If you visit only one Indian restaurant in 2018, please do yourself a favour and make sure it’s Injoy – arguably the best Indian restaurant in Sydney. Yes, that’s quite the claim, but it’s certainly not without merit. After all, the man behind this delightful dining establishment is none other than Satish Khera, the creator of the famous Holy Cow restaurant, and some say ‘the godfather’ of Indian food in Sydney.
The man behind this delightful dining establishment is none other than Satish Khera, the creator of the famous Holy Cow restaurant, and some say ‘the godfather’ of Indian food in Sydney.
“The godfather? No, I wouldn’t say that,” Satish quietly corrects. “I can clearly claim to be the founder of Indian cuisine in Sydney – there was no-one before me.”
That was back in 1982, when he opened the doors to the highly regarded Mayur, the restaurant that quickly became a favourite with everyone from Paul Keating to Imran Khan. “Elton John had his engagement and his wedding at Mayur,” Satish reveals. “It was the talk of the town and during the three years I was there it did incredibly well”.
Satish returned to India in 1985, but it wasn’t long before he was back in Sydney, this time to open Indian Experience in Quay Apartments. “Success was at my door, quite literally, when we opened Indian Experience,” Satish reveals. “During those five years, we had almost 100 people for lunch every single day, and then the same again every night,” so good was the food.
He carried this success with him to Surry Hills where he opened the now-closed-but-still-talked-about Holy Cow. On any given night you would find a queue of people outside the restaurant, some having travelled for hours, to sample Satish’s specialities. “For 10 years, God was kind,” he humbly says.
Five years on, and some 30 since arriving on Sydney shores, Satish is still setting standards and serving classics, now in his new restaurant Injoy, located just four doors down from where Holy Cow used to be. While the location might be slightly different, the food is still the same, if not better (if that’s even possible).
Fresh and fragrant, from the minute the first course arrives to the moment you swallow your last bite, you’ll be blown away by the true flavours of North India.
Fresh and fragrant, from the minute the first course arrives to the moment you swallow your last bite, you’ll be blown away by the true flavours of North India.
Start with deliciously crisp pappadum, sweet mango chutney and cool cucumber raita, before enjoying the Tandoori Chicken Tikka on Sizzler – juicy, tender chicken pieces perfectly marinated and chargrilled in the tandoor – and a side order of naan stuffed with cheese and garlic. Soft, buttery and filled with flavour, it’s like the most perfect Indian pizza you’ll ever eat.
You must then try the house speciality, Pistachio Chicken. Creamy and rich with nuts, yet delicate and slightly sweet, the ground pistachios mixed with cumin, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and pepper makes for a beautifully balanced dish.
The Palakwala is equally sublime – delicious, soft, juicy lamb smothered in fresh spinach puree with garlic, ginger and fenugreek. Enjoy both of these dishes with Aloo Muttar Mushroom Masala – a comforting, flavoursome bowl of potatoes, peas and mushrooms – and steamed basmati.
If there’s room for dessert (don’t bank on it), homemade kulfi in a range of flavours, from mango to pistachio, is the perfect ending to the most exceptional meal.
When asked to define success, Satish reveals that “it’s not about money or cars, or anything like that. If I see a customer finishing his dish and wiping his plate with this last piece of bread, satisfied and happy, then I have succeeded.”
Mission accomplished Satish.
