DesiNental

The Verdict

Bringing a colourful contrast to the strip of shops on High Street in Prahran, Desinental is the suburbs new diner bringing an Indian-flavoured lense to fried chicken and burgers. 

Helmed by restaurant owners Gurvinder Sandhu and his wife Samara, DesiNental exemplifies this philosophy with their hero dish—Indian fried chicken, thick-cut fillets are encased in a spicy golden crunched batter and then cooked to a tender perfection. The chicken is accompanied by the house-made slaw as well as your  Indian-fusion sauce from jaggery and tamarind to spicy date and even a butter chicken.  

DesiNental’s burger menu is where Western classics take on Indian-leaning flavours. Options include the cult-favourite super smashed samosa burger which heroes a crisp potato samosa with tamarind and date mayo, slaws as well as the Delhi Tikka burger which champions fried chicken with a silky Tikka Masala sauce, plum chutney aioli and pickled cucumbers.  

Sides are a highlight here with a  selection of loaded fries such as the house masala fries with dipping sauces such as the date and tamarind mayo or roasted cumin and plum chutney; or venture out with the loaded lamb keema fries with kadhai mince lamb, cheddar, sour cream, and tomatoes, garnished with spring onions. 

Shift away from the conventional bar standards with, DesiNental’s quirky bottled cocktail, they're each inspired by Indian moonshine and are designed by Samara and accompanied with monikers such as ‘drunk dog millionaire’ and ‘marriage: sometimes soulmates, sometimes cellmates.’

For those looking for a sweet fix, DesiNental is serving up Kulfi, a traditional Indian ice cream and street food available in a range of flavours including, pistachio and cardamon, mango and cookies n cream.

Image credit: Desi Nental (supplied)

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