Karma

LOCATION
Ten-minute drive from the city.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
These are the rules of true ethnic dining: first and foremost, the food should strive to be uncompromisingly authentic; concessions made for the Western tastebud are considered downfalls by the committed gourmet traveller. Secondly, service should be knowledgeable, the waiter is as much tour guide as they are food conveyance technician. And finally, the decor must do much more than merely decorate: everything from the crockery to the furniture and the soundtrack must convince the senses they are no longer in inner-city Brisbane, but have awoken in the colourful streets of Northern India.

Karma Indian and Nepalese restaurant satisfies all the rules. Let us begin with the decor, which the front-of-house manager assures took a biblical 40 days to transform from its previous incarnation as a Japanese restaurant to its current state. Ornately carved furniture is bedecked with beaded, satin cushioning and sheer curtains. Even the brass ceiling fans are reminiscent of a British colonial polo club. The menu is near encyclopaedic; it is honourable in its attempt to educate the reader on the origins and cultural significance of specific dishes. Special mention must be made of the restaurant’s pricing scale, which this reviewer feels is terrific with most entrees under $8 and the most expensive main tipping the scale at $16.90. Large groups can dine like royalty for a comparable pittance. It must be said, however, that the low prices are not a result of skimping on portion sizes; the curries are large and are loaded with excellent quality produce, and rice is complimentary. The chicken balti is as hot as a summer’s breeze and as spicy as a Bollywood dance number. The rules have been satisfied, and Karma has passed muster.

Nicholas Wong