The Coriander Leaf Group has been around since 2001 and has gone on to become a sort of institution with its Coriander Leaf outlet at Chijmes, which dishes out on-trend small plates with a mix of Indian and Southeast Asian flavors. They’ve added a new portfolio under their belt and introduced Coriander Leaf Grill, a casual dining spot situated in the five-storey multi-concept venue, 12 Ann Siang.
The dimly lit, cozy space is abuzz with dark wooden screens and makes for a much more laid-back setting throughout the entire day. Dishing out a contemporary grill menu with an Asian slant, the restaurant comes equipped with an authentic charcoal grill that the restaurant claims will provide a “balanced caramelization and characteristic smoky flavor” to their meat dishes and distinct fragrance of the Asian-inspired flavors used in the marinade. Helming the kitchen is chef Iskander and well-respected chef-founder Samia Ahad.
One of the biggest highlights, besides its diverse menu of delicious-sounding items, is that a variety of housemade relishes and sauces, which Ahad herself is very proud off, will come with every dish you order. The mustard sauce, a must-try with some of the meat dishes and burgers, is created using mustard seeds imported from West Bengal (East of India), while the others, like the distinctive garlic aioli, jalapeno relish and tomato chutney, are made from scratch to enhance dishes with a sliver of zest.
Before diving head-first into the mains, dig into the restaurant’s take on the smoked duck with red pepper marmalade salad ($18), a handed-down recipe by Ahad, or go easy with a plate of pita chips and naan, served with a trio of housemade Mediterranean dips. While signature items like the Harissa Chicken Burger ($20), which comes two beautiful daily freshly baked buns and a succulent patty finished in a tandoor oven, topped with mint and coriander chutney, might make for easy pickings, you’re really here for the dry-aged USDA prime rib eye steak ($39). This cut of meat is tenderly cooked in their special charcoal grill and layered with the hand-churned wakame-koji butter to really bring out the flavor of the meat.
The selection of desserts are pretty humble by comparison, but if you prefer finishing off the meal with a drink or three, their booze menu is a whole other story—their signature cocktails ($17 each) tie in with the restaurant’s use of Asian-inspired flavors the One In A Melon, a fruity gin-based concoction of watermelon, lemongrass, aperol and citrus, and the Bangkok Mule, a flavorful mix of vodka, mango, kaffir lime and house ginger beer that packs a punch. Otherwise, they have a pretty diverse wine list (with tasting notes too) that goes well with their grilled meats.
