Indian cuisine restaurant that was run in Yokohama has now opened in South Yarra. With his experience gained in Japan, the owner, James, opened it in Melbourne, which is full of fusion cuisine restaurants, and his restaurant is winning popularity from a number of customers.
The owner was impressed with the thorough, hygienic management when he was running the Japanese restaurant, and he applied it as one concept of Little India. The restaurant is very simple with white walls and the orange colour against it, creating an atmosphere of freshness. Customers can see almost the entire kitchen from their seat, conveying confidence in the restaurant’s hygienic management.
Customers can enjoy Northern Indian cuisines, orthodox Indian cuisines particularly centring on the dishes from Punjab. Most of the Indian restaurants in the world offer Punjab cuisines, and Little India is one of them. Spices often used for Indian cuisines are highly regarded as ‘Science of Medicine’ for Ayurveda (*) in India. The reason why yogurt is often consumed is its effect on lowering body temperature, which is a hidden wisdom for people living in a hot climate.
Tender chicken marinated with fresh herbs and spices. Skewered and cooked in the tandoori.
Chicken / Lamb Jhalfrezee $18.90, Prawn Jhalfrezee $23.90
Jhalfrezee was one of the supreme dishes created during the days of the Raj. The word "Jhal" means hot and "Frezee" means stir fried. The Memsahib and the Khansama (cook) would consult on the days menu and this delightful dish is one of a myriad of culinary delights that came from this period of Indian history. Cooked with red capsicum, coconut milk, tomatoes, spring onions and spices.
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Left: Basmati rice called “the King of rice” cooked with cummin seeds. It is characteristically non-sticky.
Right: Yoghurt mixed with cucumber and ground spices. This goes with tandoori chicken or over curry!
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CHEF PROFILE
Mr Parwinder & Mr Suresh
Left: Mr Parwinder, Right: Mr Suresh
Did you know Indian restaurants have two head chefs? The Tandoori Chef Mr Parwinder （alias Mani Singh） is mainly in charge of grills at a kiln made of clay. The chef skewers chicken meat marinated in a tandoori flavoured liquid preparation beforehand and places it in a kiln. Another method is the chef spreads out rested naan doughs and cooks them on the walls inside the kiln. The chef manages the high temperature kilns on their own.
The other is the Curry Chef Mr Suresh. He is a chef with 20 years of experience. He manoeuvres a big wok in one hand and cooks up curry before we know it. Next to the stove are colourful spices, and he scoops up the right amount of them into the wok with a ladle based on his experience over the years.
When you order two or three dishes at Little India, they come out to the table one after another with outstanding timing. This feat is only possible because the two chefs are in total sync.
It is true that the owner James is pro-Japan having lived in Japan before, but he is very strict when it comes to restaurant management. Little India offers a large selection of beers including the Little India original ‘Monsoon,’ but what made him select Kirin Megumi? He says, “Indian cuisines matches Kirin Megumi’s fresh and smooth taste very well. I think not only males but also females will like it. It goes with the dishes which we offered this time without doubt. I think people who are not familiar with Indian cuisines can become fond of them if they try them with Kirin Megumi. Please come and try Little India. And enjoy Indian cuisine with Kirin Megumi.” He also recommended that Tandoori Brown and fish curry in addition to the dishes introduced this time should match Kirin Megumi.
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* Ayurveda
Indian traditional wisdom. Includes not only medicine but also wisdom of living, biological science and philosophies. It has a history of about 500 years, and is said to have influenced Tibetan medicine as well as medicines of ancient Greece and Persia. It is also said to have deep relations with Indian astrology.
Harmony among mind, body, actions and environments as a whole is regarded as of importance to health. It is based on a concept of “preventative medicine,” which is to create mind and body that are not prone to diseases, prevent diseases and maintain health rather than to cure diseases after one gets sick.(ref. Wikipedia)
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LITTLE INDIA
URL：http://www.littleindia.com.au/
Address：308 Toorak Road, South Yarra VIC 3141
TEL： (03) 9827 9455
FAX： (03) 9827 9125
Opening Hours：Lunch Mon to Fri PM12:00 – PM2:30
Dinner Mon to Sun PM5:30 – late
