Spice of Life, Harris Park

I've recently befriend (or inflicted myself upon) some new blogger friends - all of whom are expats in Australia. Two girls are from the USA and another hails from the UK. The two Americans have just landed in Oz after a stint in the UK...and they were ALL hankering after some decent Indian food reminiscent of the "good stuff" found in the UK. 

It just so happens that I live VERY VERY close to Sydney's Little India (aka Harris Park). A heady and mouthwatering aroma of exotic spices envelopes this suburb - you smell the delicious food long before your stomach gets anywhere near it. 

Wigram Street is where you'll find the majority of the restaurants in Harris Park, with a few up on Marion Street. There are Indian grocers, spice shops, video stores and sari shops aplenty (along with a few Arab delis, butchers and cake shops - a nod to the fact that we're only a few kilometers from Auburn - Sydney's Little Turkey I guess you'd call it).

The majority of the restaurants can be found in lovely little cottages - however tonight we have our sights set on Spice of Life - an enormous Indian restaurant (apparently the biggest in Australia no less)! It's been highly recommended to us by an Indian colleague of VegeTARAian's as being quite authentic and we have an excellent meal - delicious food, great service and loads of laughs.

As with all good Indian meals we start with a basket of lovely, crispy Pappadums that come served with a tangy yoghurt Raita.  It's Kingfisher beers all around (they go down WAY to easily I think) as well as our flat bread of choice - Roti bread for me, and Naan for most of the others.

Tara and I are sharing Vegetarian meals tonight and we start with a Mixed Vegetable Platter for 2 ($16.00).  I don't ever recall seeing a Vegetarian entree platter at an Indian restaurant before - so we're both pretty impressed.  The platter houses a selection of Samosa, Paneer Tandoori and Batata Vada (mashed seasoned potatoes mixed with spices and deep fried).  We both REALLY love the Paneer which is pan fried in a mix of spices, capsicum and onions.  If I could figure out the spice mix I think this would be pretty easy to whip up at home.

  

For mains Tara chose Baigan Achari ($15.00) - a beautiful beautiful roasted eggplant dish cooked with onion in a hot spicy sauce of traditional spices and garnished with coriander. This dish was wonderful - the eggplant SO smokey. Amazing.  Weather I'm eating Vegetarian or not I always find it hard to go past an Indian main that has Cottage Cheese in it - thus my choice for our mains is Malai Kofta ($15.00) -  cottage cheese and cashew nut dumplings simmered in saffron scented creamy sauce.  This was excellent - a nice balance of flavours and this dish wasn't too creamy at all.

The Boy - who was slumming it down the Vego end of the table - decided on a Non-Vegetarian Thali ($18.00). Thali plates are AMAZING - perfect for the indecisive person who wants to try loads of different things and they are WAY more filling than the individual little dishes make them out to be. The plate comes with a mix of  vegetable curries, non-veg curries, roti, green salad, mixed pickles, raita and pappadums. And, you even get dessert!!! All on ONE PLATE!!!

There was a meat-festival going on at the other end of the table - all too hard to photograph from my end of the table whilst scoffing and photographing my own food.  Check our SarahKates blog for a low-down on what the carnivores got up to that night.

After dinner we wandered across the road to Taj for some amazing Indian Sweets...a good night was had by all I think - judging by the amount of groaning and belly rubbing that went on after we'd finished dessert.

Spice of Life is at 116 Wigram Street Harris Park. Phone them on 9762 1033.

Sweet Land, Harris Park

Big Sister and her boyfriend, The Colonel, head over to our place on their last day in Sydney for afternoon tea. 

Not being much of a cook (or any kind of cook at all truth to be told) and knowing both Big Sis and The Colonel have a super sweet tooth I knew I’d have to come up with somewhere really good to take them.  And I know just the place...

Sweet Land in Harris Park is a Mecca for sweet tooth's as well as for occasional dabblers in the sweet stuff.  The minute we enter this paradise of sweetness Big Sister groans with delight and I know I’ve made a good choice.

We’re all glued to the cases and cases of Lebanese sweets, dazzled and overwhelmed with the array of goodies on offer.  Sweet Land is a sensory overload, both for the eyes and the tummy.

Both The Boy and The Colonel fail to understand that we are in Baklava Heaven and each of them choose the White Forest Cake ($3.50 eat in) – boring much?  

