With ‘unauthentic Indian’ restaurants popping up in Byron Bay, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney, it’s fair to say chef and restaurateur Jessi Singh has built a brand on, not necessarily ‘reinventing’, but ‘changing up’ the wheel. It's a clever move for the Punjabi-born chef – owning his inauthenticity shields him from the inevitable finger-waggers, while allowing himself the freedom to play with traditional flavours and techniques.
That is the case with Pinki Ji, Singh’s latest restaurant to open its doors, in late 2022. Located on York Street, Pinki Ji is Singh’s second venue to open in Sydney, joining his colourful Surry Hills spot Don’t Tell Aunty (which he sold in 2020). That said, this new addition to the family is touted to be the “younger, cheekier sister” to Melbourne’s Daughter in Law.
Singh engaged former Chin Chin head chef Johann Jay to create the menu and lead the kitchen, so you can expect to find bright, bold flavours, a whole lotta fun, and, of course, unauthentic Indian. The menu is broken up into sections including snacks, raw, street, grill, wok, tandoor, curry, bread, on the side and ending.
Highlights include Mumbai corn with chilli lime yogurt, paneer and curry popcorn; a special crab fried rice with chilli oil and a fried egg; and a whole grilled flounder with curry butter and crispy capers. There’s also an ‘unauthentic’ butter chicken; lobster with Sri Lankan coconut leaf curry sambal and charred lime; and a fragrant vegan yellow dhal. An ace set menu comes in at $65 per person, which, when you consider Sydney prices, is actually a steal. Wash your food down with an ice-cold Kingfisher, Piña Colada or Watermelon Cooler and call it a (happy) day.
When it comes to interiors, Pinki Ji is lit. If Bondi’s cafés have blindingly white, minimalist interiors down pat, Pinki Ji is on the other end of the spectrum. The vibrant space glows with red neon lights; the walls are adorned with Bollywood artwork; and caterpillar-like floral garlands drape from the ceiling. There’s a self-serve fridge stocked with craft beers, and a private dining room with a karaoke machine playing hits from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. Is it too much? Perhaps for some. But no one can argue that Pinki Ji is anything but boring, and for us, that makes it well worth a visit.
