Indian Palace Restaurant

Tubs has never been all that much of an Indian foodie fan. I, on the other hand, do enjoy Indian cuisine but haven't eaten enough variety (or anything particularly authentic) to have a fair opinion. But on this eye-opening day, I managed to get Tubs converted (sort of). After driving through a sea of restaurants in Balmain (and there are LOTS), we finally spotted Indian Palace (and parking). We arrived for a very late dinner and even then, the 'palace' was still packed with diners -many opting for the outdoor seats. I chose indoors, afraid of the late night chills, despite the arguably humid weather.

Indian cuisine, like most other Asian food, is best eaten shared -and shared we did. Naturally, the entree arrived first -khas kabab. This is described as "ground lamb spiced with coriander, green chilli and onions, skewered and grilled in the tandoor" and boy was it delicious!

Entree: Khas Kabab ($10.90)

At first sight, we thought the khas kabab looked somewhat like springrolls but after our first bite, our illusion vanished. The accompanying mint yoghurt sauce and a squeeze of lemon set off a nice contrast of zingy freshness to the almost gamey taste of lamb. It was delicious and although it may be an acquired taste, the flavour grew on me with one bite to the next.

Next came our mango chicken ("chicken fillet pieces cooked in a creamy mild mango sauce"), boiled saffron basmati rice (we ordered one serve only), plain naan ("leavened bread from refined flour"), vegetable paratha ("layered bread stuffed with vegetables and spices") and fish rasila ("barramundi fillets marinated in ginger, garlic and pot roasted in a traditional home-style curry sauce").

Left to right: plain naan ($3) & vegetable paratha ($4) in basket, mango chicken -top ($17.90), fish rasila -bottom ($18.90), saffron rice ($2)

Wow. The vegetable paratha is a stunner. Light and crisp on the outside, you can taste the burst of flavour as you bite into it -the lightly spiced vegetable filling was absolutely gorgeous. Highly recommended. The plain naan was also delicious; perfect for mopping up the sauces from our chicken and fish dishes. As for the saffron rice, it also plays a perfect role for soaking up those finger-licking sauces (and they were very generous with the sauce). Apparently, mango chicken is a classic and you can clearly see why with its creamy luscious sauce and tender chicken fillets. The fish rasila has a touch of spice (don't worry it's quite mild) and also speaks wonders. You can't really compare the two dishes since they're very different in taste but rest assured that they're definately yummy. Servings here at Indian Palace for the mains such as mango chicken and fish rasila may seem small upon first impression but don't be fooled as it fills you up very quickly. In fact, we were almost struggling to finish everything and there were three of us!

Mango chicken (top), fish rasila (bottom)

The ambience at Indian Palace is fairly relaxed without being overly casual. I'd say it's sort of smart casual. The service too is relaxed and friendly but also polite, with the owner giving you a visit and asking whether you were happy with your meal (yes, sir). Was Tubs impressed? Indeed. Will I return? Definately. I heard the Chicken Jalfrezi ("spicy chicken fillets with capsicum, tomatoes, green chillies and fresh coriander") were really good.

Indian Palace Restaurant Official website: http://www.indianpalace.com.au/

235 Darling Street, Balmain (P: 9818 3272 - 9818 3481)

Licensed and BYO

Dinner 7 nights 5:30-11:30 pm