PASSAGE TO INDIA
A small Surry Hills terrace is the gateway to a world of Indian flavours, discovers JOANNA HUNKIN.
Awhimsical, surrealist mural runs the length of Foreign Return’s sleek, teal-and-brass dining room. It’s a playful introduction to a restaurant that aims, just like the surrealist movement, to challenge expectations.
The name Foreign Return comes from an Indian term for expats who have come home; a reference to cultures colliding. It hints at what’s to come from the kitchen, where traditional and regional Indian recipes are injected with uniquely Australian ingredients, under the watch of head chef Siddharth Kalyanaraman (the man who cooks for the Australian cricket team when they tour India).
Take the pepperberry chicken, for example, which is Foreign Return’s spin on tandoori chicken. Tender, grilled thigh is dusted with Tasmanian mountain pepper, alongside sweet and tangy plum sauce. It’s subtle and aromatic – devoid of any red food colouring.
Before you get to the tandoor section, you need to start with an opening round of chakhna (bar snacks). Here’s a hot tip: aim to arrive 20 minutes ahead of your dinner companions and treat yourself to a cocktail and bowl of taro root tuk. Salty, fried taro drizzled in spiced yoghurt pairs perfectly with a crisp G&T (of which there are eight to choose from, each featuring a different premium gin). At $7, the portion is petite and too tasty to share.
Housed in a classic Surry Hills terrace, the downstairs bar shares the intimate space with a handful of tables, while upstairs, a second dining room caters for larger groups and rowdier antics.
As we come to order, our server suggests the prawn Koliwada – crisp-yetjuicy, golden spiced prawns – which are worth a return visit alone.
Foolishly, we don’t take her advice when it comes to the laal maas; a spicy, slow-cooked venison curry, which she politely suggests might be too hot for us to handle. She is right. Even smothered in raita, it delivers the type of fiery heat that renders the most seasoned chilli fiend speechless.
For a more social evening, you’ll do better exploring the menu’s regional specialities. The nandu kuzhambu
(blue swimmer crab curry) and goat nihari are must-visit destinations. Listen to your friendly guide and you’ll find yourself on an unexpected and flavourful adventure.