Brick Lane
75 Stanley St
Darlinghurst, NSW
Brick Lane, inspired by the well-known street in London, is a unique and wonderful addition to the Sydney food scene. The owners were inspired to open an Indian restaurant in Sydney, but were determined to be something out of the ordinary, and they have definitely succeeded. Kiran, one of the owners, told us that Brick Lane is uniquely Sydney - Indian food, but the way Sydney-siders like to eat - fresh, light, innovative and with beverages to match.
The decor is modern and tasteful with exposed brick and subtle Indian-style additions throughout the restaurant. You can't miss Brick Lane with its bright red neon sign just outside. We also loved the vibe, with great music and an awesome bustle for a Friday night.
Our drink of choice was Monkey 47 gin and tonic with lemon and dried cranberries. This was refreshing and just slightly sweet. The flavour of the cranberries became more evident as we sipped slowly on these delicious cocktails.
We started our menu with the tuna cone, which was fun to eat and looked incredible nestled in a shot glass of rice. The tandoori tuna tartare was fresh and tender with a lovely hint of tandoori spices. The added textures of the crunchy wonton cone, crispy onions and avocado cream helped make this a balanced and delicious starter.
Next up was the Naan-Mi, a playful take on the Vietnamese roll. Still featuring the delicious pork belly, chilli and coriander of the traditional dish, Brick Lane’s take was wrapped in roti bread, topped with crunchy pork crackling and served with homemade chilli sambal. We loved the balance of this dish - Brick Lane definitely nailed it.
The duck was melt-in-your-mouth tender and combined with the sweetness of the cashew cream, and the freshness of the paw paw, this dish really was Ducking Awesome.
The Viscountess' favourite dish of the evening was the spiced cauliflower and coconut paneer. Creamy, sweet, spicy and looked amazing, this dish had everything you could ask for. It was such an interesting combination and unlike anything I’ve tried before, but was absolutely delicious and I will definitely be coming back to order this again. This dish is usually served with potato in place of cauliflower, but the chef has made subtle changes to the menu to ensure the best seasonal produce is used.
Next up was the goat curry which, you’ve been warned, is quite spicy and not for the faint-hearted. It was complimented with cardamon yoghurt and tempura broccolini to help balance it out. It was evident that the curry had been cooked slowly as the flavours were well developed and delicious. Unlike many curries in Sydney Indian restaurants, this was light and creamy and didn’t leave you with a heavy feeling in your stomach.
To finish, we were treated to roasted banana with lime and tapioca pudding for dessert. Accompanied by a delicious, home-made macadamia ice cream that would rival the best gelato bars in Sydney and toasted coconut flakes, this was the perfect way to end our meal. Duchess absolutely loved this! Again, a dish that wasn’t too heavy (but easily could have been), the team at Brick Lane absolutely nailed this sweet, sticky and crunchy dessert.
A huge thanks to Kiran and Alistair for looking after us so well on the night.