It’s a bold move to open an Indian restaurant without curry front-and-centre on the menu, but siblings Manita Arnold and Aakash Gadi believe that there’s much more to Indian cuisine than the ubiquitous dish and its many variations. With Soo Delhi, the duo’s newly open greenery-laden Stone’s Corner eatery (located on Logan Road in the site once occupied by IndiMex), they’re proving their case. Both Manita (former owner of Pearl Cafe in Woolloongabba) and chef Aakash, who were born in Delhi and raised around the kitchens of their family’s hospitality ventures, are bringing their culinary nous and knowledge of contemporary Indian dining trends to the fore with their new venture, which shines a light on the unheralded aspects of their home town’s vibrant food scene. As Manita and Aakash tell it, Indian food in Delhi is a far cry from what is currently available in Brisbane – dishes that are common here now were first popularised back in Delhi 20 years ago, and now a divergent evolutionary process has seen westernised interpretations of Indian cuisine stray from modern progressions taking off overseas. The siblings aren’t calling Soo Delhi authentic, but by hitting the reset button and bringing Indian cuisine back to a simpler form, they hope to reshape it to better represent present-day twists. To do this, the Soo Delhi team is keeping its menu small, focusing on nailing the quality of a tight range of recipes before gradually building up to the full offering. This approach is informed by the propensity of Delhi’s food vendors to commit to a specialty – menus are smaller across the board, but available dishes are of a higher calibre.

Soo Delhi’s launch menu boasts three major categories – the thali bar, street food and roomali rolls, all bolstered by a small selection of sides and desserts. The logical starting point for any Soo Delhi newcomer is thali – round platters that carry a selection of dishes perfecting for providing a sense of all aspects of the restaurant’s menu. Each set comes with pickles, laccha paratha (whole wheat flatbread), rice, salad, yellow dal, dessert and two curries – aloo gobi and chana masala for the vegan option, paneer lababdar and aloo gobi for the vegetarian variation, and tawa lamb seekh masala and chicken lababdar for the carnivores. Soo Delhi’s array of street eats include Delhi pav bhaji (two buttered buns served with a curried vegetable medley), aloo puri (puffed deep-fried bread served with mashed potato and tomato curry), and chicken malai tikka (charcoal grilled chicken served with a special cream-and-butter sauce). Roomali rolls, though technically considered a form of street food, has been given its own dedicated section on the menu. Despite its status as a popular snack among Delhi diners, the dish – a wrap analogous to the burrito, made using handkerchief-thin roti and served with mint sauce – is an uncommon find in Brisbane. Fillings include chargrilled lamb and goat mince, vegan sausage, tandoor-cooked cottage cheese, and charred boneless chicken. While curries are currently only available as part of Soo Delhi’s thali offering, Manita and Aakash will soon look to add a punchy selection of six curry varieties (each based on a different core ingredient) that won’t readily be found elsewhere in town. Soo Delhi is currently BYO-friendly until a liquor licence is obtained. Once active, Manita (who worked in New Zealand as a winemaker) will oversee an engaging beverage list featuring bold vino varieties and local craft beer.

For more information on Soo Delhi, including opening hours and menu details, click over to the Stumble Guide.