I did manage to nab myself a spoonful of the White Forest Cake and it was actually really nice. The sponge cake was light and fluffy dotted throughout with pieces of pear and peach instead of the dark red cherries you see in a Black Forest Cake. Compared to the Black Forest Cakes I've tried in the past this offered a lovely, light alternative.

Big Sister knows she’s here for a good time and not a long time so chooses about  five different pieces of Baklava and a piece of Turkish Delight...plus a super strong Lebanese Coffee to help steel her for a night of packing ahead.  I’m really hoping she doesn’t put herself into a sugar coma before we pack her back off to WA.  She tells us that each piece of Baklava she tries is better than the last - high praise indeed.

I’m a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of sweeties on offer so ask the lady behind the counter what’s good?  Without a moment’s hesitation she points happily to a tray filled with Lady's Arm and suggests I treat myself to one.  Deal.   I also throw in a piece of Vanilla Turkish Delight for good measure.

 

The Lady’s Arm is definitely a winner.  The filing is a deliciously sweet clotted cream encased within a deep fried, crispy pastry shell.  I think that they are trying to get rid of their stock of Lady’s Arms though as we end up with two extra pieces “on the house”... not that I am complaining.  

Sadly, I don’t have high praise for the Vanilla Turkish Delight however as it wasn’t soft and chewy as good, fresh, Turkish Delight should be.  I suspect it had hung around a little longer in the shop than it should have which is a pity as I was really keen to try a flavour of Turkish Delight other than the traditional rosewater.   Better luck next time I guess...and there will be a next time.

Sweet Land is at 55 Wigram Street, Harris Park.

Taj Indian Sweets & Restaurant , Harris Park

After our Cabramatta road trip last weekend to try out some Vietnamese fare, my mostly dormant sweet tooth popped up to say “FEED ME SOMETHING SWEET….NOW”!

What I really wanted was a McDonalds sundae with Caramel Sauce, but I do have a slight problem with ice-cream. I love it, but it hates me.   Nicey-Poo also points out that McDonalds sundaes are gross and totally uncool. Seriously, what do Gen Y know about these sort of things anyway?

As we’re already back in Parramatta I suggest a quick detour to Harris Park for some Indian sweeties.

I’ve not been to Harris Park at night time before and I’m surprised by how busy the cafes on Marion and Wigram Streets are.   The suburb is heaving with restaurant diners all enjoying a late night meal (ok, a meal at 9.30pm). 

Harris Park is the area that some people have started referring to as Sydney’s Little India and the air is thick with the aroma of delicious Indian Food.   Indian isn’t the only type of food on offer in Harris Park though, there is Greek, Japanese Teppanyaki as well as Lebanese.

The Boy pulls the car over in a prime position right outside Taj Indian Sweets and Restaurant – snap!  I was getting worried we wouldn’t find a park and that I’d have to force Nicey-Poo to eat a McSundae. 

Although Taj’s menu board shows prices for sweeties by the kilo, they don’t mind if you just order a piece…or three.

Despite the large array of sweets on offer, I already know what I want  as it is the same thing I always have when indulging in Indian Sweets  – Pistachio Burfi.    

Burfi is basically a dieters worst nightmare.  It is made from condensed milk which is cooked with sugar until it solidifies.  It is super sweet and rich and super delicious!  Luckily for me one piece is enough (it is all my waist line can handle after our huge Vietnamese meal earlier in the night).

The Boy is indecisive as he really wanted a sweetie with silver foil on it as it just feels ‘more special’.  Taj is out of silver foil goodies, so he settles on an Almond Burfi. It’s good, but not as good as my beloved Pistachio Burfi.

Niecy-Poo goes for a piece of Gulab Jamun.  Gulab Janum is a syrupy sweet ball of deep fried dough.  The dough is made of milk solids.  Once the dough is rolled into a ball it is deep fried then soaked in a sugar syrup that is flavoured with anything from cardamom seeds to rosewater or saffron.  

  

The Gulab Jamun I’ve before has always been served warm, sitting in a bath of the sugary syrup. Taj’s offering is served cold and without the syrup, so it is not as nice as it is when served warm.  That said, it was still sweet enough to rot the enamel off our teeth!

Taj Indian Sweets and Restaurant is at 91 Wigram St, Harris Park.