Stepping into the premises of a former Melbourne institution, The Press Club, Elchi had some rather large shoes to fill. But with executive chef Manpreet Sekhon’s experience and determination, those shoes are not only filled but are overflowing, with glorious and alluring Indian fare. With her latest venture, Elchi at 72 Flinders Street, Sekhon forges her own path, leaving some pretty flavourful and colourful footsteps on her way.
Elchi’s rotating seasonal menu not only showcases a variety of regions of India but also Sekhon’s carefully honed craft. Sekhon is developing and evolving her family recipes into modern masterpieces, such as the 24-karat gold chicken mussalam, and the crisp whole Amritsari fish – worth the splurge, and the photo opportunity. The cocktail list perfectly complements the menu, such as the namesake Elchi, a seductive combination of ruby port, rum, grapefruit and cardamom bitter. After a few of these, you will be thankful they kept those distinctive leather booths that allow for reclined lounging during dinner.
Elchi is Sekhon’s third baby. She first realised her dreams of owning a restaurant in 2014, when she opened Eastern Spice in Geelong. She then launched Masti in Fitzroy in 2020, followed by Elchi in Melbourne CBD in March 2022. Her courage and resolve are evidenced by the opening of not one, but two new restaurants during a global pandemic. Heck, the rest of us barely managed to even learn two new TikTok routines in that time.
Sekhon is a talented ambassador (coincidentally, Elchi happens to mean “ambassador” or “talented”) for timeless Indian cuisine, sharing her knowledge and vision for demonstrating the boundlessness of Indian cuisine, with us lucky Victorians.
