Ginger Garlic

Ph: (03) 9439 4423; Shop 9,, 9 Dudley St, ELTHAM 3095

indian, $, * for Food
Open Thu noon-2.30pm Tue-sun 5-10pm; Licensed, BYO; AE MC V

Mietta's Review
Well worth the trip to Eltham if Indian is your bag. Small and intimate in winter, with a terrace when the weather permits. The food is eclectic and vast, featuring the Balti dishes of a nomadic people on Wednesday, Dum Pukht Food of Royalty on Thursdays and "India on a Banana" Banquets are served each Sunday. All this with humour and a sense of being looked after. Regulars greet each other and welcome visitors it seems.

Other published opinions

The Age Cheap Eats 2008 "Theme night' is a fearsome prospect for many. Do you dress up in eighties garb or as Captain Stubing from The Love Boat? At tiny, elegant GG 'theme night' means a rolling list of tailored menus: Wednesday is Balti night with curries like hot 'Balti beef earthquake', prawn masala or fenugreek chicken; Thursday is Indian yum cha, and on Sunday banana leaf platters are the go"

The Age Cheap Eats 2007 "Red walls, wood panelling and pine furniture may be straight out of the 1970s, but GG's menu unfailingly tickles present-day tastebuds. Friendly staff emerge from the tiny kitchen carrying aloft delicious curries, flaky breads, herb-infused rice and garlicky raita, but the real show stoppers are the searingly hot platters piled with marinated lamb or tender tandoori fish."

The Age Cheap Eats 2006 Variety is the spice that really sets this subcontinental eatery apart from other Indian places. ... This is a restaurant to judge by vibe - packed with genial regulars - rather than decor - a cramped space, fitted out with wipe-down pine furniture.

The Age Good Food Guide 2005 "The expanse of outdoor seating is popular, possibly because the interior is, umm, low-key: cramped and filled with dowdy pine furniture draped with tired green tablecoths. Ginger Garlic's competitive advantage is its theme nights"

The Age Cheap Eats 2005 "CRACKED pepper pappadums are your first clue this isn't any average Indian eatery. The attractions of this boxy restaurant, decked out with sturdy pine furniture that spills on to the terrace in summer, are enjoyed by many."

The Age Cheap Eats 2004 "FOR more than a decade, this suburban stalwart has been the northeast's flag-bearer for innovative Indian cuisine. Owner Ashok Sikand habitually updates the menu to keep loyal customers guessing, and isn't afraid to throw in ingredients such as orange segments and pineapple."

The Foodies' Guide 2004,Allan Campion & Michele Curtis,'Good Indian food at good prices in far north Melbourne.Lunch at $10 for one course,sides and a lassi is exceptional value in anyone's book,but hungry diners will do well to let host Ashok Sikand assemble a menu for them.'

AGFG 2004, score 13/20, wide selection of vegetarian dishes, two courses for $25 or less

The Age, Epicure, 27/4/04,John Weldon,'Consistently classy,much-awarded Indian restaurant.Worth a visit for the naans,parathas and luscious lassis alone.'

The Age, Sunday Life, Eat Streets, John Lethlean, 13/7/03. Go on Thursday for the Indian version of tapas - nakhas ki boti.

The Age, 21.11.00, Matt Preston review "The menu here majors on North Indian food such as excellent, sizzling gingered lamb chops and hunks of succulent, vermillioned flake from the tandoor, but there are Southern Indian delicacies too. From the 'land of the coconuts', as Kerala is known, coms a creamy curry of prawns spotted with pan-popped mustard seeds and flecks of coconut flesh."