FoodieChat

For a five star indian dining experience, look no further.  Abhi’s has long been the best place to have good food along with first class service and fine dining surrounds – but be prepared to pay a premium for it.

We had Prawn Achari ($13.80) – 6 pan fried green prawn cutlets cooked with fennel and pickled green chilli and yoghurt,  Alu Tikki ($10.80) – lightly spiced potato patties shallow fried in sunflower oil, topped with chickpea masala and khatta chutney (tamarind and jaggery) were DELICIOUS. Two potato patties sat artfully on a chickpea curry – not too soft, not too firm, and just the right amount of spice.  I felt there was a bit of a clash of textures though as both the patties and the curry were simliar textures.  Not to mind – the yoghurty dressing was a cool complement to the spiciness of the curry.

Tandoori chicken tikka $16.80 for a main – boneless free range chicken pieces marinated in traditional spices and tandoor roasted.   It came with our entress and was similiarly sized.  The chicken was moist, not dry, and the coriander sprinkled on top added a great extra dimension.  We were satisfied with our entrees, until we saw the table next to us, and we just HAD to try also the Masala Dosa – light and crisp rice flour pancakes accompanied by lentil sambar and coconut chutney with a filling of spiced potato and onion.  $10.80.  This was the smallest dosa I’ve ever ever seen – doesn’t compare to others I’ve tried for example at Janani’s in Homebush ($5.80 for one that is bigger than a whole fish – and goes off your plate!) and also Vasanda Bhavan. They’re jumbo sized. But hey we’re fine dining here, so portions are not meant to feed the masses . Still, it was good and well presented.

For the mains, there’s a good selection of seafood/chicken/beef and one lamb, including traditional butter chicken and kormas and vindaloos. We ordered Beef Ambotik ($18.80) – “a variation on the famous vindaloo with a tangy sweet and sour flavour cooked in tomato, cumin, ginger and peppercorns.  It was very tender, but a bit too piquant for me – and very hot too! I would have preferred a saucier curry.  Prawns and Scallops Moily Curry $22.80 promised to be a “Coastal favourite cooked with cracked black mustard, fennel, turmeric, pureed coconut and fresh curry leaves” – it was our favourite – with around 5 prawns and 4 scallops. Not too hot, with flavours that work very well together.

  For something different, we tried the Adreke Pork – pork spare ribs marinated in ginger garlic, lime juice and served with ginger and tamarind chutney ($21.80).  Sadly, the perfect sweet and sour balance was compromised by the fact that it was deep fried dried and chewy – like jerky! If it had been taken out a bit earlier, and with some of the meat juices and flavoursome fat left there, it would have been an amazing dish.  You can definitely taste the lime juice and tamarind – reminiscent of Thai style dishes with an Indian twist.

We had a good sized bowl of vegetable pilau (2 serves) – packed full of veges, and top quality rice that wasn’t as dry as some of the cheap basmastic you can get – fluffly and great with the fried onion garnishes. ($2.90 per serve).  We also had two naans – one garlic naan and one aloo parantha (stuffed with vegetables and herbs) – $3.50 each.  I think if you don’t like coriander, you lucked out at this place – it’s quite dominant.  Can’t go wrong with naan – flaky and air bubbled and crisp at the edges.

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