Restaurant of the Month
September 2005

Cuisine:
Indian

Address:
Shop 16, Level 4, The Piazza
Castle Towers Shopping Centre
Castle Hill

Phone:
(02) 9659 7766

Hours:
Lunch Tues-Sat 11am-3pm
Sun 11.30am-3pm
Dinner Tues-Fri 6pm-late
Sat-Sun 5.30pm-late

A talented owner-chef in his 6th year, Adil Sarkari continues to innovate and experiment with what constitutes Indian cuisine. Over the years he's had to compromise with the backdrop of his local audience's moderate palates, and so those looking for traditional Indian can relax knowing Butter Chicken is definitely on the menu. But that's not what excites us here at Sydneycafes.com.au - we went in ready to stretch our knowledge of Indian food, knowing that Adil, as both winner (2002) and multiple finalist for the "Best Indian Restaurant in Sydney" (Restaurant & Catering NSW) award, is keeping it interesting for foodie adventurers such as us.

Sometimes you just have to keep yourself entertained, and thankfully Adil is a chef with an undimmed character. While the bible-belt locals forced him remove his stunning yet scantily-clad massive ancient statues, this uncannily youthful-looking gentleman approaches his 50th year with a brilliant intersection of mastery: firstly a culinary heritage spanning thousands of years, secondly over a quarter-of-a-century of dedicated pot & pan action, and thirdly an Aquarian's gift for bold progressive imagination - so that everything from his Tandoori Kangaroo, even Tandoori Partridge (this one currently off the menu yet reappearing seasonally) to his Masala Lassi (sour, even savoury) and his divine Saffran and Pistachio Kulfi, is blazed with a contemporary sensibility.

"Indian fusion" could be the tag, but even more remarkable is the fact that Adils Indian Cuisine was the first Indian restaurant in the world to introduce Kangaroo - and Tandoori Croc for that matter - to diners. The Croc will be back also, as Adil loves to create a new menu every 8-9 months. But always, of course, he remembers the safety-first local diner: there's no Lamb Korma, but there's Beef Vindaloo, Lamb Dhanshak (Gosht Nu Dhanshak Authentic Parsi Style) and there's fundamentals such as Pappadums: he's got 130 seats he needs to fill after all!

Yet the north west of Sydney needs places like Adils to up the culinary ante, delivering quality ingredients with an out-and-out passion for the new possibilities of Indian food. Memories of Adil's sublime Tasty Beef Curry (Kalia Razala) and a wonderful Prawn Curry (Lachedar Machli Ya  Jheenga) raise the hunger pangs every time, along with visions of his delightful Creamy Spinach with Lamb (Palak Gosht). These dishes are prepared from rich spices - artfully blended to achieve a balanced harmony of tantalising colour, flavour and taste - but cooked on a slow heat to retain every subtlety ... and in every case the dishes incorporate neat little nuances to seduce the tastebuds - this is no ordinary neighbourhood Indian diner.

Adils is available for functions, and the man also prides himself on being an outdoor and corporate catering specialist, so even if Castle Hill is a little bit of a stretch on any night of the week, the wonderful cuisine that this "Sachin Tendulkar of Indian Food" (as one of my dining companions later described him!) creates, can come to you.- Stewart Dawes.

www.adils.com.au