Delhi Streets

22 Katherine Place 

Melbourne, VIC 3000

http://www.delhistreets.com.au/

Delhi Streets opened in a little laneway near Southern Cross Station a month or so back, and I wouldn’t have heard of it at all if it weren’t for a long overdue catch-up dinner with a couple of lovely ex-co-workers, Ben and Aisling. 

I met up with the lovely duo in the snug little restaurant a tad past six. The staff were bubbly and welcoming, and before too long, the small 20 (or so) seater restaurant began filling up with punters craving an authentic Indian food fix. 

Pani Puri ($7, 5pcs) 

The Pani Puri ($7, 5pcs) were toted as a ‘must have’, and they were indeed one of a kind.

Pani Puri ($7, 5pcs) 

Nested in the hollow lentil puffs was a mixture of potatoes, onions, chickpeas, and herbs. But wait, there’s more! To finish it off, you fill the puffs with tangy tamarind water, and shove it all in your mouth for a crunchy, tangy taste explosion! 

Papri Chaat ($7) 

The Papri Chaat ($7) had me at Indian nachos, and the comparison was indeed apt. Delicate lentil crackers were topped with a sloppy, moreish mix of yoghurt, mint and tamarind chutneys, and soft potato pieces, and finished off with fresh coriander. This is one plate of nachos that won’t go to your thighs.

Dahi Vada ($7, 2pcs) 

Meanwhile, the Dahi Vada ($7, 2pcs) were indeed feather light, the fluffy dumplings soaking up the mixture of chutneys, yoghurt, and slow-cooked veggies. 

Aloo Tikki ($7, 2pcs) 

The unanimous favourite however was the Aloo Tikki ($7, 2pcs) – two fat mashed potato dumplings fried to golden perfection, topped once again with the tangy trio of (everybody together now!) chutneys, yoghurt, and veggies. 

Special Thali ($13)

For our mains, we had a traditional Special Thali ($13), which included 3 curries of our choice, along with a large mound of rice, naan, and crisp pappadums. The butter chicken was golden and creamy, tasting like a warm hug. Meanwhile the lamb vindaloo was all fire and spice, and the ideal curry to have with dollops of cool raita. Our only vegetarian choice, the paneer curry, was a good one, consisting of a warm mix of spices and squeaky cheese. 

Tandoori Chicken Pizza Naan ($9.5)

Of course, we had to try something from the Pizza and Wraps section as well, and we decided on the Tandoori Chicken Pizza Naan ($9.5). The naan was deliciously flaky and burnished, topped generously with smoky chunks of chicken, crisp veggies, and cheese that stretched for miles. 

Carrot Halwa ($5)

I hate carrots in every single incarnation, except as it turns out, the Carrot Halwa ($5). The mixture of carrots, sugar, and clarified butter was downright addictive, and I couldn’t keep my spoon away.

Gulab Jamun ($5, 2pcs) 

Gulab Jamun ($5, 2pcs) 

However, that’s not to say that the Gulab Jamun ($5, 2pcs) wasn’t a strong contender. These donuts were soaked through with hot syrup, their sweetness balanced expertly between sinfully indulgent and cloying. They would be stellar with a cup of strong mint tea.

Going by my relatively limited experience with Indian food, I would say that Delhi Streets is the real deal, or at least close to. We feasted like Sultans and Sultanas for just over $20 a head, and a good time was had by all.

Rating: 13/20 – chickpeas, lentils, and rice.

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit. 

Curry Vault Indian Restaurant and Bar

20 Bank Pl 
Melbourne, VIC 3000

http://www.curryvault.com.au/

I’m all about the weird and wonderful. Usually when I go out to restaurants, I always pick the most unusual and unique dishes on the menu, hoping for a new way to tingle my tastebuds. But when I go to an Indian restaurant, I regress to a state similar to a family from a small country town, trying Mexican food for the first time. I try, I really do, but somehow I always end up choosing a curry with medium levels of spice and an inoffensive mix of sauteed tomatoes and onions. 

I do love Indian food though, and it makes a lot of sense. Though the flavour palate is entirely different to Southern Chinese food (aka what I grew up on), you get the similar concept of spices and more spices, and bold flavours that linger on for hours. Forsaking the cheap and cheerful, Ethan and I decided to have our dinner at Curry Vault, a slightly more upmarket Indian restaurant carved into the masonry on the broad and beautiful Bank Place. It really does feel a little bit like a vault, in the best way possible. 

Papadums/Raita

Just moments after we sat down, a cold pitcher of water was set on the table, along with a complimentary pair of airy Papadums for us to snack on, dipped into a cool and minty Raita. 

Aloo Gobi ($15.5)

Under the excuse of getting something with vegetables in it, I chose the Aloo Gobi ($15.5), a dry Punjabi-styled curry. Though filled with spices and the heat of ginger, this dish of fluffy potatoes and cauliflower was comforting and mild, and exactly what I had been looking for. 

