Mukka Indian Restaurant St Kilda — Restaurant in Melbourne

Food is something that helps create memories and recalls favourite memories again and again only to create more memories. That’s what the tangy Paani Puri, warming Bhaapa Maach and chilled Kingfisher Beer does for me. That’s what and more, Mukka 2.0, a new Indian restaurant on Fitzroy St, (opposite Prince Hotel, St. Kilda), has on offer. The man behind the mission is young maverick restauranteur Ineet Singh. Wednesday 16th February, was their opening and are offering 50% off on food menu till 2nd March. We booked a table for the opening night and wow what an experience it was! Mukka 2.0 has signage on the street you can’t miss. It’s a beautiful restaurant having indoor & outdoor sitting with some beautiful art work reflecting a glimpse of India. For beer lovers, the most popular Indian Beer – Kingfisher and Bira 91 are bound to recall fond memories. Upon seeing the menu, we ordered a glass each of chilled Kingfisher beer. Accompanying that was the classic accompaniment of Chicken Tikka. We also ordered a Paani Puri - a fav street side snack of many Indians. We had opted for the popular Momo’s but were sold out for the day. Our main course was slow cooked Mutton Curry with Tandoori Roti and Bhaapa Maach with Basmati rice. The mutton was succulent, fall of the bone and the gravy fragrant with the spices. The Tandoori roti made on the tandoor (a type of earthen oven – we were given a peek into the kitchen after our meal to see this treasure) went perfectly with the gravy. If you’re not familiar on how to eat roti with your hands, Basmati rice or any plain white rice goes great with the gravy too. Next came the Bhaapa Maach – a dish typical of West Bengal. Barramundi with a marinade of mustard and coconut, wrapped in banana leaf and steamed. This was served with a portion of Basmati rice and dash of the mustard-coconut paste. The flavours are subtle yet distinct and brought back memories. As much as I love dessert, there wasn’t room in our tummies for more. The desserts are limited with 2 options of Kulfi (ice cream made with cream flavoured with fruits and nuts) and the all-the-time favourite Gulab Jamun. We will be visiting again soon, not just for the desserts, but for the Chicken Xacuti, Momo’s, Dosa and much more that the menu has to offer. India being a country of 27 states and territories, each state has its own unique cuisine. It would be very difficult to accommodate dishes from all the states on a menu, but Mukka does a good job at having the most popular of them – Butter chicken from North India to Chicken Chettinad from South India, Chicken Xacuti from the West to the Bhaapa Maach in the East. There’s something for everyone. Conclusion: Mukka 2.0 is not an anglicised (watered down) version of Indian cuisine – it is bright, colourful, vibrant and big on flavour and definitely...

I was really looking forward to trying Mukka, but unfortunately, it was a disappointing experience overall.

The only good thing about the restaurant was the aesthetics and ambiance, which were nice and gave a great first impression. But beyond that, everything else fell short. The food was very underwhelming. While the menu had plenty of options, the flavors didn’t live up to expectations for Indian cuisine. It felt uninspired. On top of that, the portions were tiny for the price, making it feel like poor value for money. If this was on a busy day I can completely understand it was on Monday evening.

The service was just as disappointing. It took 30-40 minutes for food to arrive, which is way too long, especially for dining in. I understand prioritizing people you know, but not at the expense of other paying customers. Even after requesting for some additions in a veg curry paneer jalfrezi in the order still so disappointing it just felt salty just to balance the request which we made.

The staff didn’t seem very professional either. The female bartender looked so uninterested, which really killed the vibe. The only redeeming person was a male staff member with glasses who seemed hardworking and diligent, but unfortunately, one good staff member couldn’t make up for the overall experience. The manager was enthusiastic and friendly that helped a bit more. Literally understaffed place.

If you’re only looking for a pretty ambiance, Mukka might work for you. But if you care about food and service, I wouldn’t...

One of the most remarkable Indian restaurant here in Melbourne @mukka.fitzroy brings to your a brighter and lovely second version Mukka 2.0, Here they are with their new restaurant in St. Kilda with an unmatched gastronomical journey through the streets of India, bringing you an array of dishes from the heart of Indian capital, served in a contemporary and modern atmosphere. Their signature resto-bar offers an array of delectable a la carte dishes infused with real Indian flavors and flair.

From the trendy bar and lounge area, enjoy signature cocktails and Indian street food favorites, wide range of individually prepared dishes including vegetarian options are available for you to choose from. Just make sure to try a kachori and Vegetarian Momos, my vego and non vego people everyone must try these blasting different flavours in the mouth. The mains are exceptionally good, The palak paneer with the cheese pull naan is sinfully delicious. The butter chicken here is delectable, Its mildly spicy, creamy, savoury flavour makes it more than just delicious, but accessible to almost every palate. The chicken shami kebabs are soft and melt in mouth, to go well with their fusion cocktails.

A dessert so close to my heart is the Shahi Falooda Kulfi, Loved how they didn’t change its look and feel from how it’s served on the streets!

Service is splendid, Food is not only rich with cream but with the right flavours, a place highly recommended for small as well as...