“Hey Ines, can you do the BYO review?” Give me a moment to … yes. The thought of strolling off to local eateries after numerous lectures and library shenanigans day-in, day-out, was a brilliant idea if ever I’d heard one. For a moment I thought I could even play my cards right and pretend I was wining and dining my boyfriend out of the absolute goodness of my heart, but the red notebook and camera constantly being whipped out would have quickly given the game away. The two of us set off each evening with empty bellies, ready to be wooed by steaming plates and bowls of various delicacies.
Shahi Tandoor
351 George Street(03) 470 1597
Walking down George Street, you can’t miss Shahi Tandoor. Located in the block north of Hanover Street, it stands out with its brightly painted tangerine interior and endless windows. Upon entering, bright yet soothing light washes over you and the colourful walls with gold finishings beg you to order a chicken tikka right away.
They have friendly service, beautiful curries and an environment that is the right blend of casual and lively. A long table at the north end, as well as another one hidden at the back, makes it ideal for larger BYOs. On a Saturday they claim to feed up to 300 hungry mouths throughout the course of the night, seating up to 100 at any one time.
Though I typically avoid butter chicken, finding it often fails to balance flavour with a cloying richness, I was blown away by the subtle complexities of Shahi’s version (available for $15.90). The morsels of chicken are first cooked in a charcoal clay oven, taking on a heavenly smokiness. The sauce has a beautiful flavour and the dish is topped with a swirl of cream and slivered nuts. For the sake of typical Western tradition, we ordered it mild. I’d recommend getting it at least medium, just for an extra kick, but it’s still divine if not. The lamb vindaloo ($15.90) was oily, tangy and very spicy, making it a perfect pairing with the creamy butter chicken. The presentation is great and the naan ($3) does its job well of mopping up any excess sauce. If your usual BYO crew are curry fans (or if you fancy one of their daytime lunch specials), get aboard the Shahi train. These guys know what they’re doing.
Try the: Butter chicken, lamb vindaloo or mango chicken.
We spent: $34.80 for two curries (including rice) and a naan.
Corkage: $4.50
Yuki Izakaya
29 Bath Street(03) 477 9539
Tucked away in Bath Street is Yuki. Behind its rolling door entry is a bustling restaurant with heavy, varnished, hand-carved tables and tiny stools. Its low ceiling, open kitchen layout and quick service make it a novel place for a quick bite, or a longer evening of consumption. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been to this place, so let’s admit that bias now and get on with it. Actually, one more thing: I’ve also never been here without ordering the octopus balls, so my long-standing praise for them may also infiltrate this review. Sincerest apologies.
The idea behind Yuki is to order many small dishes, either individually or as a table. For larger BYOs (for which they have a key table by the door), I’d recommend selecting three or four dishes for yourself, and that way you’ll know exactly what you’re getting. We ordered the goyoza dumplings ($6) with vermicelli filling and a soy-based dipping sauce. Hot, crisp and flavoursome, these are a good starting point for your selection of Japanese-themed goodies. The okonomiyaki ($8) is a cabbage-based sort of pancake with an outrageous swirl of barbecue sauce and mayonnaise on top. We had the variety with bacon.
The takoyaki, a.k.a. octopus balls ($6), are not literally what they sound like, but are crispy, round delights smothered in mayonnaise and bonito flakes, which manage to eerily wave around in the heat. Every mouthful of the takoyaki is a small burst of happiness, even if you do brush the bonito flakes aside. The ika-geso, a.k.a. tempura squid ($6.50), had a lovely crisp, light batter with a satisfying crunch and was a generous serve for its price. Finally, the spicy chicken ($7) had tender pieces of chicken encased in a thin, crispy outer and then smothered in an incredibly hot, tangy, electric red sauce. This is one for the chilli fans, and the sauce is fairly plentiful so is great for eating with everything else.
The wait staff are patient, the food comes out fast and there is even sumo wrestling screening silently on a mounted television. By 7pm on a Thursday they were absolutely bustling, with people popping in to ensure they could get a seat later on. Friendly, efficient, and cranking out everything from Will-I-Am to Foals, this place is a real charmer.
Try the: Takoyaki, beef tataki or prawn tempura.
We spent: $33.50 for five smaller dishes.
Corkage: $6
Asian Restaurant (a.k.a. The Asian)
43 Moray Place(03) 477 6673
The Asian welcomes in the old and young, families, upstanding citizens and fine Scarfies. Its kitschy interior and abundance of lazy-Susan-clad tables make it exciting every time you enter its friendly, albeit loud, embrace. With a ridiculously extensive menu, choosing the right dish can be a test of one’s decision-making skills.
