The charm of enigmatic Tibet emanates from a small, quiet restaurant along East Coast Road. Tibet Restaurant, with none of the frills of flowery names and ambiguous menu, spares patrons from second-guessing their cuisine – this place only serves Tibetan dishes as authentic as those you can find in Tibet itself. The four-months old restaurant takes immense pride in its use of genuine Tibetan spices and herbs, and makes known its presence in the vicinity with enticing aroma that arises from its kitchens. Passersby may turn their noses away in discomfort while others are piqued by the unique smell; such is the thrill of presenting Tibetan fare to locals who are unfamiliar with it.

• The Vibe
  This is a truly miniature Tibet – from the smell to the décor – with plenty of intriguing Tibetan artifacts hanging off their whitewashed walls. A meal at the Tibet Restaurant is very much casual as it aims to bring a laidback feel of Tibetan culture into the tiny restaurant in Singapore. One can learn a lot about Tibetan culture just by perusing the assortment of Tibetan inscription on the banners, maps and books offered by the restaurant. In fact, one can have fun playing with some of the rare toys and cultural accessories, such as a miniature spinning prayer wheel, directly imported from Tibet.
• The Food
  Tibetan fare is most well-known for its Tibetan Butter Tea ($3), a rich, oily and salty drink favoured for its ability to keep the drinker warm in cold climate. Made from tea leaves, yak butter, and salt, the original Tibetan butter tea has a visible layer of fatty oils on top of the drinkable liquid but is fortunately toned down for locals in this restaurant. The resulting concoction retains a smooth, buttery texture but takes on a mildly sweet taste. In fact, a few mouthfuls and you will find a certain resemblance between this butter tea and the typical Indian masala chai. Customers, however, are welcome to request for the original salty rendition.

   A standard Tibetan meal consists of meat, especially mutton, and no greens, but the restaurant menu incorporates a few vegetable dishes and adds greens to existing Tibetan items to placate locals. The Northern Slightly Fried Dumplings ($7 for 10 pieces) is an alternative for customers who fancy some greens in their meat dumplings. The dumpling is a great starter, with the abundance of soupy goodness wrapped inside with the generous meat filling. Be careful not to spurt any soup onto yourself as you sink your teeth into a dumpling, though.

  Tuck into the array of mutton dishes, for these dishes best embody the soul of Tibetan cuisine and is the forte of Tibet Restaurant. The Zang Hong Hua Mutton ($16), consist of stir-fries thin mutton slices with saffron shreds and Chinese cabbage. Saffron is largely believed to beneficial for blood circulation and boost one's immunity, but to claim that this dish is of an acquired taste will be too genial an understatement. Notably, the gravy is rather pungent with some unidentifiable spices that most Singaporeans will find discomforting. The dish too did not fully mask the muttonish smell.

  Fortunately, not all mutton dishes at Tibet Restaurant are unpalatable. Have a taste of the Zi Ran Mutton ($12) which surprisingly tastes like mutton satay with a lot more spices added in the marinate. Thanks to zi ran, a flavourful spice that grows only in the desert regions of China, masking the usual odour of mutton, this dish is actually very tasty and goes down well with the local palate.

  If you are paranoid about mutton, try the luxurious Tibet Xue Lian Stewed Chicken Soup ($20) and you simply cannot go wrong with it. Tender chunks of chicken are served in a pot of rich, steaming chicken broth with a familiar herbal taste that reminds one of common Chinese ginseng soup. Xue lian, or snow lotus, is a rare high altitude herb that is found in the cool, temperate climate of Tibet. It is said to be effective in fighting against chills, coughs, gastric and menstrual pains, and arthritis. As beneficial as it sounds, note that pregnant women are forbidden to take snow lotus as it has adverse effects on the foetus.

  Choices for dessert were disappointingly limited but their Tibet Butter Fried Ren Shen Guo ($8) is an intriguing offer. Albeit being fried with butter, this dessert is a warm, dandy mix of raisins, Chinese wolfberries and ren shen guo, a kind of nut believed to promote longevity if consumed regularly, in sweet compote. The crunch of ren shen guo gets addictive after awhile and adds a pleasant touch to end your meal at Tibet Restaurant.

• The Service
  Members of the staff are only Mandarin-proficient so if you can banter well in Mandarin, you will hit it off with them right away. Their warm, friendly disposition will make you feel at ease; a smile really goes a long way. The chef, who stayed in Tibet for 2 years previously, is always happy to emerge from his kitchen and share interesting nuggets of information about Tibet with his customers, and has great books and personal advice for people who want to head over to Tibet for a trip.

SD Food Advisor's Take on Tibet Restaurant
Mr. Lee, the resident chef, made a wise choice in localizing Tibetan cuisine in this restaurant. Although some dishes are still too Tibetan for me to handle, I like the thrill of trying exotic food and Tibet Restaurant definitely surprises with their rare cuisine. Their attempt at educating customers about Tibetan culture is admirable so this is a great place to visit for those who want to know more about the mysterious charms of Tibet.