Swansea’s Indian gem makes welcome return for summer
Head to Swansea. Order everything. Thank me later – as you won’t want to miss out on this terrific little East Coast pop-up, writes Alix Davis
There are a few things I really look forward to as summer approaches – roadside apricots, light in the sky until 10pm, many (many!) kilos of cherries and, in a new addition to my list, the arrival in Swansea of Biji Dining. Chef Harry Mangat and personal and professional partner and front-of-house whiz Sandy Soerjadhi are the creative team behind Biji, and after their successful pop-up at the Waterloo Inn last summer, they’re back in Swansea again – this time at The Branch.
Honestly, this could be a very short review. Head to Swansea. Order everything. Thank me later. However, the powers that be have asked for a little more detail, so here we go. Biji’s food can best be described as a modern interpretation of Indian cuisine. Harry grew up in Punjab and arrived in Australia to work as an accountant; however, a stint washing dishes at a restaurant saw him fall in love with the kitchen and the pair now travel Australia sharing their food at events and pop-ups.
Mangat credits chef Raymond Capaldi of Melbourne’s Hare & Grace for giving him the confidence to be creative with food.
The menu offers small, medium and larger plates and you’re welcome to pick and choose as your appetite dictates. I suggest cleansing your palate with a plate of pickles ($8) scattered with distinctively flavoured nigella seeds. The crunchy pickles include radishes – dropped off by a local with a glut when they first arrived – and the radish tops appear in a sauce a little further through the meal. Mangat is a big fan of bread and butter and the missi bread ($7 per piece) and coconut butter is his version of fenugreek-flecked flatbread of his childhood. It’s very more-ish and, while it’s great with the coconut butter and gunpowder spice, it’s also perfect for swiping up the velvety pumpkin bharta ($16) with crispy saltbush.
Creamy housemade paneer (a soft Indian cheese) is paired with a disc of fluffy fried bread ($24). Mangat has remembered from previous visits that my husband is no fan of chilli, so has kindly served the chilli crunch on the side. After a tenuous first taste, my husband ends up eating all the chilli and would happily have had more – wonders will never cease. A vegan dish of chargrilled spring asparagus ($24) topped with coconut shavings offers a little subtlety after the big flavours we’ve started with.
While Mangat is busy in the kitchen, Soerjadhi manages the dining room, capably assisted by Kelsey, the owner of The Branch, and Nancy, who owns the cafe across the road and stepped in to help after a staff member called in sick. It is this kind of community spirit that really drew the Biji team back to Swansea and they have been embraced by the town. Most sittings are booked out a couple of days in advance – so be sure to book ahead.
A piece of perfectly roasted (there’s still a bit of bite) cauliflower ($26) sits atop a swirl of sauce made with coconut, tahini, miso and spices and crowned with a scattering of capers that have been boiled with raisins to create a more-ish sweet/sour topping. Rather than torturing ourselves by wondering what we missed out on, we order all three main dishes and the king prawns ($33 for two) arrived first. These oversize crustaceans are split open and smothered in a fresh corn sauce based on ka kees, a popular street food snack in the central Indian city of Indore. They’re messy to eat but the effort is well worth it and finger licking is not frowned on here.
A meaty beef short rib ($35) is slow-cooked with spices and green peppercorns based on a Mughal dish called nihari and presented in a single piece that’s pull-apart tender and so full of flavour that I may have made an undignified groan. Excuse me.
Obviously we’ve got room for dessert and the rosewater-scented hung yoghurt ($16) is based on a dessert sold in specific shops in India. Here it’s topped with a vibrant rhubarb compote and a little ginger crunch. It’s light and not overly sweet and I’d really rather not share but … my husband hands over the rest of his masala chai custard ($18) with cinnamon apples and Wild Hives honey jelly and I am somewhat mollified.
An evening at Biji Dining is one that I’m looking forward to repeating over summer and I recommend that you make it part of your summer plans too.
BIJI DINING
at The Branch
7 Maria St, Swansea
Opening hours: Mon, Tues, Fri, Sat 4-8pm. Sun 12-7pm
On the menu:
Missi bread with coconut butter, $7; pumpkin bharta with pappadums, $16; fresh paneer with charred snow peas and flatbread, $24; roasted cauliflower with caramelised onion and capers, $26; king prawns with creamed corn ka kees, $33; Cape Grim beef short rib, $35; masala chai custard with cinnamon apples, $18
Beachside brekkie bliss on the Eastern Shore
