Zaika Indian Restaurant

Ph: (03) 9589 6677; 459 Balcombe Road, Beaumaris 3193

indian, $$ -
Open 7 days 5-10pm; Licensed, BYO, Corkage $1.50 person; AE DC MC V EFT; No bookings

Mietta's Review
One's first impressions are of a well set up Indian restaurant - ochre wall, white tableslothes with paper overlays and polite service. But, there is more. Chef, Sunny Singh, worked with Teague Ezard at Adelphi, so in addition to the Indian classics there are a number of modern touches to differentiate Zaika from its peers.

Other published opinions

The Age Cheap Eats 2008 "You don't need snazzy decor or even good lighting to create atmosphere - this suburban hideaway charms your nostrils with the scent of coriander and cumin the second you walk through the door"

The Age Cheap Eats 2007 "In leafy Beaumaris, Zaika has won over locals once suspicious of anything more exotic than a Sunday roast. Chef Sunny combines traditional Punjabi cooking with the pedigree of having worked at ezard, evident in entrees such as delicate savoury biscuits decked with potato, crunchy gram flour straws and coriander."

The Age Cheap Eats 2006 Blink and you might miss Zaika, a treasure set in the Beaumaris shopping strip. This authentic Sikh eatery is a cosy haunt with mood lighting, white linen, and just enough ceremony to let you know you're having a night out.

The Age Good Food Guide 2005 "ZAIKA sticks to the formula of what an Indian restaurant should be, and occasionally steps beyond it. The ochre decor is tidy rather than trendy, the tables wear white linen lapped with paper, and the service has a dash of formality. So far, so standard. But when entrees arrive, things get more interesting. Turns out chef and owner Sunny Singh had a stint working alongside Teage Ezard at the Adelphi, and it shows."

The Age Cheap Eats 2005 "THIS bright Indian restaurant run by a husband and wife team is proof that quality resides in the suburbs as well as trendy inner-city strips. Trained in London and formerly of the Adelphi, chef Sunny Singh has a knack for making traditional dishes contemporary."

The Age Cheap Eats 2004 "ZAIKA means taste, and there's plenty in evidence from the delectably descriptive menu to the stunning photographs of India on terracotta walls. But it's hard work in the kitchen that will build this newcomer's following."

The Age,A2,24/4/04,Thomas Hunter,'Throw in good service and pricing and you've got an Indian restaurant that's hinting at future directions in Indian food.'