Just Opened: Bazaar & Bar, Brookvale

Bazaar & Bar is a brand new Indian wine bar and restaurant in Brookvale. The menu has 40 wines matched to Indian food, cocktails with an Indian twist and some of the most delicious and unique curries that you won't find on a typical Sydney Indian menu!

It's Friday night when Mr NQN and I drive to Brookvale to visit Bazaar & Bar. The restaurant and wine bar is located in a light industrial area that would normally be dormant at night. However in the last few years restaurants and bars have opened up in the area. There's a large outdoor area with heaters on this chilly winter's night but there's also a cosy indoor restaurant area where we take a seat. The shelves on the walls are lined with wine bottles and spice jars.

Bazaar and Bar is by Kabir Arora (of Sketch Manly, Salt Meats Cheese) and Chef Adwait Jagtap (of Raja and Kolkata Social). Adwait was adamant that there would be no curries like butter chicken on the menu, instead focusing on regional Indian dishes that you wouldn't be able to find elsewhere. The menu will also change regularly, "In a month and half a month you will find something different. Probably you'll find a beef tartare," says Adwait.

The drinks menu has 40 wines mostly from Australia but with some from Austria, France and Italy that are designed to work with Indian food. Most wines on the list are light-medium body. Kabir explains, "Given the nature of Indian food fat and spices we didn’t want people feeling overwhelmed by them or finishing the glass after a meal becoming a chore. Having said that we do have some bold red, oak aged chardonnay, Chablis and Sauvignon for more adventurous drinkers."

There are also spirits served on the ice or with tonic and these include an Indian single malt whisky, Indian rum and a Goan gin plus a range of cocktails with Indian flavours. Mr NQN has the Garam Masala Negroni with Manly spirits gin, masala vermouth, bitters that has aromatic and warming spices added to it. I have the Curry Leaf Gimlet with Manly spirits gin, curry leaf syrup and lime. I don't really get much of the curry leaf flavour in it, it's mostly the lime but it's a nice cocktail nevertheless.

We pair our cocktails with some snacks. The first is the Sydney rock oysters with a tamarind and curry leaf mignonette. The curry leaf and tamarind flavour of the mignonette is subtle enough so that you still get the flavour of the oyster just with a slight twist.

The smell of these clam cutlets is driving me crazy as soon as they are put down and I can't wait to dive into them. Adwait explains, "This recipe is a nostalgic one from my childhood. My mum used to make these for me because I found cleaning clam shells a tedious task as a kid. She would form small cutlets using mashed potatoes, fresh coriander, clam meat, and spices binding them with flour before deep-frying. They were a perfect snack for Sunday family lunch. Here at Bazaar and Bar, I've paired them with a Schezwan chutney. Schezwan chutney/sauce is an "Indo-Chinese" creation that is widely popular in Mumbai, where I'm from. Back home, it's the go-to dipping sauce for most bar snacks and street food; you can even find a dish called Schezwan chicken on many local bar menus in Mumbai." The cutlet is delicious on its own but really sings with flavour when the chutney is added.

The kulcha is a potato stuffed flatbread with nigella seeds and a smear of whipped butter on the side. It's nice and I'd recommend asking for this to come with the curries or something else rather than eat it on its own.

We also try the kali mirch (black pepper) chargrilled spatchcock. This is one of our favourite dishes. Adwait explains, "This is our interpretation of a Kali Mirch Kebab, a very popular dish in India that originated from Mughlai cuisine and is known for its peppery flavour. We brine and then marinate our spatchcock with hung curd, cream, cashew paste, ginger, garlic and freshly cracked black peppercorns. The chicken is cooked over charcoal (as kebabs are traditionally cooked in a tandoor oven), resulting in a perfectly charred, smoky and peppery taste. The dish is finished with fenugreek butter." The half spatchcock is so juicy and tender as a result of this and I wish I had saved some of the kulcha to mop up the sauce. The spatchcock comes with onions that have almost a kimchi flavour and a coriander dipping sauce has a sweet edge to it and is very moreish.

Although it is early days, the Champaran mutton looks to be the signature dish as lots of people around us are ordering it. It hails from the Champaran district in Bihar, India. It's rich, deeply flavoured tender mostly boneless goat chunks. The goat is from the Gourmet Goat Lady and is slow cooked for three hours until beautifully tender with some mustard spice and warming spices like cinnamon. Make sure to get some roti for that sauce.

The murg rezala is chicken curry with a creamy white sauce and it is also a must order as it is different from the Champaran mutton but no less delicious. This curry comes from West Bengal in East India and the chicken is marinated in ginger and garlic and then cooked with onion, dahi (yogurt) paste, cashews and poppy seeds. The chicken is served on the bone so you just help yourself to the cut that you want and it's soft enough to pull apart with a fork and spoon. We both love trying curries that we've never tried before that are utterly delicious.

We also try the aloo chokha which is tempered baby potatoes with mustard oil. The mustard oil is quite strong, a bit too strong for both of us but the potatoes themselves have a great crispy edged texture to them.

We pair the curries with some sides, including jeera rice ($7) which goes perfectly with the curries and a crisp, flakey roti ($5). I'd even suggest getting one roti each if you're getting the Champaran Mutton.

While Basque cheesecake sounds well...Basque more than Indian, there is a cheesecake in India called Chenni pooda that comes from the Indian state of Odisha. This dessert is inspired by the Chenni pooda and the Indian coffee candy called Coffy Bite. It's delightfully creamy and light in coffee flavour with the caramelisation on top and a great end to our meal.

So tell me Dear Reader, have you tried these dishes before? Do you like trying new dishes or do you prefer to stick to dishes that you know when you eat out?

Bazaar & Bar

10 Orchard Rd, Brookvale NSW 2100

Phone: (02) 9131 2071

Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday 5pm till late

Friday and Saturday 12pm - 3pm, 5pm till late