They do beef well, but I’d stick with the chilli-based sauces for a more flavoursome experience. The food comes out at lightning speed and the service is attentive. This place has a warm buzz about it throughout the week, but particularly closer to the weekend. They don’t take BYO sittings after 9pm, but let’s be honest – it would be offensive to wait that late before gorging on their hot, saucy noodles.
We ordered the beef brisket hokkein noodles ($14), which arrived steaming hot and with a delicious gingery scent. The beef was tender, in a subtly salty sauce loaded with roughly chopped yet brilliantly soft garlic. The noodles were blissfully soft and thick, soaking up all of the sauce. Some finely sliced carrot added a bit of colour and crunch, but this is an otherwise vegetable-free dish, so a meal with more greens makes a good pairing with it. The spicy schezuan chicken chow mein ($14) was served on thin egg noodles with a gorgeous pile of celery, cauliflower, broccoli and mushrooms, though the sauce was fairly nondescript.
In addition to the rice- and noodle-based dishes, The Asian also has a plentiful range of soups, from chicken and corn to BBQ pork to wonton, starting at just $4 for a small bowl. They also have a very descriptive wine list: for example, one is “dry with herbaceous and tropical flavours” and is “great with Chinese food medium dry” [sic]. Their biggest tables seat 10-12 people and the place is great fun. Remember, you get what you pay for: it’s cheap, it’ll fill you up and it’s good value. Anything with noodles, chilli and beef is a winner.
Try the: Beef spicy bean sauce on rice, crispy chicken, or fried tofu veges with spring onion and ginger.
We spent: $28 for two mains.
Corkage: $5
India Garden
10 Hanover Street(03) 477 2495
Lured into India Garden by their Wednesday $12 curry night, we were disappointed. The understated interior and friendly staff make the place an otherwise great destination for a relaxed dinner, but the lamb vindaloo (normally $15.50) was a flop. Though its spice base was gorgeously complex and the numerous chunks of lamb tender, it was overly salty and this completely ruined it. When we mentioned this, our waitress was absolutely apologetic and brought us another one without question, plus extra rice. The replacement vindaloo still had salty tones running through it, which was a shame, because all of the other elements were otherwise great.
The butter chicken (normally $15.50) had a heavy tomato presence, although this made a nice change from those that are overly creamy without any competing tang coming through. Get it medium, if not hot, for a more rewarding flavour. I’d like to think that this was just a cursed night for vindaloo because this place is otherwise a perfect BYO destination: well-lit, cheap corkage, inexpensive yet filling food and damn fine, buttery naan ($2.50). This trip was a disappointment but I’ve enjoyed it on previous occasions, and small touches like cumin seeds stirred through the fluffy rice and the instant delivery of water to the table makes it a pretty sweet BYO location.
Try the: Lamb saagwala.
We spent: $26.50 for two curries (including rice) and a naan.
Corkage: $3
Kwangchow Cuisine
18 Lower Stuart Street(03) 477 1668
It’s really, really embarrassing that I’ve lived in Dunedin so long and yet still required a Critic assignment to experience Kwangchow Cuisine. I am sorry, Kwangchow, for being so blissfully ignorant of your divine existence. This place is honestly something else – in a good way. The décor is incredible and, being up a winding staircase, is completely hidden from the street. Plush scarlet carpet lines the floor and a glitzy chandelier somehow seems fitting despite being at odds with the other decorations adorning the large dining room, which is loosely separated into two areas.
If you want to feel like a king whilst sipping away on your carefully selected Waipara riesling, then you’ll feel right at home perched in the comfortable, brown-cushioned seats. Sounds weird, feels great. We ordered the spicy szechuan beef on rice ($12), which is also available with chicken, prawns or pork at varying prices. It had oiliness, heat, loads of tender beef and lots of vegetables. The braised pork with spicy chilli sauce ($16) had no rice or noodles but this was no loss; the addition of cubed silky tofu with a crisp exterior, plenty of vegetables and a sweet, almost honey-ish sauce made it an instant favourite. I couldn’t stop shovelling it in, but hey, it was all in the name of culinary enjoyment. The dishes come out as they are cooked rather than all at once, so go there to share and, for goodness’ sake, ask for a table with a lazy Susan. It would be silly not to.
Try the: Spicy szechuan beef on rice, beef with flat noodles or green beans with garlic.
We spent: $30 for two mains and a pot of Chinese tea.
Corkage: $5
Best Dish:
Shahi Tandoor’s butter chickenRich yet beautifully flavoursome with the perfect finishing touches.
Runner-Up: Yuki’s prawn or squid tempura
The batter alone is a delight, the fillings are tender and the dipping sauce finishes it off nicely.
Best BYO: Yuki Izakaya
For its delicious food and peppy atmosphere.Runner-Up: Kwangchow
Embrace the music-less ambience and elaborate décor for a BYO experience like no other.
