Chatkazz

I have always known that Harris Park is the place to go for some authentic Indian cuisine - and I had read a glowing review of Chatkazz which really piqued my interest - a bustling restaurant serving the kind of street food I had seen on Youtube.

I may have gone a bit too excited and over-ordered.

Dahi puri, part 1, $8.40

Dahi puri, Part 2, $8.40

I have seen videos of these crispy little babies being served on the street where you use the delicate, crunchy, paper-thin shells as a spoon to ladle some liquid, and you're supposed to pop the whole thing in your mouth in one go. They are filled with boiled potato, and various chutneys accompany them - let me tell you, my first attempt was not pretty. Liquid spilled everywhere, as I tried to take a delicate bite. You have to really be all-in for this one.

I particularly enjoyed the yogurt and chutney covered dahi puris - they are savoury and chilled and sweet, perfect for a hot summer's day. I would also add that this dish is incredible value. You get to try many flavours for such a rootin' tootin' price. Unbeatable.

Khaman Dhokia, $5.90

Kind of like Indian sourdough bread, these airy but chewy cakes are made from chickpea flour and served with a various of sweet and spicy chutney. These are quite satisfying, but I would say if you have to make a choice (and you will, as the menu is unbelievably large), you might forgo these unoffensive but also uninteresting tummy-fillers for something a bit more flavourful.

Dahi Vada ($7.90)

These are doughnuts, but not how we know them. First, they are made of lentil. They are topped with a very generous amount of sweet chilled yogurt and served with chutney. There is quite a bit of heat in this dish (just the top, really), but the yogurt is incredibly soothing on one's tongue, and its gentle sweetness compliments all the savoury and chilli goodness very well.

Pav Bhaji, $11.40

This was the first item on the menu, so I felt like it's a must-try. Spicy vegetable curries are served with toasted buttered bread rolls. There is so. much. butter in this dish! The soft, generic white bread rolls (they have their charms, don't they?) are slathered in it; the dish is cooked with it; and finally a small block of butter melts into the dish before your very eyes. The result is an incredibly creamy, gentle-flavoured and filling dish.

Dosa Platter, $14.90

Ah, dosa, a South Indian classic - made of fermented rice flour, it is even crispier and thinner than a crepe. The dosa flatter comes with 3 dosas of different flavours: mysore sada, masala and phuding. The only word I knew (and I'm using the word very loosely here) is masala - it means spiced. It is a simple dosa with flavourful spices. Mysore sada, I understand, refers to a red chutney. I think in this case, it was a tomato-based sauce that was slathered on the inside of the dosa. By a process of elimination I come to understand that the "phuding" refers to a dosa filled with potatoes in the middle I could be very wrong - I welcome any corrections and education! The dosa has a gently sour taste (much like a good sourbread) and are beautifully light and crispy, yet satisfyingly soft and chewy at the same time.

Ganga Jamuna, $6.90

Freshly squeezed juice of orange, pineapple, watermelon and apple - wonderfully refreshing.

Aadu Nimbu Fodino Soda, $3.90

This soda is like nothing I have ever tasted before -  made of ginger, lemon, mind and spices, it is not overly sweet, in fact it is a tad salty as well as a tad citusy. Despite the unusual flavour profile, I found it incredibly moreish and addictive. It is far more refreshing to me than a supermarket soda, which is too sugary for my liking. Looking at Chatkazz's list of house-made sodas, this salty-and sour thing seems to be quite a trend!

Masala Tea, $3.50

Served in a traditional clay cup, this is one of the most comforting things I have ever drank. The tea itself is not sugared - the waiter separately brings you sugar to add in to your liking (I don't like sugar in tea, so I omitted this) - I don't know how they do it, but this tea has a wonderful flavour that clings to one's mouth, enveloping taste buds like a milkly, frothy, spiced hug. I brew chai myself at home from leaves - and I couldn't for the life of me recreate the taste or the mouthfeel. I have a suspicion the trick is evaporated milk.

Score: 3.5/5
Price: really cheap-eats territory here. Having over-ordered, our bill came to approximately $35pp, but you could easily have a large, satisfying meal plus a drink for less than a $20 bill.
Address: Shop 4-6/14-20 Station St E, Harris Park