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Restaurant Spotlight: Aki's

Restaurant Spotlight: Aki's

by Mireille Kilgour : May 20th, 2014

You've never had Indian like Aki's before. This is a smart and well run establishment that still retains the warmth and personal service of a family-run restaurant.

The setting

Down by the waterside of Woolloomooloo's Cowper Wharf Road in Sydney, you'll find a classy but homely dining room. There's no Bollywood kitsch or garish colours – just clean lines and simplicity.

The food

Original, aromatic, and lightly spiced dishes are the feature here. Seafood is a common theme in Aki's menu and head chef Kumar Mahadevan said that he tries to make the most of Sydney's fresh produce. One of the most famous dishes, says Mahadevan, is the palak chaat, which has been on the menu of his restaurants for 20 years!

All the meals aim to be unique and exciting. The signature entree is spiced crab with brown rice string hoppers and coconut broth. The lamb martaba is baked slowly in a clay pot and then the bread seal is broken at the table to reveal the streaming hot pickled spices and tomato dish inside. And to finish off, there's cardamom and pistachio kulfi ice cream – teamed with rosewater, ground spice and a berry coulis.

The chef

The chef and owner of Aki's is the talented Kumar Mahadevan. In an interview with Lifestyle FOOD Kumar said that he wanted to be a chef from as early as he can remember, and grew up cooking with his mother and grandmother. Mahadevan said that he aims for a balance between Indian traditions and contemporary techniques.

Awards

Aki's works hard to bring exciting food in a gorgeous setting and has been rewarded with both a Chef's Hat and Wine Glass by the SMH Good Food Guide 2014. In fact, it is the only Indian restaurant in Australia to have been awarded this prestigious honour. Mahadevan explained that it was a high honour for him because at the time of opening, in 2003, it was considered very risky to be opening a fine dining Indian restaurant when it is a style of food that is usually associated with take away.

Aki's manages to marry the traditional spices of India with delicate and truly unique dishes. It's accolades speak for themselves, marking it as one of Sydney's most exciting restaurants.

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Mireille Kilgour

Mireille Kilgour has been an entrepreneur for 35 years in the hospitality sector. French born, she has been an accomplished business owner and operator for a number of Sydney venues. Leading the industry with high profile institutions such as Lamrock Café Bondi, she has endless passion for the industry, and now has the pleasure of supporting restaurants to fill their tables with the new Good Food Gift Card program.