By Jo Attard
Since beginning a chef’s apprenticeship at the tender age of 17, Indi-Kitch owner Vanitha Naidu comes to the restaurant scene with an abundance of experience across the food industry. She’s done it all but it’s clear that in her view, running a restaurant in the inner west is the highlight of her impressive career.
Indi-Kitch is the foodie endeavour that scratches an itch she’s had since she became food obsessed, in her mother’s kitchen, in Southern Malaysia; to feed people brilliant spice combinations.
Indi-Kitch opened in 2022, and it’s taken a little tweaking to really establish itself as a restaurant. With some good staff and a clear vision it’s found its feet and is now welcoming people for breakfast, lunch and dinner from Wednesday.
The menu reads like a spicy favourites list from a range of cultures. For breakfast you can order roti and dhal, chili scramble, an omelette with char sui prawns or rice noodle soup. There’s also toast and eggs if you’re after something plain but after eating dinner at Indi-Kitch I say go the spice.
We started with the mamak fried chicken, a popular Malaysian dish which Vanitha said was her speciality and it sure was good. The skin was super crispy with just a hint of spice while the chicken was succulent and delicious. It was topped with house made chili sauce and mayo. Yum.
For mains Mr Eight ordered the roti chanai with a side of dhal and veg achar. The roti was grilled crunchy and the dhal was mild. It was a plentiful serve. There were several other side options including chicken curry, potatoes and beef rendang. I ordered the grilled calamari and green mango salad from the specials board. I love this combination of sweet and spicy and the octopus was cooked to perfection. Hubby opted for the banana leaf plate which looked amazing served on a huge silver dish. He chose the chicken curry option and it was served with rice, dhal, marsala potato and chutney. It was a hearty feed.
Other menu options include nasi goreng, nasi lemak, wonton mee egg noodles, laksa, omelette, and a curry plate with lots of options. There are ample vegetarian choices and a dessert menu too, but the meals were substantial enough for us not to require afters. The drinks menu is limited while Vanitha awaits her liquor license, but I’ve been told it’s on its way. Don’t let that stop you from giving Indi-Kitch a try.
Indi- Kitch is located at 2/451 Melbourne Road Newport. Head to https://www.indi-kitch.com.au/ for full menu and opening hours.
