You know what? There's not enough funfetti on Sydney menus, and that's a fact. OK, so I'm not sure Tetsuya Wakuda is about to sub out the wakame​ on his confit ocean trout, and Armando Percuoco​ is just about as likely to follow suit replacing the fresh shaved truffle over his fettuccine al tartufovo​ with rainbow sprinkles.

But a Nutella milkshake showered with brightly coloured edible tickertape? That's a choco-nutty-dairy party, right there. And it's probably the most delicious thing on the menu at this feel-good Broadway newcomer.

Here's the story. It's a Jesuit-run restaurant, backed by the Cardoner Project, a Christian charity organisation fuelled by the power of young volunteers. On the menu, there are dishes inspired by the communities in which the project has served. So you'll see versions of Korean fried chicken, Vietnamese rice noodle salad, dahl, empanadas.

It feels like the sort of place you'd stumble upon after walking around in the heat all day somewhere (anywhere, really) in south-east Asia, where you all of a sudden find yourself in a room surrounded with cold beers, and dozens of people hell-bent on finding themselves through the power of lentils. Everybody working the floor here seems pretty high on life. Maybe it's all the self-discovery.

Or maybe it's the light, flaky empanadas filled with spicy mince. They're definitely worth ordering again, though I probably wouldn't run back for the Vietnamese rice noodle salad with hunks of fried pork, pickled carrot and peanuts with an overpoweringly acidic dressing. Nor the Korean-style fried chicken, which is a little soggy and strangely acrid.

The dhal, gently cooked lentils heavy on the coriander, comes garnished with a chickpea fritter, roasted cauliflower and pieces of eggplant, all golden on the outside, almost caramelised on the inside. Very soothing.

Think of the room as Tio's With a Conscience. It's all south-of-the-border bright with a side of taxidermy, trays of hot sauces, photos of all the work the Cardoner Project is doing around the world. Flags and festoon lighting keep the atmosphere fun, but the bones of Deco room, which they've been careful to preserve, keep it from looking too backpacker-y. And, out the front there's even an enormous priest in full dog-collar kit.

It's an unusual site in an alleyway next to the Lansdowne Hotel – a pub better known for its live-and-extremely-local musical acts than Jesuit missionaries. 

But hey, if there's one thing to take away from this, it's love thy neighbour.

THE LOW-DOWN
Pro tip If you're surfing the austerity wave, there's a $5 house red wine
Try this The Nutella milkshake is a frothy, sweet rainbow party
Like this? Pay what you feel at Lentil as Anything. 391 King Street, Newtown, 02 8283 5580