A Marina Walk down the Memory Lane
There’s so much you discover when you take a walk down Memory Lane. Now I know this restaurant is not exactly located on Marina Walk as much as it is on Marina Promenade, but its always nice to start with something interesting, isn’t it? The dream-child of a food enthusiast family, this jewel on the Marina Promenade leaves you feeling happy, satisfied and satiated with all its variety – both in terms of the cuisine they offer as well as the wonderful stories this family owned entrepreneurial venture entertains you with!
Thanks to their background in interior design, the insides of this beautiful restaurant give you a very Zen vibe, what with the wooden furnishings, waterfall at the entrance, soothing music, circular ceiling lamps and the 1600 Holland plants immersed in black potting soil that deck the walls, giving the whole place a calming touch.
Centered around three head chefs, each specializing in one aspect of the menu, Memory Lane offers a complete Asian, Indian and Fruit Bar menu. Plus, they also have some items off their Paleo menu for the health conscious.
To make sure we got the best of both Chinese and Indian cuisines, we started off with the Chicken Noodle Wonton soup.
Surprisingly light, this clear soup came with tender chicken carefully placed within the steamed wontons and was adorned with flavorful vegetables including carrots, cucumbers, mushrooms and more.
Different and delightful, it was not your usual cornstarch laden broth. Definitely going back to try their other varieties.
You know I would never miss the chance of devouring these delicious crusty sea beings!
These delicious salt and pepper prawns come basted in a crushed black pepper and soya sauce with a crispy shell and crunchy insides. They are presented in a wide mouth glass, placed on a bed of kimchi with stir fried onions, peppers and chillies.
So tender, so crunchy, each bite drives you toward the next. Presentation and flavor, both are top notch.
Specializing in a never ending variety of mocktails, iced teas, smoothies, milkshakes and more, the Fruit Bar menu at Memory Lane deserves a dedicated visit.
Since we didn’t want to overpower our appetite with a smoothie, we decided to give their iced teas a try. And wow, we were completely sold!
The very pretty Samantha ordered the smart Vampire’s iced tea which was a sweet concoction of red tea and passion fruit puree topped with berries, while I went in for the smoother Fruity Assam, which features a blend of black tea, mango and lime, accompanied by citrus fruits and mint leaves. Made with freshly brewed tea, these were both refreshingly sweet and perfectly cooling. Next time, I’ll order both of these for myself!
This was tofu like never before. The Singaporean sweetheart Samantha wanted to find out what the Singapore Sauce on Memory Lane’s was all about. And so we decided to opt for this medium spicy lemongrass infused, onion-ginger-garlic sauce and choose crispy tofu to go along with it. The yellow sauce and the tender tofu was a match made in heaven. Even though she argued there is nothing like “Singapore” Sauce, she loved it nonetheless. The tofu, which I usually turn down for its bland appeal, was surprisingly soft and sliced perfectly. This soybean delight was almost Paneer. Definitely try out their tofu. And no matter what sauce you choose, it will be just right.
One of the many many signature dishes in Indian cuisine is their variety of kebabs. And Memory Lane offers quite a handful. This mixed platter specially prepared for us, brings together 4 different types of kebabs –
the classic chicken tikka, which offered the perfect tandoori taste, although without the bone
the spicy Pahadi kebab, which is basted in a hot green chilli sauce
the creamy malai tikka, with mint and herbs
and the aromatic Banjara kebab, marinated in a rich yoghurt and cilantro mix
I like banjara and malai the most for their creamy texture but I’d love to go back and try more of their variety.
After the chicken, we decided to sample some mutton as well. The Galouti kebabs presented beautifully on a piece of missi roti lives up to its melt-in-the-mouth fame. Prepared with an extremely creamy texture of minced meat, it is perfectly flavored with Lucknow spices.
I would have loved to have another piece, but there was still more to try at Memory Lane.
It’s time for a twist. My favorite on the menu and a surprise of sorts, these Dragon Vegetable Roll with Chocolate Sauce were mini spring rolls stuffed with stir fried veggies and drizzled with chocolate sauce. It’s everything you expect from a spring roll, but with a sweet ending. These are a must have. And they have a chicken variant as well. Trying that the next time around.
Time for the main course. I love ordering the classic dal chawal everytime I go to an Indian restaurant, but there definitely has to be something special in the dal or rice I choose.
Memory Lane catered to my niche cravings with their Purab ki Dal. Served in a petite copper bucket styled bowl, this Bengali inspired lentil mix came with my favorite ingredient – coconut – in the form of dry coconut slices. The consistency of the dal mash was creamy and the slow cooked lentils, flavored with royal spices gave it a very fragrant touch.
The perfect pair for the dal – jeera rice, brought in the aromatic Basmati that complements the dal just right.
Yet another Indian specialty was the Tawa Paneer. This spicy gravy came with delectable cottage cheese chunks in a tomato base enhanced with spices and seared on a pan, hence the name tawa (pan in Hindi).
Served alongside was an absolutely fresh mixed bread basket which featured garlic naan, cheese garlic naan, missi roti and lachha paratha. These naan breads were so soft and flavorful, I could have had them just by themselves.
Not a part of their regular menu but definitely worth all the praise, this blueberry cheesecake at Memory Lane was simply delicious. It was perfect in every aspect and had all that creaminess you expect, only better. The blueberry compote is to die for. Fortunately, the cheese wasn’t too sweet, just the way I like it, and the the sweetness of the compote complemented just right.
Go to this place. Just go there. Not for one dish, or to check this restaurant off your list. But to experience the home styled food and humble hospitality.