Chicken Madras ($20.5)

The aloo gobi was good, but the Chicken Madras ($20.5) was better. Though I usually tend to avoid coconut-based curries, finding them either too sweet or too cloying, this one was heavenly. The chicken was slow-cooked tender, and the sauce rich, creamy, and flavoured with pungent mustard seeds and curry leaves. I knew I shouldn’t have, but I finished up my entire serve of Basmati Rice ($3.9pp) scooping up the dregs of the sauce.

Aloo Gobi ($15.5)/Chicken Madras ($20.5)

The food at Curry Vault was very pricy for what it was, coming to almost $25pp for a meal that was on the smaller side. But our meal was delicious, so I saw no reason to complain. I may not know all that much about curry, but I know a good one when I taste it.

Rating: 13.5/20 – vault 713

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit. 

Tofu Shop

78 Bridge Rd 
Richmond, VIC

I could never be a vegetarian. That said though, I do enjoy my vegetarian food. You’d think being a food blogger would be all about indulgence, and you would be right, but there’s a lot of joy to be found in the humblest of meals too (no, really!). Being along the tram line that I take every day to work, Tofu Shop’s neon signage is no new sight for me.

For the longest time, I couldn’t decide if it was just a run-of-the-mill health restaurant, or if it was something more. But we don’t live in the 21^st century for nothing, so when I finally got around to googling it, I found out that it is actually a very highly rated vegetarian restaurant that has occupied the premise for over 20 years. There isn’t very much to the place – the interior is as humble as the house-made tofu, but they do have dinosaurs. 

Small Bowl ($11.5)

Whilst we spent our time humming and hawing over the half a dozen dishes of the day, the girl behind the counter helpfully suggested that we do what everyone else does – get a bit of everything. So for $11.5, we each got a Small Bowl of everything on offer, with the only difference being that I said yes to the optional pickled ginger on top. 

Small Bowl ($11.5)

Small Bowl ($11.5)

And then we dug into our bowl of vegetarian goodness. There was ginger tofu, curry tofu, soft tofu, hard tofu, and of course a good selection of veggies – raw, roasted, blanched, marinated – piled on top of a bed of brown rice mixed with dahl. Bonus points to the fluffy piece of deep-fried tempeh on the side. It was every vegetable and soy product served every way imaginable, and I have to admit that the result was wholesome and tasty.

I can see how Tofu Shop got the reputation it has. There’s a great variety of vegetarian dishes that all managed to be tasty in their own right, and I imagine finding an interesting and healthy meal as a vegetarian can be an uphill battle sometimes, so Tofu Shop must be very welcome indeed. But as an omnomnomnivore, I left Tofu Shop feeling a little empty, partially due to the small portions, and partially due to the lack of protein. $11.5 for a small-ish bowl of veggies? Pass the steak thanks.

Rating: 11.5/20 – omnomnomnivore.

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.

Elephant Corridor

179 Coleman Pde
Glen Waverley, VIC 3150

http://www.elephantcorridor.com.au/

What do you do if you get stuck between a realtor and Cartridge World? You open up an Indian-Sri Lankan restaurant called Elephant Corridor.

Being off the main stretch that is Kingsway, Elephant Corridor is rather quite, especially in a suburb where people come to have Chinese and Malaysian food only. But on the upside it’s quiet, the service is good, and it actually feels like a restaurant instead of a feeding barn. And in regards to the decor, I do like the intermingling of the classic and the new.

Pappadums

We had a very nice complimentary starter of Pappadums. They were crispy and puffy, and whilst the sweet and sour and fruity tamarind sauce was something new, the real winner was the fresh and creamy, yet spicy mint chutney.

Tandoori Chicken Kebab ($14.9)

Tandoori Chicken Kebabn ($14.9)

We ordered off the lunch specials, and Chris got the Tandoori Chicken Kebab ($14.9). And out came what was literally the Indian take on the kebab – buttery naan wrapping tender pieces of tandoori chicken and all your usual kebab suspects. But what really got me was the Bombay-styled potatoes served on the side; they tasted like balls of cloud drowned in sticky, spicy sauce.

Vegetarian Rice and Curry ($13.9)

Vegetarian Rice and Curry ($13.9)

I like a bit of variety to my life, so I ordered the Vegetarian Rice and Curry ($13.9), which came with three generous serves of curry, steamed rice, and a pappadum. I think the overall theme of the day was creamy because all three curries were mild and comforting despite having asked for them to be medium-hot. I really liked the dahl makhani, made with chewy kidney beans. The kavaratna khorma was strangely reminiscent of Dutch curry cup-a-soup, and the pieces of cottage cheese in the green spinach sauce was yummy, but too salty and rich once you’ve gotten through the other two curries.

I didn’t expect to find any decent Indian near my end of town but I’m glad to be proven wrong. Elephant corridor is a bit on the expensive side and not so good if you like your mealtimes bustling, but they do have unlimited hoppers night and breakfast buffets on certain days of the week. And judging by the lunch specials, their a la carte menu would be a fun thing to visit.

Rating: 13/20 – walkway for giant mammals.