Freehouse turned 4 recently (time flies – congrats!), but Taco Mantra taking over their kitchen was something that happened only recently.
Serving up Indian-Mexican fusion cuisine, their tacos (2 for $12, 3 for $15) are characteristically packed with lots of flavour, with ingredients nestled in a single soft flour taco.
I thought the Kerala Beef & Chicken Tikka tacos were ordinary; my favourite was Ma’s Fish! It wasn’t too oily & the fish was tender, flaky & moist inside. The fruit salsa complimented the fried fish well, too.
A 4th variant, the Pulled Karana Jackfruit, was out of stock when we visited.. But it is meant to mimic pulled pork slathered in barbecue sauce. Would be curious to try it after seeing all the veganized food videos on YouTube!
If you & your friends are looking for finger food to go with the plethora of craft beer that Freehouse has on tap, you can consider Taco Mantra’s sharing platters. This one, the Platter for 2 ($60), has ribeye steak, fried pork belly (sio bak), chicken tikka, mantra wings & samosas. All platters are served with slaw, poppadum chips, mint yogurt & house sauce.
For more manageable portion of snacks, you could opt for the Pachos ($15) – their version of poppadum nachos, or Quail Egg Sambal Fries ($15). The Grilled Cheese Naanwich ($15) isn’t an appetizer, but is quite highly snackable.
Personally, though, I wasn’t a huge fan of these. I prefer the crunchiness of original nachos (the poppadum quickly became soggy where the sauce hits), & the sambal fries were too peppery for my tastebuds. I did love the bouncy quail eggs though, hehe.
Finger food does go well with beer, but as someone who isn’t much of a snacker, I’d rather spend my money on the tacos. Or, even better…
.. THEIR BURGERS. Taco Mantra’s burgers really stood out to me. The crowd favourite was the Spiced Lamb Burger ($20), & that was mine too. The lamb patty had the slight gameyness that I love, yet it’s palatable enough for others as it doesn’t overpower the flavours of the dish. Topped with a cool mint yogurt for good balance. I would order this again in a heartbeat.
The Double Cheeseburger ($24) was also good, with 2 juicy beef patties, cheese, sweet bacon onion jam & tangy dill pickle mayonnaise.Their patties are fairly thick, so IMHO a single patty would suffice. A Single Cheeseburger goes for $20.
Thanks Taco Mantra for the hospitality & Burpple for the invite! 💕
💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🖥 Accepts reservations on Chope (Freehouse)
📱 FavePay accepted
🍽 Shopback GO partner
⬆️ Located on the 2nd floor
Bui Bui Eats 