New eatery Kid Curry to serve up must-eat butter chicken

Made with a secret cheffy twist, this butter chicken has had foodies going crazy.

From an Indian-inspired pimped-up butter chicken in a sauce of smoked tomatoes to a Thai-style banana filled roti ribboned with condensed milk – new Asian eatery Kid Curry promises to excite Brisbane when it opens next month.

The work of brothers Cameron and Jordan Votan, the venue has been more than a year in the making after a short concept trial during Covid lockdowns last year when it became an instant success, serving more than 800 curries in its first week.

Now the siblings have built on the idea and will turn the takeaway into a permanent 45-seater, slotting in next to their hugely popular Chinese restaurant Happy Boy and beloved wine bar Snack Man on East St in Fortitude Valley.

While the original model served predominantly curries, the new restaurant will expand to about 30 dishes, including entrees, snacks, salads, curries and more from Indonesia, Thailand, India, Malaysia and Vietnam.

“(It’s) a menu of generous serves, great value, that’s authentic and true to the fundamentals of the dishes but not trying too hard,” Cameron Votan said.

That means everything from Malaysian-style curry puffs to Indonesian grilled chicken ayam bakar and even the Thai pork stir-fry dish kua gling.

Chefs Pornsak Charoenkijchaichana and Darin Rodsud, owner Jordan Votan, and chefs Pawan Giri and Tom Swapp at the new Kid Curry restaurant which will open in Fortitude Valley. Picture: John Gass

Chef Tom Swapp (ex-Spirit House, Yandina and Pony Brisbane) said there would also be plenty of terrific plant-based and gluten-free dishes available, all with delicious condiments and sides, while a kitchen team of predominantly Thai expats would ensure dishes from the Southeast Asian country would be as authentic as possible.

“They’ll tell me, ‘no, it’s not right’,” Mr Swapp said.

In keeping with the eatery’s name, curries will be a star, ranging from Thai beef massaman and seafood jungle curry to Malaysian rendang and the elevated Indian butter chicken, which became a hit during their Covid pop-up.

“It’s all the big punchy flavours from those regions,” Mr Swapp said.

And to ensure dishes are as authentic as possible, the restaurant has been working with supplier Suncoast Fresh and farmers to create specific products for specific dishes.

To match the depth and complexities of the food, the brothers have also developed an interesting global wine list moving from beautiful orange wines and German rieslings through to French grenache blends and beaujolais.

“We want the wine to be a palate refresher, which means you feel like you’re tasting something fresh every mouthful,” Mr Votan said.

Fit-out on the intimate 115sq m eatery, lush with local spotted gum detailing, is almost complete with an early to mid-August opening scheduled.