LOCATIONAlongside North Adelaide Village.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAHarvest of India, tucked among the throng of restaurants and retailers in O’Connell Street, is a good-looking find. Part of Adelaide’s ever-growing Indian eatery community, its owner Richard Luthra is a stylish chap as is his tasteful dining room. His elegant presentation is also reflected in the dishes and decor. The latter is a blend of rich tones, subtle lighting and restrained decorative pieces. A large cat’s eye-shaped mirror adds dimension to the intimate room. For a private soiree, head to the restaurant’s rear which sports a fabulous skylight and an attractive display of peacock feathers. In India the peacock is believed to have a thousand eyes in its feathers; you, however, just need two to flutter over Harvest of India’s menu.
In 2006 when Love Story was filmed in Adelaide, Richard’s chef sister Seema catered for its stars. But you do not have to be Bollywood royalty in order to enjoy her home-style cooking. Her flavour-filled dishes are served with inherited family hospitality. There is a balanced selection of beef, poultry, lamb and seafood plates on the menu. Just four come from the tandoori oven, so fans of this popular cooking method will have to make the most of dishes such as chicken tikka and spice-roasted lamb seekh kebab. The thali platter unites meat-lovers for a shared feast of butter chicken, lamb rogan josh and beef curry. Rice, raita and naan are included but the biryani rice is a specialty and can be enjoyed with lamb, chicken or vegetables in their sealed dishes of succulence. House-made cheese dumplings dipped in rose and cardamom syrup are sure to bring a Bollywood-style smile to your face.
Roz Taylor