Khalsa Foods — Restaurant in Sydney

A Vegetarian Catastrophe: A Nightmare on Every Plate

We visited this so-called “highly rated” vegetarian restaurant with high hopes, lured in by glowing reviews that must have been written by either paid actors or people who lost their sense of taste in a tragic accident. The promise of “nog options” led us through its doors, but what followed was nothing short of a culinary horror show.

From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere screamed, “We gave up halfway through decorating.” Dim lighting and an ambiance that felt like an abandoned yoga retreat. But fine, we were here for the food, not the feng shui.

And then the food arrived. Oh, the food. If blandness had a capital city, this place would be its bustling metropolis. The so-called best vegetarian dishes were so uninspired that even our kids—who usually consider plain pasta a delicacy—refused to eat. Imagine the heartbreak of explaining to a hungry child that, yes, this grayish, mushy, unseasoned lump was indeed meant to be dinner.

We ordered with enthusiasm, expecting bold flavors, fresh ingredients, and maybe even a hint of culinary passion. Instead, what we got was a crime against vegetables. The tofu was a texture nightmare—somewhere between rubber and cardboard—while the “signature dish” had the distinct taste of regret.

And the service? If our server was any more disinterested, we would have checked for a pulse. Orders were mixed up and at one point, I saw another table escape before their entrées even arrived.

By the end of our meal, we weren’t just disappointed—we were offended. We came seeking a delightful vegetarian experience and instead found ourselves questioning the very concept of food itself. This is not the vegetarian restaurant you ever want to visit. In fact, I wouldn’t wish this experience on my worst enemy.

Final verdict? One star. And that’s only because I...

Ordered via Uber Eats (thinking it would help support the local business in some way shape or form). The app suggested the establishment was asking for extra time to prepare the order which happened twice the same night. The total wait time was close to an hour and my wife rang the restaurant to check on the timing in order to decide if we make the kids wait for dinner Or make alternate arrangements. The person who answered the phone just abruptly said that they were too busy and for us having ordered via Uber Eats (entailing discounts) and to ring Uber to check on delivery timing and straight away hung up. It was a rude shock to see the person (who definitely sounded accountable) behave adversely in the face of such testing situations (COVID) when they have just reopened post the lockdown. Feeling deeply insulted albeit, I rang again to check if they would honour the timing at all and got hung up on yet again. I can understand if you are having a busy and/or bad day. Anyone can be spectacular on a good day, but it is during a bad day that your true nature comes out in the open. The food arrived exactly an hour later and the food quality was bordering on average (eg: Paneer tasting off and Naan not warm enough, if it has taken that long and just come out of the kitchen). This was 4 weeks ago and I waited for this long for reviewing so I don’t let my emotions get the better of me. If this is a one-off I think you can forget this review, but if it isn’t, I will pray for the business, the owners and...

I have only been here twice, the first time just over one year ago and both times with my Punjabi dad. The interior may be very simple (they now have table cloths) but the food is freshly made and delicious. This time we had daal tadka, punjabi karela (bitter melon) and pickles to share; I had it with aloo methi prantha which had a thin layer of diced potatoes instead of large cubes. The dishes were flavourful and I would have licked the bowls clean if it was allowed. The chai masala was a perfect cap to the meal. The dining area is a crowded space but we were there around 11.30 am for lunch and other people started coming in at 12.30-1pm. Expect a 15 minute-ish wait until the food arrives.

I would definitely come back but, most importantly, the food got dad's tick of approval :)

EDIT 08/11/2023: Went back recently for weekday dinner (with my Dad) and the food continues to be excellent. Saag was the favourite followed by okra with potatoes then the eggplant with potatoes. The plain and garlic naans are best when warm, fresh out of the kitchen; it will get a bit hard as it cools down. The interior decor is very simple - this is not a fancy place. Basin for handwashing is available.

I have recommended this place to friends (of Indian origin) and received positive feedback regarding the quality and authenticity...