Okay, so this is something that I don't say very often, but pratas are probably one of my favorite whsen it comes to (local) Indian cuisine.
That doesn't mean that I don't like mutton briyani, tandoori, palak paneer, butter chicken, naan, battura or dosai.
It just means that I like the versatility of pratas, I like the way they can be both sweet and savory at the same time, and whilst it's not often that we have savory breads with sweet, it's wholly possible for, say, an egg prata or egg plaster prata to go with sugar instead of curry.
I should know.
I've tried.
I don't do it very often though.
At least not when I'm at Springleaf for prata and/or murtabak because, really, their prata is so good that it would seem like a bit of an insult if I were to mix the mutton of the murtabak, or the egg of the prata, together with the sugar's sweet.
Not that it doesn't go together.
(I'm sure it does)
Just that it doesn't feel so right.
I've had my fair share of murtabaks and pratas at their outlets in Sembawang, and in Jalan Tua Kong- more than once I've had egg ones, cheese ones, and kosong ones- but here's my latest one.
It might not look any impressive in this picture, but trust me, this Murtaburger (I think that's the name) is one of the best orders you can have when you're at Springleaf.
It's ubiquitous to them- this particular prata- and you won't regret after the very first bite where you get a generous portion of mutton bits, generous slathers of ketchup, melted gooey cheese, and mayonnaise all snugly wrapped within the hot, crispy, crepe-like skin.
What never fails to impress me is just how they manage to make the cheese all gooey and melty and soft whilst keeping the texture of mutton bits warm and crisp with the right bite.
With the way it is, you'd think the mutton would be tasteless, dry and hard, but no, there's actually a bit of taste still in the tiny little bits of meat, and neither the ketchup nor the mayonnaise can detract from the taste.
Maybe that's why this is one of our favorite orders.
Maybe that's why I sometimes wish I had my own plate instead of having to share.
But then I like variety, and at times we've made additional orders of prata egg, prata kosong, and soup kambing.
Don't scoff at this simple-looking little bowl of soup.
It's actually pretty good.
Not as brown nor as thick as some other places might serve, but it's rich enough a broth, tasty enough, and it's served with cubes of mutton plus sliders of spongy baguette type bread.
Of course, nothing quite beats the pratas that are served here.
Just like the murtaburger, the texture of the prata is crisp, yet soft, slightly sweet, and the fillings are just right a portion that they don't overwhelm.
So, yes, most of the time we've had to share that skillfully stuffed, bulky square-shaped envelope.
But I don't mind.
I love the food.
I love the company.
I love the memories.