A whole new attitude to food

One of Dimpy Singh’s favourite memories from childhood, is cooking for his family.

“When I was 12-13 years of age, making breakfast for the family was a regular weekend activity,” Dimpy reminisces.

Growing up in Delhi, he had learned by watching his mum in the kitchen. Already a foodie in his early teens, he could tell you which of the local hotspots sold the best tikka or the best fried fish.

It was clear he would be making a career out of food.

Today the Sydney-based Singh has carved a niche for himself in the Indian food scene in the city.

Urban Tadka, his latest venture with partner Mandeep Rana, may be all of 18 months old, but it has taken the fancy of the Indian community here.

Nestled in an acreage in leafy Terrey Hills, Urban Tadka comes as a new concept in Indian dining. In fact, Dimpy defines it as a “whole new attitude to food”.

And to be sure, it is rather different, when you first drive in to the estate-like location – as if you’re at a farmhouse in the outskirts of Delhi, away for the hustle and bustle of the big city. (In fact, Mandeep reveals that they were indeed influenced by the spurt of farmhouse-located restaurants around Delhi).

Once in, you are ushered in to a swanky lounge area as you wait for your table. Here you enjoy a predinner drink from the bar, and the friendly banter with the staff and the mood lighting both relax you instantly.

At your table, your meal ordered from an exhaustive menu, you can actually see your selection of dishes prepared in the open kitchen. The meal when it appears, is beautifully presented, and you feel like taking your time with it to savour every mouthful. The food is pretty authentic, and there is some unusual fare on offer, such as the Indian-Chinese preparation Chicken 65 and Fish Koliwara.

The dastan-e-chaman veggie patties are like none you’ve ever eaten before, and the lakhnawi seekh hazarvi is finger-licking good. The kheema baingan makes you wonder why you never thought of the combination before; the Simla pork lababdar is rich but deeply satisfying, and the unda-funda will take you back to the streets of Delhi. Rotis, give the methi lachcha paratha a try – you’ll never order the naan again.

The wine list has a good range of white and reds, Dimpy himself is quite keen to help you match your wine to the food you have selected for your meal. “A Riesling is normally good with Indian food but we do have a lot of choice for those wishing to try their favourite wines,” he adds.

Not exactly new to the restaurant scene (having run Magic Curries and a range of other restaurants on the north shore), Mandeep and Dimpy have put in some clever innovations to stand out.

“As a restaurant we are a step ahead of the rest,” Dimpy says with characteristic self assurance.

“Look, since you’ve decided to go out to dinner, we’d like to make the whole experience that much more special for you. Our lounge area is cosy and romantic; we incorporated it in our plans because it is customary in this country to have a drink before dinner. With the open kitchen, we take the mystery out of Indian cooking: we don’t use ‘lots of spices’, and we work with fresh produce and efficient procedures. And finally, we like our food authentic and our presentation classy… We reflect the food trends in the high-end restaurants in Delhi or Bombay today”.

Mainstream clients have been thronging the restaurant, and both boys beam with pleasure when one guest comments while leaving, “This is one of the finest Indian restaurants in Sydney”.

The Indian community have been coming in from as far as Penrith, Mount Druitt and Hurstville, and this is just as satisfying.

“We always knew the response would be this good!” the Tadka boys say with typical Punjabi confidence.

Yet Mandeep admits he was shocked when he first saw the venue his partner had picked to build the restaurant on. “It was an abandoned farmhouse, overgrown with weeds, snake holes and spiderwebs everywhere…. But there was a vision, and we made it work in the end”.

The swanky end-result seems like a far cry from what is described, and the passion of the proprietors and the hard work they put in, seems evident.

The purpose-built function centre at Urban Tadka (or ‘UT’ as the trendy set are calling it) has been particularly popular with the community. The 250-person capacity, the dance floor, the DJ facilities and the ample parking are particular drawcards, and smaller events have taken place under specially erected marquees in the sprawling grounds outside. A variety of functions have already been held here, such as birthdays and anniversaries, as well as wilder themed parties (eg a Moulin Rouge themed adult show girl party). Farm animals have been brought in for kids’ parties, and a local school event once saw fifty boys and their dads gather here to watch the State of Origin finals. At a recent event, an entire streetscape from Delhi was created with stalls offering no less than ten different cuisines.

“Tell us what you want to make your event special, and we’ll organise it for you,” Mandeep says confidently. “And remember, if you can’t come to us, we’ll come to you, with our catering service”.

So what’s in store for the future?

“More Urban Tadkas!” It’s that unmistakable Punjabi self-belief yet again. “We’re already looking at new sites and franchises”.

They sure look like they’re here to stay.

Give the Tadka boys a try –you’ll definitely go back for more.

Rajni Anand Luthra