Pinky Ji — Restaurant in Sydney

I am a HUGE fan of Don't Tell Aunty so I knew I would fall in love with this latest dining project by Jessi Singh.

It’s an Indian restaurant but not as you know it. The venue has a lot going on but as Jessi described it, you could say it’s ‘controlled chaos’. They’ve got an open kitchen which brings an incredible smell of Indian flavours as you walk in, the most stunning tableware straight from India which creates a beautiful canvas for their bright and vibrant cuisine and get this, a private event room with a karaoke machine. They have also brought in the self-service beer fridge to this venue which is just brilliant.

I have already had a few of the below dishes but I must go into detail on how good they were and why you should order them.

• Balls of Happiness: Signature starter. I am sure everyone knows what these are and they are truly balls of happiness!

• Colonel Tso Cauliflower: Another signature dish. The cauliflower is dressed beautifully in its spicy sauce.

• IFC (Indian Fried Chicken) Pickles & Curry Leaf Mayo: This was a first for me and that chicken was cooked beautifully. It was crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside. The curry leaf mayo was a beautiful touch.

• Shakarkandi Chaat Smoked Yoghurt, Starfruit & Tamarind: Very similar to the Papadi Chaat at DTA. I love the textures and flavours in this dish. Pair this with the IFC!

• Sesame Roti Prawn Toast, Tobiko & Pickle Lime Mayo: So crispy and delicious! Prawn toast can be quite oily but this was just perfect.

• Oyster, Pineapple Gin Granita & Caviar: I can't recommend this one enough. That pineapple gin granita was something special and for someone who likes her oysters with a simple squeeze of lemon, this really surprised me and in a good way.

• Lamb Chop, Smoked Horseradish Yoghurt & Charred Zucchini: That lamb was cooked beyond perfection. I would have eaten the bone if I could because that's how good it was. Lamb & yoghurt are a match made in heaven, so no surprise that this was an outstanding dish.

• Aged Basmati Sella Rice & Naan w/ Unauthentic Butter Chicken, Lamb Rogan Josh & Aunty Dhal: You can't go wrong with an Indian curry, especially from these guys. I love that we got a mix as I tend to get bored of just one kind. They're rich and full of incredible spices and flavours.

As well as food, they have cocktails that'll make you want to skip the bar you had booked elsewhere.

You must, I repeat, you must book a table here. The whole restaurant is a vibe and you’re in for one of the best ‘unauthentic Indian’ dining...

Ever since I’d seen ads pop up about this place… I was keen to go. I peeked until the reviews and they looked pretty good too! Interesting name… menu looked interesting too… so let’s try it. We walk in and I do have to say that the restaurant is a visual delight! It takes you back to the campy feel of old India with the flowers and neon signage etc. While we are ordering and waiting for the food, there is a fantastic dance and song Bollywood performance… yayyy! Very fun and not like the old stuffy Indian style restaurants… so we are winning. Then let me explain why the two stars - the main business of this place is food and that’s just not where it needs to be… We ordered 1. “Balls of happiness” - aka gol gappas or a rather sweet version of them - ask 10 ppl and 8 are likely to say that the best part of these is the spicy water in them … which there was none of! Now the title is misleading because while the menu says “balls” the price on the menu is 5$ per ball — definitely a misunderstanding and a misnomer. I appreciate that the version served at this restaurant is their own - they could’ve definitely been a lot more innovative than taking off a key ingredient of a much loved street food. The papri chat - meh … And the Tandoori chicken - well again another misnomer - it was simply chicken tikka - and a very bland one at that! Not enough spice or flavours and not enough salt! When you eat at an Indian restaurant run by Indians - you expect better! Moving onto the mains - very standard menu - the only chicken on the menu is a butter chicken and the only lamb is the lamb roganjosh- now all of this would be okay - if they hit the ball out of the park - but not really. Despite requesting spicy food - the mains were average and again just not enough spice or flavours. Having a limited menu isn’t a bad thing of you are innovative and also if you do those dishes damn well - unfortunately that wasn’t the case. Last - the cocktails - now cmon with a name like “pinkyji” you can surely do better than standard cocktails. While the cocktails had v interesting names - the drinks themselves were standard cocktails available in 80% bars in Aus… So the four of us left thinking - meh - we definitely won’t be dining here again. The novelty of the Bollywood decor and vibe wears thin if you can’t do something interesting with the actual food! It’s a pricey restaurant- we spent 400$ for 2 couples - we aren’t about to drop that kind of money on such...

Pinky Ji is a riot of colour. Bright red neon lights the way down into a basement dining space swathed in floral garlands. The walls are turmeric; the curved booths are hot pink velour. Even the enamel plate settings and cutlery are both colourful and twee. The artworks are Bollywood updated with neon. It’s kind of a lot, but it’s hard not to smile as you quaff your first cocktail named for the 1975 Hindi action flick, Sholay Sunrise and Spice ($23). Fittingly the drink is a bit Dacoit Western teaming tequila with Aperol, grapefruit, lime, agave and Tabasco. Too much sweetness from the tandoori pineapple buries the cardamom and gin in my Daughter in Law ($20) but I liked the sour fresh wedge on the rim. If you can’t be arsed going to their self-service beer fridge (they don’t provide a list) the 2022 Nocturne SR Chardonnay ($95) is bright and lean enough (surprising for Margaret River) not to fight with the cacophony of Indian flavours.

What’s even better this time ‘round, chef and restaurateur Jesse Singh—who started in Sydney with Don’t Tell Aunty in Surry Hills—makes “unauthentic Indian” food that actually lives up to the hype. Former Chin Chin head chef Johann Jay does good work across curries, wok, grill and tandoor. From the urn-shaped oven, tandoori bird ($34/6 piece) in an ‘unauthentic’ shade of khaki is juicy and spicy, set off by cumin yoghurt and minty chutney. Skip the whole wheat flatbread laccha paratha ($10/each), they were overcooked and so dry even oily curry butter and fluffy coconut sambal couldn’t save ‘em. Old Delhi vegan chana ($22) enlivened perfectly cooked chickpeas with the sourness of green mango powder. They’re a good foil to the Kashmiri chilli heat of lamb rogan josh ($32) where big hunks of tender meat sit in a rich sauce that made me wish I’d chosen better flatbread. Get your nose over the unauthentic Hyderabadi dum goat biryani ($32) as you punch through its pastry dome: it’s a fragrant explosion, and probably my favourite dish. Yep, if it’s anything,...