India Times, Morts Rd, Mortdale

India Times, Morts Rd, Mortdale

Saturday 12 May, 2007

The promise was the best butter chicken in Sydney, so I hightailed it over to Mortdale for dinner with friends. India Times is located in the shopping village of Mortdale - a hive of activity on a Saturday night with plenty of local restaurants to pick from. On entry you are met with colourful sari's lining the walls and loud, colourful feature walls. I was expecting to hear Indian music and thankfully the theme didn't extend that far....

The dining space is compact and buzzy. We were left standing in the entrance for several minutes before someone approached us and directed us to a table. After leaving us alone with one menu between three they finally returned after my dinner buddy grabbed a passing waiter with 'we're ready to order now'. I was happy to go along with my local friends suggestions and she ordered the following dishes:

- Mixed entree of onion raita (deep fried onion pattie), kachche kebab (spiced lamb mince, rolled), hare masale ki murgi (chicken thigh fillets in a green herb marinade of fresh mint,coriander and basil, oven-cooked and served with tomato chutney) and Hara Masala Champ (Lamb cutlets in a marinade of coriander, spinach, cracked pepper and lemon juice, slow-cooked)

- Murgh makhani (butter chicken in a very creamy buttery, tomato and almond sauce)

- Beef Passanda curry (long slices of beef in a thickened, sweet sauce)

- Basmati rice

- Sweet naan bread packed with currents and pistachio nuts

After we ordered we were delivered a bowl of pappadums and a gorgeous mint & yoghurt sauce. We didn't waste a second and polished these off as if we hadn't eaten for 24 hours. The rest of our food was good - the portion size was great and it was very reasonable. The service was haphazard but well meaning throughout the night and we had to flag down a waiter on several occasions.

To get to the bathroom you had to walk to the rear of the restaurant, through the kitchen and outside into a small courtyard. Two outhouses have been built, one male and one female and the basin stood in the courtyard along the wall. It isn't the best set up and doesn't give a great impression for health & safety regulations.

I wouldn't say this was the best butter chicken in Sydney however, Indian Times is a pleasant, local Indian restaurant.

India Times - 2/ 1 Morts Rd, Mortdale - (02) 9585 1969