Seeking to save Sikhs

Here we have a “doesn’t do it justice” piccy of the Mutton Thali at Sher-a-Panjab (SaP), 3/583 Dominion Rd, Balmoral.  Where do I start?  Firstly mutton is the Punjabi word for goat, and that’s more than fine by me.  Secondly, it’s served on the bone, which is also fine by me.  Thirdly, this one isn’t as lavish as some other thalis I can think of but by Krishna it’s tasty.  Fourthly, I don’t think they’re getting much business.

SaP has a brief but dynamic history.  It started life about a year ago as Bombay Classic.  Its location is not ideal from a foot traffic point of view, being at right angles to the road and set back 10m into a small mall.  Probably due to this, custom has been limited and so the owners saw fit to relaunch 3 months ago with better signage in the hope of catching more eyes.  I have to say this doesn’t seem to have had a massive impact, and there still appears to be hardly anyone eating here.

All of which is a tragedy ‘cos the food has always been top-notch, and this thali is a great example.  Cooked freshly to order (15-25 mins) and made to one’s desired Scoville rating, accompanied by roti, pickle, poppadom, veg curry and rice the goat meat is fall-off-the-bone tender and absolutely delicious.  The veg curry varies from dhal to alloo mattar and is generally fairly mild but very tasty.  Rotis are fine but, as usual, have made the dread trip to the oily pan (not that I’m obsessing about this or ‘owt).  For $10.50 another total bargain.

I’ve eaten other dishes here which I’ll review later but they’ve all been excellent so, I beg you, get off your collective botties and make a pilgrimage.  We might be able to save SaP from extinction and we should try to do so since they’re a nice couple, the food’s great and you can park outside for free.

Quality: 8.5/10   Quantity: 8/10  Value: 8/10

Map available here:  http://yellow.co.nz/companies/Restaurants/Bombay-Classic/101439559_1403.html