October 24 will see the launch of a playful and unassuming eatery serving up Mexican-Indian cuisine.
Left to right: Scallop ceviche with cold curry at Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh; a Pineapple Cilantro Sling, one of the signature cocktails. (All photos courtesy of the restaurant)
Singapore-based foodies couldn’t get enough of acclaimed Bangkok-based chef Gaggan Anand when he arrived last November for a pop-up of his eponymous mod-Indian restaurant. What was meant to be a two-month residency was extended multiple times by popular demand, leading him to consider a permanent presence on the island. Cue this month’s opening of Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh, the first overseas outpost for a casual offshoot of Gaggan that debuted in Bangkok in March 2020.
Gaggan has teamed up with Singaporean hospitality group The Proper Concepts Collective to open the 40-seater venue on Tanjong Pagar’s Craig Road. Taking up a heritage shophouse whose redesigned interior will be emblazoned with the tagline “love should never be mild,” Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh will present homestyle Mexican and Indian fare cooked with premium ingredients and sold at more affordable prices. The restaurant’s cross-cultural concept is based on a fictitious love story between a Mexican woman and an Indian man, and the decor plays up cultural similarities between the two countries, with a palette of orange and blue inspired by the cities of Oaxaca and Jodhpur.
The entrance to Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh Bangkok.
Creamy crab curry with shallots, tomatoes, and tamarind.
Alongside new dishes specially created for Singapore, the menu will offer renditions of perennial hits served at Gaggan such as papdi chat made with crisp fried puri, sweet and sour chutneys, yogurt, and sev (spiced, deep-fried strands of gram flour). Other must-tries? The coconut and coriander–based crab curry with shallots, tomatoes, and tamarind; scallop ceviche featuring crispy corn and “guacachutney”; chargrilled squid and peanut mole; and pork vindaloo tacos loaded with pineapple salsa. As for dessert, the selection includes foie gras panna cotta with mango yuzu gel and tamarind chutney, plus Gaggan’s classic Mango Yuzu Snowball from 2011, seen in Masterchef Singapore. Diners can wash down the meal with cocktails by Boo Jing Heng, beverage director of The Proper Concepts Collective.
Starting on October 24, Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh Singapore will be open for dinner from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. from Wednesday to Sunday, with lunch service available from 12–3 p.m. Friday to Sunday. Reservations can be made via the official website at mariaandsingh.sg.
Left to right: Preparing Indian-Mexican tacos; a plate of foie gras panna cotta with mango yuzu.
