I am a huge fan of Indian cuisine and there’s a new bad boy that just opened in Toorak that serves modern Indian food. Located where all the restaurants were, it is a very humble venue. We were invited to try the 7 course set menu which costs $75 a head. Now that’s a feast that got me super excited.
The course started off with pani puri which are fried puff crispy balls with flavoured waters. The puff crispy balls had various things in them and you basically get your shot of water, pour the whole thing in the ball and shove it all in your mouth. It was a fantastic experience with various textures in your mouth. I would highly recommend this, not only for the ‘gram but for its deliciousness. The flavours include mint, tamarind, pineapple, pomegranate, guava and toffee.
Pani Puri
Fried puff crispy balls with flavoured water
Jhol Muri is a vegetarian dish that includes puffed rice, onions, and peanuts with mint and tamarind. If I didn’t know any better I would think it was a very meaty dish due to its flavour. I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t contain any trace of meat at all.
Jhol Muri
Puffed rice, onions, peanuts tossed with mint and tamarind
The harry barra kabab isn’t on the menu and it’s filled with spinach, spices and rolled up into a ball all fried up. It’s topped with mango chutney and holy moly it was divine. Be warned though, it has a kick to it but without it, it would only have been good instead of amazeballs!
Harry Barra Kabab
Chicken tikka is quite well known and one of the favourites people will generally yell out when they hear Indian food. I can tell you with confidence that if you have the chicken tikka here, it is one of the best ones you’ve had. The chicken was so juicy and succulent and that seasoning, oh my gosh, that seasoning is to die for. Everything was so perfectly balanced and with the kick it had, it was definitely a crowds favourite.
Murg Tikka
Boneless chicken marinade with tangy yogurt, coriander, curry powder, cilantro & pinch of salt
Before the main came out, we were served a kawa drink to cleanse our palate. The kawa drink is basically hot water with cardamom and the cardamom is very subtle in flavour and it was quite refreshing.
Kawa Drink
Everyone loves a great curry and unfortunately the prawn masala was good but wasn’t amazeballs. The portions were quite small and there wasn’t a lot of curry compared to the amount of rice and naan that was given. The prawns were juicy and succulent but the curry itself wasn’t overly flavoursome which was disappointing.
Prawn Masala
Prawns cooked with onion, tomato & Indian Masala
Finally, for dessert, the pot of surprise came out. Yep, it looks like a garden pot and you guessed it, the surprise was inside. Topped with chocolate soil, inside was a fluffy foamy mousse with a delightful gulab jamon at the bottom. It was magnificent and something I would highly recommend if you’re a sweet tooth. It was crunchy, it was light and it was oh so delish.
Pot of Suprise
For $75 a head it is very good value. However, I wouldn’t count the kawa cleansing drink as a course though. The food was great and the staff was super friendly. Unfortunately, it took a very long time for the food to come out and we were there for almost 3 hours for this 7-course meal which was far too long. Other than that, I would highly recommend the food and I would definitely be back.
Verdict: 🍷🍷🍷🍷
Food: 🍷🍷🍷🍷
Service: 🍷🍷🍷
Value: 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷
Disclaimer: I was invited to dine by Manhattan Modern Indian and all opinions expressed are my own.
448 Toorak Rd, Toorak VIC 3142
Tel: (03) 9824 2615
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