Panjabi Curry Cafe is a local favourite in Collingwood. While they have been trading for over 10 years, this was my first time visiting. They have a spacious dining area, with lots of natural light. Up the back they have a bar and an open tandoor.

We started off with some crispy papadams, with a sweet tamarind chutney and raita.

For mains, we enjoyed Punjabi Kadai Prawn. A generous school of prawns, in a scrumptious capsicum, tomato and ginger curry. It had a nice spicy kick to it as well. While the dish looked small, it was quite filling. On the side, some fragrant saffron rice was on hand to soak up all the curry.

Lamb cutlets were next to arrive. These were marinated in yoghurt and spiced, then cooked in the traditional tandoor. They arrived on a steaming hotplate, with grilled onions. The meat was tender and delicious. It was wrapped in foil, which was unsightly, it would be best to serve the dish without this.

Much of the restaurant’s best foods are cooked on a traditional Indian over, a Tandoor. It takes an hour every day to get it up to the optimal temperature. The naan bread is cooked in this oven and takes less than a minute to produce fluffy, warm bread.

I washed the food down with a refreshing Kingfisher Beer, all the way from India. With great service and even better food, Panjabi Curry Cafe is one of the best Indian restaurants in Melbourne.