Manjits Wharf — Restaurant in Sydney

Good place to be if you crave for indian breads and butter chicken masala along with some well made starters served with a mint chutney.

Set on a wharf this place is not your ordinary indian restaurant!

THE MOVIE:

Maharaja (produced by Dinner Banquets) - set menu - $85.90pp

THE STAGE:

We were a group of 16 and were seated in a comfortable space with the view of the water. The weather was calm and cozy and wished they had seating arranged outside. Not sure if they have space outside though. For a big crowd you either give them a partially isolated space away from small batches so both parties can enjoy their company in peace. The cutleries were good, glasses were clean, water was served although not enough, but some of the tables were wobbly.

PRELUDE:

(The wait was a bit longer than we expected)

To begin with we were served with pappadums with a variety of chutneys, but the standout was the mango chutney, since that's not a common condiment you would get in most restaurants.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Khumb - Mushroom stuffed with cottage cheese and a few other base ingredients like corn, ginger and garlic. Everyone of us liked it. Quantity - 4-5 big mushrooms per serving Taste - 5/5

Gol Gol Gappa (pani poori) - Nothing special. 1 pani poori seated on top of a 50ml glass with the tangy liquid. They could have packed a bit more of flavor in the stuffing inside the poori. Quantity - We got 1 per person but were served another one when requested. Not enough. Taste - 4/5

Bharrah Kebab - Lamb rib-eye served in mint chutney and a few other sauces. Tasted well, everyone of us liked it except the vegetarians of course 😄. I am quite picky when it comes to lamb/mutton/goat but it was surprisingly well made. Quantity - 4 ribeye per serving Taste - 5/5

Bengali Fish Malai - Well cooked and little to no smell of the fish. The seaweed, although it looked appealing wasn't my personal favorite. Quantity - 4 pieces per serving Taste - 5/5

Chicken Tikka Banjara - Well cooked but a big let down. It tasted bitter and spoiled our appetite. I always assumed "no one can screw up a chicken dish", guess I was wrong. Quantity - 4-5 pieces per serving Taste - 1/5

MAIN STOREY:

(Longer wait times)

Bakra Roganjosh - Very subjective taste. I could have just one piece. Quite a bit of goat smell to my liking. A few of my buddies didn't like it either. Quantity - Sumptuous Taste - 2/5

Manjits 1950 Butter Chicken - Good chicken gravy as expected. Went well with rice and naan. Quantity - Sumptuous Taste - 4/5

Malibu Prawn Malabari - That gravy 😍. They could have de-shelled the prawns. Good with rice. Quantity - Sumptuous Taste - 5/5

Baigan Tak-a-tak - Good with a touch of finesse. They had covered it with a glass of smoke. Although I didn't really feel the smokey flavor the presentation was good. Quantity - Sumptuous Taste - 3/5

Dal Khusbudar - The usual daal with less salt. At first glance we thought it was rasam (Rasam is a soup like dish that is quite popular in south of india especially Tamil Nadu). Quantity - Sumptuous Taste - 3/5

END CREDITS:

(Like the end credits in movies, it was quite a long wait and people were falling asleep)

Mango Pistachio kulfi - Presentation was good but there ended the hype. It was more like a mix of milk in crushed ice and flavors added to it. Looks like they have bag loads of the tuti-fruti. It's not an item you would use in a fancy restaurant. Maybe add almond shaves next time. Quantity - Not enough Taste - 1/5

Rasmalai - Presented it in a martini glass. Very white looking. Fancier one would be yellowish and have pistachios with saffron dressing. All this one had was 2 lumps of the flat rasgulla and curdled milk with the "ever so fancy" tuti-fruiti. Couldn't eat it after a few spoons. Quantity - Good Taste - 0/5

One of my mates preferred NOG (No Onion Garlic). They did try their best to prepare dishes to his satisfaction. Tasted bland for me.

Probably wouldn't recommend this place. Cooks if you are listening please consider the feedback and make some...

We returned to Manjits, Darling Harbour for a Sunday lunch, and a beautiful spot it is. What a stunning location have a meal overlooking the harbour, boats and enjoy the sunny day. On the upper level in the harbour, so you’re away from the hustle and bustle of the esplanade. However, it’s not the only Manjits location, for this restaurant is steeped in history. Manjit’s was Australia’s first Indian Restaurant, originating in Balmain in 1984. The incarnation of Manjits at the Wharf offers a modern, sophisticated take on traditional Indian cuisine. We had visited previously prior to Covid and hence we were keen to return as soon as we could. Not much has changed, which is a good thing. The restaurant is a huge space, sophisticated in its decor, impeccable service and the food is high quality.

On our visit, it was quite possibly the hottest day around, so a cold drink was in order. It is almost a custom for us to order a lassi when dining at a Indian restaurant. A lassi is a yoghurt based smoothie which many flavours available. We usually order a mango lassi, but this time decided on something different, a passionfruit lassi and it was quite enjoyable, with a cool thick consistency and passionfruit pulp visible throughout. The lassi also a good option to counter some of the spice in your meal.

We loved our start to the meal, ordering some refined street food inspired bites; we enjoyed the brightly coloured stuffed idli (rice cakes), with tomato rasam and coconut chutney.

Our favourite was the Gol gol grappa - a crisp pastry filled with spiced chickpea and potato served with tamarind and chaat masala which provides a flavour explosion.

