I haven't been to Abhi's since I discovered Janani, the best ever Indian/Sri Lankan place around. When it was suggested that we should go to Abhi's on our girly night, I agreed, I was interested in comparing Abhi's now that I have experienced the joy of Janani. Last time I went to Abhi's was 2 years ago, and I remembered I quite like the place, with the exception of the cockroach that was in our water. I have to say, either Abhi's got worst in the two years, or my perception back then was way off, because this place was terrible!
Food
For those who aren't familiar, Abhi's class itself as a high-class Indian restaurant, delivering authentic Indian cuisine in a mature restaurant environment.
We started off with Palak Patta Chat (9.8) - Spinach leaves in a crispy lentil batter, topped with yoghurt, date and tamarind and chilli and mint sauces. I've had this dish previously and I remembered I really liked it. This time was the same. The tangy sauce complements the crispy batter. We also had the
Bhaji Rolls (9.8) - Light pastry pockets filled with mixed vegetables, onion, potatoes, mustard seeds, turmeric, curry leaves; served with onion and tomato chutney. This was more like a curry puff. It wasn't very spicy, and what they called "chutney" had no solids in it, it was more like the tomato sauce you get out of a bottle.
For mains, we decided on the Mixed tandoori platter (28) - a selection of tandoori specialties: Chicken Tikka, Gulabi Kebab and Angaari Chops. I was disappointed with this. The only thing that was nice was the Chicken Tikka, in a slightly spicy sauce, with tender succulent chicken. The Gulabi kebab (minced lambs) were too salty and dry, even the accompaning yoghurt sauce couldn't rescue it. The Angaari chops (lamb) were spiced nicely, but the flavour wasn't complex enough, and the lamb chops were really fatty! At these prices I expect quality ingredients not some cheap cuts. On the menu this was listed at 18.8, but when we got the bill, we were told that because the platter was for 3, not 2, that was the price listed on the menu. What a rip off! So much money for a few pieces of meat. They were equally stingy in the Lamb Shanks Chetinad (18.8) - Diced lamb shanks with milled chillies, tomato, pounded whole garam masala and fresh curry leaves. The sauce was quite dice, but there were only a few pieces of shanks. The fact that 3 Asian girls were hungry after eating that curry, well, you can see for yourself how little substance there was.
We ordered Plain Naan (3.5), Garlic Naan (3.5) and Basmati Rice (2.7 pp). The naans were very thin, like paper thin, and no way as good as Janani, in fact, it was one of the worst Naans I've had, and I've tried a LOT! The Basmati rice, well, we only wanted it for 1 person, but they delivered a big bowl, which we all had to pay for at the end. For the sake of comparison, we also had a Plain and Sweet lassi (3.8 each). The verdict, the lassis are thicker than Janani, with a much stronger cardamom taste. This could be good or bad depending on how thick you like your drink and how strong you want the flavour. For me, I like it thick, but not the strong flavour.
The little chocolate they had at the checkout was nice though, I dunno if that's supposed to be a consolation price, but I'm sure I won't be going back again.
Rating - 5.5
Atmosphere
Abhi's is situated along a stretch of shops on Concord Rd in North Strathfield, which is good for me as it's a 5 minutes drive away from my place. Abhi's certainly doesn't look like the stereotypical Indian restaurant. Instead, it looks like the stereotypical Mod Oz eatery - with nice cutlery, tablecloth, a large wine list, a purple feature wall, and a huge bar area. We were seated upstairs, away from the hustle and bustle of the open kitchen. The seating was quite comfortable, although the tables are a bit close.
Rating - 2
Service
One thing I have to commend Abhi's for is their informative website. Unfortunately that's the only thing I have to command it for. The waiters were friendly, but they were always busy. We tried for a long time, and I'm talking more than 10 minutes to get their attention. We had to stand up and wave them down. I asked for a fork as they took away mine after entree, but after waiting 5 minutes, while the food was getting cold and the other girls were waiting for me, still no fork. I had to ask again before I was finally given a fork. What made it worst was the table next to us was obviously regulars, because during the course of our dinner, we saw 2 chefs, a waiter, and I think the owner (he looks like the pic on the website!) go over to talk to them like old friends. We only managed to get our bill because one of those chefs standing there saw us desperately trying to wave a waiter down that he sorted the bill for us.
We waited for a long time for our meal, and we had to ask for water to be refilled. And they call this service?
Rating - 1
C-factor
What was supposed to be a good night was ruined by the experience. And to make things worst, the bill came to $71.40 even after we've used the e-card. When I think about what a feast I could've had at any other Indian restaurant, it makes me fume.
Rating - 0
Brownie Points - 8.5
Info
163 Concord Road
North Strathfield
NSW 2137
Phone (02) 9743 3061
Website
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