What a surprise! We have been watching this place slowly come together for what seemed like an eternity. Since our good ol' favorite The Taj Palace closed down a few years ago, Footscray hasn't had a top notch Indian restaurant. Sure, there are plenty of dodgy places that can microwave some sauce and pour it over some marinating meat - or the odd bain-marie and Indian Sweets (pop up) stores that last a month, but Sankranti is different. At first the size seems daunting and food barn like until you're actually in there. Each booth is fairly private and acts like a room, divided by tasteful partitions showcasing glass enclosed spices used in the cooking. Another good sign is the diverse crowd that the restaurant attracts. On our second night it could have been a United Nations dinner. I guess Sri Lankans, Chinese, Africans, Anglos and tattooed muscle men all find common ground here in groups.
And now for the food!
We started with a random entree of deep fried puffed rice balls served with three dips - a tangy curry one, a coconut one and a peanut based dip. I can't recommend enough a Southern Indian dish called Gongura.( I think they call South India ANDHRA on the online menu). I've had Gongura Chicken and Lamb and both are not your usual sloppy Indian curry made from heavily blended spices and yogurt. The meals here thankfully lack the bloated gee after-tummy - a big tick from us! For something different in the rice department, go for Chicken 65. Its a biriyani style rice with a few boiled eggs on top and special fried chicken in the middle. I'd say its close to a claypot, but hey, it was interesting and yummy.
A downside to Sankranti is the eggplant dishes they offer on the menu - haven't been available both times we've been there. The chef and his wife are sticklers for accurate ingredients and giving us a genuine South Indian experience, so I'll need to be patient and wait for the small eggplants to become available (although with Little Saigon a smouldering heap that wait may be a little longer).
Congratulations Sankranti team on filling the Footscray City Indian food gap and the space in my tummy. read more