In recent years – since Byron was elevated to official one-name status – the beachside town has attracted the interest of some stellar names in hospitality from the southern cities. The latest in the pack? Jessi Singh, restauranteur, chef and owner of Surry Hills' Don't Tell Aunty and Melbourne's Daughter in Law, who will bring a Byron Bay outpost of Daughter in Law to Fletcher Street.
The eatery, which has already won hearts in both its hometown and in Adelaide, will be dishing up Singh's trademark "unauthentic" Indian food in lush, colourful, velvet-decked interiors. Why unauthentic? Well, according to Singh: "There is no such thing as authentic Indian food.
There are no recipes, and everything is passed on through the generations in the kitchen verbally. Daughter in Law represents my travel journey throughout the world, so it’s global food with an Indian twist; these recipes will be passed on to my children.”
While he's not giving away the new eatery's menu just yet, expect a keen focus on seafood pulled in from nearby shores as well as vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian options. He plans to source his fresh produce from the town's weekly farmers market.
Meanwhile, sommelier Bhatia Dheeraj will be on drinks duty. There'll be a wine list sourced overseas and locally, as well as cocktails like a Indian-spiced sangria (red wine, sweet vermouth, orange) and the titular 'Daughter in Law', made with Byron Bay’s Brookie’s gin, tandoori-fired pineapple, cardamom and lime. Just like at Don't Tell Aunty, DJs will be spinning ’80s and ’90s party mixes, while iconic Bollywood film clips will project onto the walls as you dine.
The eatery is set to open in mid-June, with all proceeds from the opening night going to Khaana Chahiye, an organisation supporting Indian people as they battle a deadly second wave of the virus.
One thing's for sure – after days spent chasing the hinterland waterfalls or just lolling about under the pandanuses, a solid meal by Singh might be the perfect way to round out a weekender. We're booking a Byron trip, stat.