Restaurant of the Month
February 2007
Cuisine:
Indian
Address:
261 Harris St Pyrmont
Phone:
(02) 9566 1135
Hours:
Lunch
Wed-Sat 11.30am-2.30pm
Dinner
Seven Nights 5-11pm
Vrindavan is the historical location where Krishna and Rada, all of only 4000 years ago, became the stuff of legend. Close to Delhi, at 7000 years the oldest capital on the planet, and on the way to the Taj Mahal, we’re talking auspicious & holy place of the highest order. But type into Google the word Vrindavan and you’re just as likely to discover the fine cuisine of this Pyrmont restaurant than any great swathes of wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita – my how times change thanks to the internet!!
From its start in 2000 Vrindavan Restaurant has been tantalising the tastebuds of thousands of customers in Sydney – most of them in fact from around the world. Its centralised location at the heart of the city sees the restaurant more popular with international tourists than Sydneysiders. It’s highly recommended by travellers from India and the UK, as word of mouth reaches those cravers in search of home-style Indian food. Vrindavan’s owner Praveen Kumar and chefs Muniruzzeman and Farooq meet the special dietary requirements of people looking for select regional Indian food, halal items and hard-to-get Jain cuisine at very short notice.
In a word, the flavours are exquisite. Dishes such as we sampled on a recent highly indulgent
lunch were all fresh, vibrant and vital. The Fish Curry (Mahi Ambotik) was intoxicatingly more-ish, while Vrindavan lives up to its catch-phrase of being “the most affordable Indian restaurant on this side of the city”. With three days notice, diners looking for extravagance can feast on Lobster Masala, or the unforgettable Sikandari Raan, which is a whole leg of lamb, marinated in wine and spices and finished off in the Tandoor. Having said that, the charming and intelligent host Praveen is at pains to convey the homespun view that if he failed to do a perfectly decent Butter Chicken, or Chicken Tikka, or Vegetable Jalfrezi, that he’s be out of business within the month. So the mainstays of Indian cuisine as enjoyed in Australia are taken very great care of.
Yet Vrindavan is not just an average Indian restaurant. The restaurant can accommodate up to 75 people for group functions – birthday, anniversary, wedding, corporate, farewell etc. If the guest list is more you can cater from the restaurant to your function venue be it home, office, function centre, community hall, cruise boats – you name it and they will do it. Another prominent feature of the restaurant is the door delivery service – the term ‘door’ delivery used instead of ‘home’ as they deliver not only to local residents but also to customers at their local work place and to tourists staying at furnished apartments and hotels around the area.
Right from the first dish we were impressed by Vrindavan’s fine touch. It was a “Chicky Basket for Two” entree, appetisingly presented with two pieces of chicken tikka, two Hariyali chicken (hara meaning ‘green’ as this is chicken in a mint marinade), and two pieces of Chicken Malai Kebab (a yellow cream and cheese paste). It set the tone for a great afternoon, as did their rather excellent sound system, which was never overbearing but it’s great to hear Indian music through quality speakers for a change! This place is run with sincerity and dedication – it’s only been going seven years, not much by comparison with the original Vrindavan – yet it’s creating a little history of its own.