The papadums were nice and crispy, served with a multiple delectable condiments including a raita, a mint yoghurt sauce, as well as chutney, making for a great range of flavours to dip your papadum into.

The Prawn pakora, we hear are a popular choice and we see why, for these salt and pepper prawns, made with dry chilli and fried curry leaves are a perfect starter. The prawns are coated in a thick crispy batter which was nicely seasoned. We polished these off in no time.

For substantials we ordered a couple of curries and Naan bread to accompany it of course. The Machli Tamatar Wali is one we had not heard of before and having a fresh tomato base sounded ideal for a hot day. Expecting a light curry, the sauce was thicker than expected, but that said we really enjoyed the the flavour of the sauce for the fish.

The Boneless Chicken Korma Zaffar Shahi was exceptional. This creamy cashew curry can at times be a little bland at time, but not at Manjits. The Korma was delicious, not bland at all, the sauce had a lovely savoury meat flavour with a good balance of spice and the chicken was nice and tender.

There is a claim Manjits are the original creators of butter chicken and although we didn't order it on this visit, it has piqued some interest for us to return.

We were extremely satisfied with the meal. The portions were sizeable, but yet we of course left room for dessert and decided on a couple of items to share; the mango kulfi, a refreshing yoghurt based dessert.

The signature dessert, the basmalai a milk dumpling soaked in saffron and cardamon milk reduction and topped with ground pistachio was our other selection. We were advised people travel far and wide to visit for this dessert, even flying in from Dubai for this dessert alone. An interesting dessert with a soft texture, the milk reduction fragrant and the flavour works well.

In sum Manjits is a restaurant that ticks all of the boxes, great service, location, views and most importantly great food. Such gracious hosts, this family run restaurant, has been well established for over 30 years. This alone is proof enough that Manjits are producing the goods, to further re-enforce this, the Good Food Guide has awarded Manjit’s with...

(4.5 Stars) Much more than just a prominent waterside location, Manjit's @ The Wharf builds upon the success of the restaurant group’s Balmain stalwart. It’s the first time I’ve been back since attending their launch dinner in February 2016, and to my palate, this restaurant is eating much better.

Growing up in Australia eating his parents’ Indian cooking, Head Chef Varun Gujral brings to the table both an Indian palate and an Aussie sensibility. Varun has further refined dishes like the Crab Uttapam ($19/3) I tried on my first visit. Eaten like tacos, these flexible rice and lentil pancakes now sandwich a more flavoursome blend of blue swimmer crab, green chilli, coriander, ginger and toothsome yellow split peas, into two-bite finger-foods.

Without imli (tamarind chutney) the palette of Fish Malai ($16) is presented with slightly less artistic flair than last time, however it’s hard to complain when there’s so much kick in the colourful chutneys. Tender ling fillets are great vehicles for sampling combinations of these condiments, each of them so central to Indian cuisine.

As the restaurant fills up around us we move onto Banjarra Tikka ($16). Think of this as your modern summery tandoori chook, just painted in sunny yellow rather than red through the use of yoghurt and amchur powder made from dried, green mangoes. With delicately charred tips, the moist, chicken fillets are bright, sour and enjoyable against a lemony, coriander and cauliflower puree.

Against this barrage of entrees we hit up the cocktail list. It’s a delightful surprise to find that not only are the cocktails thematic, they’re also well-thought-out and balanced. I find it hard to choose a favourite between the round and enjoyable Imli Margarita ($18) that integrates tamarind, lime and tequila with just enough chilli to make your lips tingle, and The Smoking Napali ($18). Poured at the table in a whirl of smoke, the latter is a flashier affair that combines Nepalese Khukri rum with honey, fig and cinnamon, balanced by lime. It drinks like a steam train with a faintly medicinal quality, a bit like the classic Penicillin, against a sweetly contrasting rim. Both cocktails are so good, I only barely register pouring pani puri water into our crisp Gol Gol Gappa ($16/4).

We move onto beer – King Cobra ($23/750ml) a double-fermented pilsner style lager that Varun has secured exclusive rights to for the next few months – to accompany a Beef Vindaloo Pie ($15). This is where you can really see his Aussie-Indian hybrid at play, with an authentic beef vindaloo curry encased in buttery puff pastry.

The centerpiece of our curries is the Lamb Shoulder Anarkali ($42). It’s a modernisation of Balmain’s ‘hadi walla’ lamb, North Indian in origin, but made contemporary with quality lamb shoulder presented on the bone against the brightness of pomegranate and molasses. The gravy is glossy and rich with beautifully rendered lamb fat.

With my own family history including members of the British Raj, it’s perhaps unsurprising that I’m more taken with the spicy Chicken Madras ($27). Bright red from the heavy use of chilli powder, and particularly excellent in combination with the Signature Manjit's Naan ($7.50) stuffed with garlic, paneer and spices, this curry is (on request) hot and a little bit fruity (tamarind).

While the menu here has been largely unchanged since opening, Deconstructed Shahi Tookra ($17) is the new addition you have to eat. This bread’n’butter pudding cooked in sweet, buttery ghee, offers up all the flavours of a gulab jamun (evaporated milk, cardamom, rose water, pistachio) when you pour on the creamy, saffron milk reduction. It’s super rich, sweet and decadent, so you probably only need...