A newish restaurant in the city, takes a fresh, creative and artisan approach to Indian cuisine, says dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON.
Amara’s menu features dishes that are both modern and steeped in Indian tradition. The focus is just as much on presentation as it is the secret mixing of hand-ground and carefully sourced spices to create deep and exotic flavours.
A house speciality is the dosai and we ordered ours with a spiced ground lama masala filling (mini size $13 and regular $26). The crepe was slightly crispy and wonderfully thin. It was served hot with two dips, one cooler than the other. We were encouraged to dip our dosai into both before indulging, which we did, appreciating the advice.
Gorgeous in appearance and sensational on the palette was the spinach chat ($15.90). It was a cold, refreshing and intriguing combination of spinach leaves with potatoes, chickpeas and a creamy sweet and tangy yoghurt sauce.
Prawns were up next (six pieces for $17.90), marinated in an onion and peppercorn blend giving a lovely level of heat. They were plump, grilled to perfection and married well with our Saint Louise De Provence rose ($31 a bottle).
The mixed vegetarian daal was a golden delight in every sense. The lentils were soft, the dish creamy and the classic tomato and garlic sauce thick and indulgent ($18.90).
Our hot and spicy beef vindaloo came through on its promise of punch ($24.90). This specialty dish from Goa is created with a recipe of spices made by Amara’s talented chefs. Its sauce was tangy and the beef pieces s-o-o-o tender.
Goat on the bone was transformed into an amazing curry (medium heat, $25.90). It was slow-cooked in a rich blend of aromatic spices, onions and tomatoes. Most but not all pieces were melt-in-the-mouth (the odd one would have enjoyed being slow-cooked for a bit longer).
The super crunchy pappadums with caraway were fabulous and we eagerly dipped our piping hot, fluffy naan into various sauces, making our tummies very happy indeed.
We applauded Amara for its compact wine list. The prices are super reasonable with some great options. Whites start at $9.50 a glass and red at $8.50 (for a Barossa Valley drop). Bottles are $28 to $38 for red and $33 to $40 for white.
Service was knowledgeable and friendly, with staff eager to please.
Amara’s interior is bright and refined, although noise was an issue on our visit (partly due to a supplier issue causing a delay with sound proofing and artwork). We were seated near a large table and a second large table arrived during our meal ramping the volume up. While it was rewarding to see Amara drawing the crowds, we eventually asked to be reseated.
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