Service was warm and soliticious without being obtrusive. Our glasses were refilled in a timely manner and dishes were served with flourish. The waiters and waitresses ensured that dining at Queen's Tandoor was a pleasant experience.

The SD Food Advisor's take on Queen's Tandoor
Queen's Tandoor is renowned for its Indian cuisine and it is indeed worthy of its reputation. Notably, when the SD team visited the restaurant, it was the first day that it served buffet lunch. While it had a reasonable spread, nevertheless there is room for improvement in terms of varieties of dishes. I felt that the fusion dishes were not on par with the Indian dishes. The restaurant seemed to be all out to impress with their fusion cuisines even though their real strength was in their Indian food. Nevertheless, go to this restaurant to enjoy their Indian fare coupled with a chic ambience and reasonable prices and you won't be disappointed.