3 Erskineville Rd
Newtown, Sydney
Delhi O Delhi was recommended to us as an Indian restaurant that was above and beyond the norm by one of their regular customers who actually initiated this review. The end result is - we are so glad we came here! Delhi O Delhi has some traditional fare but they also have some quite unique variations as well.
It's Indian food with a twist and it was exceptional. It's a pleasant place that's been steadily growing over the last six years. Service was excellent on the night as well.
We started with papadums and the mixed platter of four condiments which had cucumber raita, chilli pickle, tomato and onion and a mango chutney. All four were very tasty (we ate the lot) with the mango chutney being our favourite.
Our first real entree was a house speciality of Delhi O Delhi - khasta raj kachori. It was described on the menu as a crisp disc shaped pastry filled with diced potatoes, chick peas, date and tamarind chutney served with refreshing yoghurt and mint sauce.
This is a popular tea time snack from the streets of old Delhi and was a particular favourite with ladies.
It's presentation had a real wow factor and it tasted amazing. It was like a filled papadum ball. The sauces gave it even more flavour.
They recommend that you eat this fairly quickly after it arrives at the table while it retains its shape and crunch. We'd certainly have this again - and again!
Our second entree was the seafood treat - dakshini jhinga. This consisted of king prawns marinated with coconut, curry leaves, green chilli and mustard oil and smoked in the tandoor. The prawns were plump, juicy and extremely tender but most of all they tasted delicious. The dish also came with a small glass of crispy shards of, well, we're not allowed to say as they want to keep this a secret. They were extremely nice though!
Our final entree was kesar kaju katli.This dish comprised free range chicken morsels marinated in creamy yoghurt, Kashmiri saffron and roasted cashew nut and then grilled in their clay oven.
It arrived beautifully presented on slate. It was perfectly cooked, smelled delicious and had a nice kick to it.
Our first main course was malai chingri - a Bengal specialty of plump green prawns sauteed in mustard oil with five spices and simmered in coconut milk. This was a lovely dish with such a complex flavour that didn't overpower the prawns.We combined this with some delicious lemon rice - steamed basmati rice cooked with fresh lemon juice, curry leaf and mustard seeds. It was perfectly cooked and nicely tangy.
Our second main course was the duck. We often choose duck dishes when we are out but rarely find good options at Indian restaurants. This was an exception. The duck chettinad is a south Indian specialty of spiced duck, flavoured with star anise, coconut, crushed black pepper, fennel and whole roasted red chilli's. The meat was very tender and the rich curry was again well balanced with flavour and bite. Freshly baked naan - a butter naan and a basil and cheese naan - soaked up the curry nicely.
We liked the look of the goat curry as soon as we saw it on the menu.Goat meat can sometimes be a bit tough but this was extremely tender and had a lovely taste. It was rich and delicious.
The goat methi was made with diced baby goat, slow cooked with fenugreek, in a hearty home style sauce of onions, tomatoes and whole spices.
Many people overlook dessert at Indian restaurants, but here there are some good options that are certainly worth considering. The lucknowi meetha was beautifully presented and had a lovely chocolate filling.
It looked like a toffee space ship with two lovely pods on top.
It was described as a sweet pastry filled with pistachio soya paneer (which is dairy free), pine nuts, cashew and dark chocolate with orange water sugar syrup.
This was an impressive dessert in all aspects.
We also had another spectacularly presented dessert - a serving of the teen ka karishma. It was billed as a symphony of three kulfi's - mandarin (which was nicely tangy), coconut (with flavours that reminded Mlady of making coconut ice at school) and mocha (with great coffee flavours).
These tasty morsels were rich, sweet and disappeared very quickly!!!
We paired our meal with a lovely bottle of 2011 Terre Forti Sangiovese Rubicone - with grapes grown on the hills of Emilia Romagna in Italy.Delhi O Delhi is not your average Indian restaurant. It was described by loyal regular customers as the best Indian restaurant in Sydney and based on the meal we had they may well be right. Every aspect of our dinner was perfectly presented, beautifully cooked and full of lovely flavours. The service throughout our meal was impeccable and the restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere and decor that is inviting and relaxing. Sit back and enjoy the experience - we did and we'd eagerly return!
Sir and Maldy dined as guests of Delhi O Dehi. Special thanks to Javed Khan for inviting us. Thanks also to Pallav for looking after us so professionally on our visit.
