Jai Ho Indian Restaurant

205 Swan Street, Richmond

Melbourne has quite a broad choice of restaurants when it comes down  to Indian cuisine, with many well established restaurants already in place. However, with the shift in trend towards a more South-East Asian influenced fusion and hawker style experience, there has been a decline in new Indian restaurants opening in Melbourne. Jai Ho is one of these aforementioned established names in the Indian dining scene, with three locations, including Hoppers Crossing, Berwick and Richmond.

Chicken tikka and fish amritsari

The chicken tikka and fish amritsari were the first of the dishes we sampled in our visit to Jai Ho. While the chicken tikka was a solid dish, we were more impressed by the fish amritsari. The fish itself was quite tender and still moist, while the spiced chickpea flour that they were coated with accentuated the fish with a little kick.

Vegetable samosas

Lamb rahara

Dal balti

The dal balti was one of the vegetarian dishes as well as one of my favourite parts of the meal. The spices used in the dal balti were lighter and more balanced, which worked well with the lentil based dish, as opposed to a dish like the lamb rahara, where a stronger flavour profile would be more suitable, as the distinctive flavour of lamb can sometimes be a little too strong.

Butter chicken

Mushroom pulao

The mushroom pulao did not look very impressive when it arrived, however looks can be deceiving as the rice dish was one of the highlights of the meal. The best thing about the mushroom pulao was that the dish was great at doing exactly what a side dish should do, providing a base for and helping to accentuate the main dishes of a meal.

Garlic naan

Pistachio kulfi

The pistachio kulfi was one of the few disappointing points of the meal, which is a shame, because it was the last thing that we tried. Although our main problem with the dessert was the strong flavour of the spices which overpowered the pistachio, the texture and mouthfeel of the dish was also a little unpleasant, which is unfortunate as the rest of the meal was quite enjoyable.

If you are a fan of Indian food, I would definitely give Jai Ho a go, they have three different locations around Melbourne so there is bound to be a location that is convenient. With so many new restaurants popping up and introducing new flavours and styles of cooking, sometimes it is better to go back to something more traditional.

We were invited by and dined courtesy of Jai Ho

Food Rating 7.5/10

Overall Rating 7.5/10

Punjabi Curry Cafe

87 Jonhston Street, Collingwood

Located on the busy Johnston Street in Collingwood, Punjabi Curry Cafe is a prime example of a restaurant which you should not judge by it's cover. Having driven past Punjabi Curry Cafe many times on my way to the city, the shopfront has never caught my eye, as it is quite cluttered and doesn't really draw much positive attention. However, after seeing the interior of the restaurant and trying the food they had to offer we were pleasantly surprised.

Interior

 Punjabi tandoori platter

The Punjabi tandoori platter was definitely our favourite dish of the night. It was exciting trying all the different flavours from the use of different spices and meats and the aroma definitely got our appetite going. The lamb cutlets were especially worthy of praise, as my friend who usually does not enjoy lamb found them amazing.

 Vegetable platter

The vegetable platter allowed us to try an assortment of their vegetarian entree dishes, such as the samosa, pakora, onion bahji and aloo tikki. The different flavours and textures presented in each of the elements on the dish gave us an insight into their use of spices and ingredients. The texture of each entree on the dish was wildly variant, where some of the large pieces were just a large mass of mush and others were so hard that biting into it hurt my mouth. This would have been less of a problem if the size of the pieces on the dish were reduced.

 Garlic naan

 Butter chicken

The butter chicken at Punjabi Curry Cafe is one of their most popular dishes and I can definitely understand why. The marinated pieces of chicken are cooked in butter, coriander, tomato and ginger to create a dish of tender and flavourful chicken in a smooth and mellow butter sauce.

 Aloo Gosht

The Aloo Gosht was quite similar to the butter chicken in the way that the spices and potatoes combined to make a great base for the dish in terms of flavour and texture. However, the one difference in how the dishes were made was an important one. The Aloo Gosht was a dish which had slow cooked beef as it's main ingredient and although this process made it so the beef was not tough, it still left the beef quite dry and stringy.

Initially we were a little skeptical due to the appearance of the restaurant, but we quickly found that you should not judge a book by it's cover. Although both the restaurant and the staff were quiet during the night and there were a few shortcomings in the dishes we were served, we still definitely enjoyed the food and found it delicious. I would definitely recommend giving Punjabi Curry Cafe a try, whether it be take-away or dine in, as the food is good and set at a reasonable price point.

We were invited by and dined courtesy of Punjabi Curry Cafe.

Food Rating 8.5/10

Overall Rating 7.5/10

Bhoj

New Quay, 4/54 New Quay Promenade, Docklands

Bhoj is a long standing Indian restaurant with many years of history in Melbourne's Indian restaurant scene behind it. Having started out as a restaurant in Templestowe in Melbourne's east, Bhoj soon moved to the current waterfront location in the Docklands and has been there for 13 years now. While the first thing that people think of when it comes to Indian cuisine is curry, chef and owner Rajesh Mehta has brought out more than that in Bhoj, with Indian street food favourites and other regional dishes. 

Bhoj

Papadums

Red chilli, coriander & mint and sweet tamarind chutney

The chutney served with the papadums showcased a variety of different flavours found in Indian cuisine. The contrasting flavours of the spicy red chilli, refreshing coriander and sweet tamarind chutneys were an excellent beginning the to meal, as it worked wonders on our appetite.

Pani puri

Pani puri is an Indian street-side favourite. The rice crisps, also known as puri are served with the pani, which is a hot and tangy coriander infused water. We were informed that as it was our first time trying the pani puri, it might be slightly strange, so we were served it with some sweet tamarind chutney. The dish itself was a fun mixture of flavours and textures, which when combined with the refreshing hit of the pani, was quite enjoyable.

Hoshiapuri champaan 

The hoshiapuri champaan were hot lamb cutlets marinated in malt vinegar, cumin powder and medium spices, barbequed and finished with a tangy sauce. One of my favourite dishes of the night, the spiced lamb cutlets were cooked very nicely, albeit slightly dry and were absolutely bursting with flavour.

Sounth palak papdi

Gunpowder chicken

The gunpowder chicken was coated in a South Indian five spice gunpowder batter, then deep fried. The chicken itself was quite tender and the spice left the chicken with a good amount of seasoning and flavour. The problem with the dish was that the batter was very thick and absorbed some of the oil, which caused the coating to be dense and unpleasant.

Selection of curries

After we finished our entrees we were already quite satisfied and full. However, as we were just starting to relax, our mains arrived. Although all of the curries that we were served each had a unique set of flavours from the spices and aromatics, our favourite would have to be creamy butter chicken. The dish was smooth yet mild which meant you could taste the flavours without it being overpowering.

Raita

The food at Bhoj was a vibrant display of much of what Indian cuisine has to offer. The meal we were offered had both large bold and large flavours as well as portions, as we could barely finish it. There are many different dishes to try at Bhoj and the relaxed atmosphere as well as the waterfront location make it a must try if you love Indian cuisine!

We were invited and dined courtesy of Bhoj.

Food Rating 8/10

Overall Rating 8.5/10