Tadka wins Best Indian Restaurant award

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

Urban Tadka

Restaurant in Terrey Hills was announced earlier this month as Sydney’s Best Indian Restaurant in the 2013 Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering HOSTPLUS Awards for Excellence.

Only two years and three months old, the restaurant took the fancy of the local Indian community almost from its inception. Now it is just as popular with the wider mainstream.

Set up by long-time restaurateurs Mandeep Rana and Dimpy Singh, Urban Tadka, nestled in an acreage in leafy Terrey Hills, is modelled on the elite farmhouse-restaurants of Delhi. The food itself, authentic in style and classy in its presentation, reflects the trends in high-end restaurants in contemporary Mumbai.

It’s hard to believe that not so long ago an abandoned farmhouse stood in its place, over-run with weeds, snake holes and spider-webs. It was painstakingly refashioned into a swanky restaurant, with a cosy but modern lounge and bar area, an open kitchen, a dance floor and beautifully landscaped lawns.

Urban Tadka, or ‘UT’ as the trendy set are now calling it, has also gone on to become one of the community’s most soughtafter function venues.

The 250-person capacity, the dance floor and DJ facilities, as well as the ample parking (for over a hundred cars) and the specially erected marquees in the sprawling grounds outside, are particular drawcards.

“We took great pains to set it all up,” Dimpy tells Indian Link His partner Mandeep chimes in, “Now we take great care with our service. Regular guests come in and say, ‘Can we leave things up to you?’ We know whether they want a tapas-style meal, or the whole deal!”

In June this year, Urban Tadka was selected as the winner of Dimmi’s Top-rated Australian Indian Restaurant category.

“Being picked for this win, from the collective opinion of Dimmi’s 250,000 patrons was extremely rewarding,” Mandeep says. “It pushed us even further in our aim to become one of the leading fine-dining Indian restaurants in this city”.

The Savour Awards are held across Australia over nine events, including both regional and metropolitan regions.

Urban Tadka took the award in the Indian/ Subcontinental category, while awards were announced for other cuisines such as Contemporary Australian, European, Asian, Chinese, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Indian, Turkish and Vietnamese. Awards were also given out for winners in the Breakfast restaurant, Café restaurant, Coffee shop, Pizza restaurant, Seafood restaurant, Steak restaurant and Family restaurant categories. The National awards are coming up shortly.

Tetsuya’s Restaurant, China Doll, Catalina, Ananas Bar & Brasserie, Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay and Garfish at Manly were other winners for 2013.

On the Awards night held at Star Casino, the Tadka boys felt push back my chair and start walking up to the stage. ‘Get ready, buddy,’ I whispered to Mandeep, and saw that same look on his face as he said ‘Yes’. Within seconds, they announced our name as winners!” and Dimpy Singh, Urban Tadka, nestled in an acreage in leafy Terrey Hills, is modelled on the elite farmhouserestaurants of Delhi

“Our efforts have all paid off,” Mandeep agrees. “And to be recognised like this, is surely a topof-the-world feeling. Even to be listed as finalists, was immensely satisfying. We thank all our loyal patrons who have made this achievement worth more than we could have ever asked for. A very special thanks to our superb team of chefs, bartenders, waitstaff and kitchen hands, who have all contributed equally in our success”.

Dimpy finishes off, “We had a vision, to be the most promising Indian restaurant in town, and we’ve proved ourselves, by the grace of God, the blessings of our parents, and the support of our families”.

And yet, that unmistakable Punjabi self-assurance is never far behind. “This is just the beginning,” both say with stars in their eyes.

The national awards are up next, and the Tadka boys, finalists there as well, are keeping their fingers crossed. We wish them all the very best.

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