Sydney Eat Street: 10 things to eat in Harris Park
NEXT door to Parramatta is Harris Park, where Indian food is authentic, delicious and plentiful. But it’s not the only cuisine in the postcode.
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Next door to Parramatta is Harris Park, where Indian food is taken into another world. Authentic, delicious and plentiful, it also offers other stunning cuisines.
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Chatkazz Street Food
The menu may be based on the no-frills street food that co-owner Dharmesh Rangparia recalls from his childhood, but inside this busy eatery, he’s taken a more polished approach to fast food where the only thing that is quick is the service. Using skills he learned from his accomplished chef father, Dharmesh gave up his accounting job and with the help of two former classmates, opened up a small cafe. While there was no real restaurant experience between them, he proved adept in the kitchen, even taking a run at MasterChef India while he was there getting some formal culinary training. Now, three years on, that little 15-seat takeaway shop has turned into a 125-seat restaurant that serves refined version of foods such as the masala pav, a sort of tomato and onion-based gravy stuffed inside a bread roll. But here, the Chatkazz version is served on a plate with the gravy ladled on top of the bread. So posh.
Shop 4/14-20 Station St East
Radhe Wholesale and Retail
Any good cook knows the trick to mouth-watering meals depends on spices, so when those seasonings run out, so does the magic. Fortunately, for those making Indian Subcontinent style foods, many of the ingredients that aren’t usually found in standard grocery stores can be sourced at Radhe Wholesale and Retail. It’s not just spices either. They sell everything from frozen meals to fresh produce, including hard-to-find ingredients typically found in Indian recipes such as the fenugreek herb, bitter melons and baby aubergines.
Radhe’s fans aren’t limited to Harris Park as fortunately for those in other suburbs, they do deliver and some things can even be sent interstate. Of course, then you’d miss out the occasional Saturday afternoons when they serve up panipuri right out front.
8-10 Station St East
Not Just Curries
Not Just Curries is an invitation to taste a variety of Indian foods. With a background in five-star dining, owner Digviaj Ranawat has become attuned to identifying customers’ preference and modified things accordingly. He notes that while most of the menu is made for an Indian palate in that it tends to be quite hot, many people are still not familiar with the intensity of the spices so indicative of Northern Indian cuisine as that region was so significant in the early spice trade. “People come in asking for butter chicken,” he said, “but then are surprised when they don’t get a sweet dish but the true Delhi style with a punch.”
66 Wigram St
Ginger Indian
Over the past seven years Vandana and Nitin Setia have won numerous awards, including 2015 Best Of The West. You could assume it’s just the standout menu items such as tandoori prawns, but it’s also Vandana’s passion for food and her wealth of knowledge and their signature dish, goat champ masala. “In India, many people prefer goat as their first choice of meat as it has less fat, which makes its meat more tender and tasty,” she said.
94 Wigram St East
In Harris Park, you also must try ...
Falooda
Starting with a base of rose syrup and milk, this beverage gets some interesting textures by adding vermicelli, basil seeds, gelatine and ice cream.
Durga Paan and Falooda House, 3/14-20 Station St East
Lamb saag
A surefire way to get your daily vegie allotment is with a flavourful lamb curry and spinach. It can vary on the chilli index but it’s the mixture of over 10 different spices that makes it so more-ish.
Spice of Life Restaurant, 116 Wigram St
Raj kachori
At first glance it may look like a dessert but these crispy little pillows of fried dough are savoury. After poking a hole in the top, various beans, potatoes and onions are spooned inside while thin yoghurt and chutneys are drizzled over the top.
Taj Bhavan, 91 Wigram St
Shaabiyat
This sweet and crunchy dessert is made with filo pastry filled with pistachios and baked until golden brown. Similar ones made with shredded dough are smaller.
Sweet Land Patisserie, 55 Wigram St
Baked lamb
This established Greek restaurant touts itself on home-style cooking. And there’s no skimping on the succulent baked lamb.
The Olive Greek Restaurant, 44 Marion St
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