Delhi Royale at Yap Kwan Seng: Restaurant Review

Partnering paneer tikka masala with masala Martinis (!!!), Delhi Royale strives for a striking measure of opulence in both its cavernous setting & colossal selection, the latter of which makes this one of 2014’s most notable entries on the city’s long-list of North Indian restaurants.

Temptatious Menu

This place is built for banquets; on one storm-swept Friday night, a table of 20 sat down to a thunderously belly-busting feast, while the rest of us pored over a massive menu that seemed encyclopediac – too many temptations, too little tummy space.

When even the complimentary welcome treat is an interesting conversation piece, patrons know the outlet aims to impress.

Eye-Catching Raj Kochori

Raj Kochori (RM14++), flour balls filled with a flavoursome medley of potatoes, curd, chutney & sev (chickpea noodles), an elegant, eye-catching introduction to Delhi Royale’s culinary charms. It’d be easy to eat three of these in a row without pause.

Creamy Comforts

Creamy comfort can be found in the curries here, but really, there’s a wealth of choices for mains. Lamb croquettes stuffed with boiled egg in onion-tomato sauce? Broccoli in cashew gravy? Mushrooms stuffed with cottage cheese & spices? Chicken in spinach sauce? Prawns in coconut-mustard cream? Plus, biryani, naan, samosas, raita & everything else we could want. Median cost for mains? Fish tikka clocks in at RM36.

Dessert

Desserts are not an afterthought at Delhi Royale, which offers more than a dozen sweet pleasures – familiar favourites from gulab jamun to gajjar halwa to kesar pista kulfi (mostly RM12 each).

Indian-Influenced Cocktails

A review of Delhi Royale would be sorely incomplete without an observation of one unique Indian-influenced cocktail here – the Masala Martini (RM26.50), a mix of vodka, guava juice, lime juice & Indian spices, might be an acquired taste, but it’s probably worth trying once.

Refreshing Beverages

Non-alcoholic beverages are also noteworthy – the Jal Jeera (RM10) is described as a summer beverage of lemonade & cumin.

While the Masala Coke (RM10) is what its name implies – Coke with Indian spices. For a safer bet, wine is available – regular Chilean & Australian varieties, with no spices added.