Aahaar Indian Kitchen and Bar opens on Wood Street, Mackay

With a giant tandoor oven and plans to cook rib fillets, an Indian-born Queensland man is opening up a new restaurant to treat his regional city after the love it gave him.

A new Indian restaurant is open for business, seeking to deliver authentic, fine Indian dining in the Mackay city center.

Aahaar Indian Kitchen & Bar opened at 94 Wood St on Tuesday, November 19, to the rush of a packed house.

Floor staff had to scramble to keep the pace as Dhani Ram, the owner, said bookings were full.

“That first day we had 60 bookings,” Mr Ram said.

“We had takeaway orders and everything.”

Gurwinder Singh and his business partner Dhani Ram are working together to bring authentic Indian food to the City heart. Photo: Fergus Gregg

Originally from the Punjab region in north India, Mr Ram moved to Mackay nine years ago after previously working in five star hotels.

“I just loved Mackay,” he said.

“I got a lot of love from the Mackay people.”

The Aahaar menu has fine dining options, but also butter chicken loaded fries on its lunch menu. Photo: Fergus Gregg

After working in restaurants around Mackay, including another local Indian place, Mr Ram and business partner and head chef Gurwinder Singh decided the time was ripe to launch their own culinary enterprise.

“Most of the Indian restaurants they don’t do fine dining, so that’s what my goal is,” he said.

“We are giving a mix of authentic Indian food and the contemporary Indian cuisine.”

Aahaar is also a fully licensed venue with all the classic cocktails you could want. Photo: Fergus Gregg

Mr Ram and Mr Singh have taken over the site from previous tenants Bar 94, which closed earlier this year.

“It took us one and a half months and we had to paint everything inside,” Mr Ram said.

“I wanted to give it the fine dining look.”

The menu includes classic curries like vindaloo and butter chicken, as well as goat curries and Indo Chinese inspired entrees.

“Personally my favourite dish is Karahi chicken which includes capsicum … secret gravies and whole blend spices,” Mr Ram said.

A mainstay of their kitchen operation is the cavernous tandoori oven they’ve installed, which soon could be used for more than just chicken.

Coming soon to the Aahaar menu will be a tandoori style rib fillet steak, served with curry mashed potatoes. Photo: Fergus Gregg

“Soon we’ll be doing tandoori steaks,” Mr Ram said.

“I’m introducing a rib fillet, cooked in the tandoori oven served with curry mashed potatoes and some salad on the side.”

Aahaar is open everyday except Sunday for lunch and is open for dinner every day of the week.

The team is still hoping to hire four floor staff and Aahaar is open to school aged students who Mr Ram reckons will be able to fit work around their study schedule.

Aahaar’s opening comes just days after nearby Bluebird Lounge announced its closure.