It is rare that burger boy and I get a night out to ourselves as our babysitting cards are often used up on days I work in the business. So the last month, we've been dashing out of our business (we own the Crust in Mount Lawley) and having late dinner dates together. One of our date nights was at the newly opened family owned Chakra Indian Restaurant on Beaufort Street in Inglewood.
burger boy has always been a fan of Indian food with the traditional butter chicken being our favourite so it was wonderful to be invited to try Chakra's modern take on the traditional Indian cuisine.
Owners Sonia and Kumar vision is to modernise the presentation and food without moving too far away from the authentic Indian flavours which they have done really well. Together with Kumar's brother and wife, the two families have brought their kitchens and family recipes to Inglewood.
Chakra's menu offers both modern and traditional Indian dishes. My recommendation however is to step out of your usual comfort zones and to choose just from Chakra's modern entrees and signature dishes as these were the dishes which wow'd us. Also important to note that Chakra uses whole spices (before they are grounded) which adds flavours to the dishes without overpowering the taste. This also means you'll find that the flavours are not as strong as what you're used to if you eat Indian out a lot.
To start we enjoyed this Chicken Tikka Duo ($16) entree which was served with a mint mustang and malai methi, double marinade, cucumber carrot beetroot salad (16)...
In seconds, burger boy devoured the Soft Shell Crab ($18) entree which was coated in a coconut lightly spiced tempura batter in Vodka. It was served with a pumpkin sauce and green salad which he left untouched being the carnivore he is.
We also had the Grilled Scallops ($19) which was served on a bed of roasted capsicum tomato chutney and medley seeds. The scallops were plump but for the price of the dish I would have liked a few more and I wasn't sure about the roasted capsicum chutney which I found a tad bitter.
Yep between the two of us we went through quite a few entrees not realising how filling they would be!!
Of the mains, the gluten-freePulled Beef Empiler ($29) was our favourite. The pulled beef empiler was served with a kachumber salad, crunchy chickpea puffs, pea cauliflower sauce and rice, I enjoyed the different textures this beautiful dish presented and the tenderness of the pulled beef.
From the traditional curries we tried our favourite Indian dish - the butter chicken ($22) but we found the flavours weren't as strong as we were used to. Hence my earlier comment about sticking to the modern signature dishes at Chakra.
TheMango Avocado Lassi with Pistachio Shavings ($5) pleasantly surprised me, it tastes just like a mango lassi but not as sweet. I had two at the beginning of the night which was not a great idea considering how little space it left me for the mains but my pregnant cravings wouldn't let up.
There's a kids menu (below) which is a bit pricey but it is great that kids are welcomed at this "finer" Indian restaurant and there's a special menu for them. Although I'm sure most kids depending on age will be able to just share the mains with the adults.
- Chicken tenderloin with chips ($15)
- Chocolate Naan ($8)
- Butter chicken with rice ($15) - junior burger would eat this
The venue was nicely decked out with a modern look to match its take on the Indian cuisine and is fully licensed, for sake of comparison you can liken Chakra to Sauma in Northbridge. A spot more for a special occasion dinner with a loved one or close friends as it is pricier than your usual casual Indian restaurant. Having been opened for just over two months, it seems the locals have really welcomed Chakra to the neighbourhood with it being busy from the gecko with minimal marketing. Chakra is worth trying out, even if you don't fancy the Indian cuisine you'll might find that you'll be pleasantly surprised by the modern dishes as the flavours, we feel, have been adjusted to suit the western palate.
Chakra Indian Restaurant
841 Beaufort Street, Inglewood
Tel: 6153 0584
Website: www.chakrarestaurant.com.au
Opening hours: Tuesday - Sunday from 5pm
