Pinky Ji

Overview

Jessi Singh, the mind behind some of the country's best Indian restaurants, now has a home on York Street. Pinky-Ji is Singh's second Sydney outpost, launched with the help of former Chin Chin chef Johann Jay, who built a cult following throughout Australia with his unorthodox eateries in Melbourne, Byron Bay, Adelaide and Surry Hills.

"Pinky-Ji is the younger, sassier, and more independent version of our much-loved Daughter In Law," says Singh. "The menu in our venue will bring all of the fun and unauthentic food that Daughter in Law is synonymous with — with a slightly more elevated twist."

At Pinky-Ji, you can expect flamboyant decor, including images of Bollywood stars, neon lighting and red velvet furniture to create an extraordinary atmosphere of luxury.

When exploring the menu, keep an eye out for the seven key sections — snacks, raw, street, grill, wok, tandoor and curry — plus bread, sides and drinks. Kick things off with a snack like a curry crab croqueta ($8). From there, dip your toes into the Mumbai Corn, accompanied by chilli lime yoghurt, paneer and curry popcorn ($16). If you're looking for a menu item that packs an extra punch, opt for the half-lobster covered in Sri Lankan coconut curry leaf sambal ($48).

You'll find that many of the menu items can be shared around the table. From the wok section, you can order crab fried rice with chilli oil ($30), while the curry selection spans from unauthentic butter chicken ($32) and fragrant yellow vegan dahl ($22) to coconut prawns ($32) and lamb rogan josh ($32), all of which can be paired with aged basmati rice ($6), garlic or sesame naan ($5-$12), and roti ($5). There is no shortage of crowd-pleasers.

Still feeling indecisive? Opt for the Chef's Selection. For $65 per person, this includes Balls of Happiness for entree, kingfish ceviche, cauliflower, shakarkandi chaat, tandoor chicken, alongside a variety of curries with rice and naan, plus a pistachio dessert.

Finally, when the time comes to pair a drink with your curry, you can opt for a classic cocktail or peruse the help-yourself craft beer fridges for a hoppy treat.

To top off all of the eccentric fun of Pinky-Ji, the private dining room features a karaoke machine loaded up with songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s.

You'll find Pinky Ji in our list of the best degustations in Sydney. Check out the full list here.