Mandala Restaurant

LOCATION
Close to the corner of Balmoral Street and Commercial Road, easy access via train (Prahran station) or tram (#72 stop 29).

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
Drawing inspiration from the spiritual artwork that gives this restaurant its name, Mandala puts the same care and discipline into presenting diners with the diverse flavours of Nepalese and Asian cuisine. Decorated simply and tastefully and featuring a tranquil courtyard, this restaurant is quietly elegant, and the wait staff are charming and helpful yet unobtrusive. The kitchen takes its inspiration from traditional Nepalese fare such as momos (pan-fried pork dumplings), lamb choilla and cumin-spiced goat curry, which sit comfortably alongside more modern interpretations. The focus here is on interesting dishes which are full of fresh, balanced flavours and provide a variety of textures and tastes in some original and successful combinations.

Start with the apple chaat with spiced potato, yoghurt raita and mint and tamarind chutney, okra fritters or red lentil and kumara soup before trying whole baby snapper with blackberry and ginger chutney, crispy skin duck or lamb cutlets with green tea noodles, shiitake mushrooms and dusted sesame almonds. Standout dishes include soft shell crab with pickled plum and chilli caramel pork hock with Asian herb salad, slow-cooked until the meat is falling off the bone, with crispy skin and sticky orange caramel glaze. Sweet treats include pistachio kulfi, banana spring rolls and the Mandala melt, with berries, pistachios and mascarpone. There is a small, Australian, wine list with only a few by the glass, but BYO is also welcome.

Angela Costanzo, February 2010

"The cooking and the execution of the dishes is very good - lots of sparkling fresh flavours, good dashes of salt and sweet when needed, quality ingredients and a nice blend of traditional cooking and clever modern skills. Mandala is an original and interesting restaurant with vibrant flavours and surprising but successful combinations."

May, 2009 Michael Harden, Melbourne Weekly.