Beautifully balanced cocktails infused with Indian-inspired flavours and ingredients paved the way for a flavoursome adventure at Raja Restaurant. Using coriander and desert lime in a pineapple and tequila-based Juhu Marg ($22) rounds it out nicely. Spiced Milk Punch ($22) adds whey and a Kota spice blend to mango, young coconut water and Plantation rum for an oh-so-easy to drink quaffer. With little value to be had on the wine list, we then moved on to Kingfisher ($12) and Haywards 500 ($16) beer.
The darkened mustard and dusky pink fit-out has breathed new life into the difficult corner spot next door to Ezra, owners Nick and Kirk Mathews-Bowden’s other restaurant. Here they have installed Kolkata-born Ahana Dutt (ex-Firedoor) into the kitchen, presenting dishes and flavours from across the subcontinent with a lightness of touch that makes them very appealing to her Australian clientele. The crowd is monied: mains like spatchcock makhni run to an eye-watering $55, but it’s the best butter chook you’re likely to have tried. The budget-conscious way to try it is on the $79 set menu where it comes as the main event. It was accompanied by a clever yoghurt-dressed curry leaf and cos salad, parathas, and an apology for a lagging bowl of rushed basmati rice.
The floor team is responsive and intuitive: when we say no to the khatta meetha oyster add-on ($5/each), they arrive on the house to demonstrate spiced Davidson plum chutney plus coriander, lime and chilli actually leaves space to taste briny bivalve. Sashimi-grade albacore dances in gunpowder and lemon myrtle on Swiss chard ‘toast’. Chewier chickpea flour kachori topped with airy pyramids of Vannella stracciatella, its creaminess cut by native citrus pickle, chilli and spice. Corn ribs I could take or leave, but the beef tartare in soupy sweet’n’sour rassa is delightfully different (and not available any other way).
We wind down with tart lime granita and creamy wattle seed kulfi paddle-pops rolled in macadamia praline. The bill comes with tasty squares of milk chocolate and strawberry gum. I’m impressed enough to consider revisiting for the touted North Queensland muddy ($120), on pay day, when I’m feeling flush.
