Food

8 Facts About Prata Wala Most S’poreans Probably Didn’t Know

2019-11-26 , 4:00 am

Prata Wala, such a catchy name.

They are a halal-certified restaurant that provides Indian cuisine at pocket-friendly prices. Here’s what you can get from their menu:

North and South Indian cuisines such as roti prata, briyani, thosai, tandoori chicken and naan. There’s also food for vegetarians!

Let’s delve into 8 facts about Prata Wala that most of us probably didn’t know.

1. 24-hour outlet in a shopping mall

What comes to your mind when I say a 24-hour eatery? Some shop by the roadside or down the row of shop-houses? Well, not for Prata Wala at Jurong Point!

Out of their 4 outlets island-wide, there’s only one 24-hour outlet and it occupies 4 units at JP2!

Perfect for the always-hungry and the forever-starving who have to wake up early to catch the first bus/train. Drop by for their breakfast special?

They’ve also recently opened their first Prata Wala Express stall at MBFC.

2. The brand is under First Gourmet Pte Ltd

Prata Wala, alongside 4 other F&Bs, Zaffron Kitchen, Zaffron Banana Leaf, Ottoman Kebab & Grill and Wimi Thai Coconut Ice Cream are under First Gourmet Pte Ltd.

The former 3 names specialize in Indian cuisines, with Ottoman Kebab & Grill being the only restaurant serving authentic Turkish delights like Doner Kebab, the most well-known dish of Turkish cuisine.

It’s like the one we see from Pasar Malam:

And Wimi Thai Coconut Ice Cream, specialising in ice cream. Of course.

3. Director of First Gourmet is Chinese

Joseph Lee is the director of First Gourmet and is part of the Legendary Hong Kong team that brought authentic and traditional dishes from Hong Kong to Singapore.

If you’re thinking of dropping by after your prata affair at JP2, go ahead because Legendary Hong Kong is located also at Jurong Point:

I’m already thinking of their Hong Kong-style milk tea, custard crust bun with extra butter, dim sum and roasted duck & char siew.

God, save me, 7 points to go.

4. Prata Wala had its licence suspended before

Let’s balance the good with some bad like yin and yang.

Prata Wala at shopping centre NEX once has its licence suspended for two weeks in 2016 for failing to keep its premises free of cockroach infestations.

According to The Straits Times, the problem was first discovered in October 2015 and again in March 2016.

The outlet had also accumulated 12 demerit points over a period of 12 months – six for each count of not keeping its premises cockroach-free. They were also fined $800.

But I guess people have long forgotten about the fact since there was a queue at NEX for 1-for-1 biryani in their recent Facebook update.

5. Awarded the Outstanding Brands 2017

Prata Wala was awarded the Outstanding Brands 2017 under the Indian Restaurants category recently!

It’s supposed to be “Congratulations!” but as usual, netizens have to throw in some negativity.

But of course, on the other side, there are loyal supporters.

6. Take pride in serving well

While I can’t attest to the staffs at Prata Wala’s individual outlets, I’m seeing a top-notch customer service on their Facebook page.

I’m saying this because half the time when a negative comment is posted on Facebook regarding their service staff, MOST of the brands would give a ‘standard reply’:

“We’re so sorry to hear about your experience. Do not worry, we will look into the matter. Looking forward to serving you again soon.”

Look at their response to a fellow customer who gave his feedback:

Instead of the ‘standard’ reply which irks us, the district business manager’s mobile number is given out because they were genuinely concerned with the unfavourable experience one has to go through.

A round of applause, team Prata Wala. Keep up the good work!

7. A Guinness World Records holder as a consultant to Prata Wala

Meet Dr Chef Damu, the first Indian chef to receive PhD in Hotel Management and Catering Technology and Guinness World Records holder for longest cooking marathon.

He made a whopping 617 dishes, 190kg of food alone in 24 hours, 30 minutes and 12 seconds.

This consultant to Prata Wala also holds a Life Time Achievement Award from South Indian Culinary Association (SICA).

8. Food free of added MSG

What more can we ask for? Eating prata is theoretically ‘sinful’ but now they just gave us an excuse because their food is free of added MSG.

So how? Weekend brunch plans? They have 4 outlets at the moment – Jurong Point, Nex, Tampines Mall & Northpoint. More information here.

Also, follow them on their Facebook page to catch the latest update and maybe they will bring back free prata again? *WePrayEarnestly