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COPYRIGHT © TEXT AND IMAGES ANN OLIVER 2023 UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED
the jasmin
indian
restaurant
Jasmin Indian Restaurant
31 Hindmarsh Square
Adelaide
South Australia 5000
lunch Fridays only from 12.00 pm
dinner Tuesday – Saturday from 5.30 pm [dine-in …..take-away and delivery]
web Jasmin Indian Restaurant
t 61 8 8223 7837
on-line bookings click here
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POSTED AO 23 JUNE 24 – EDITED JULY 1 2024
ABOVE THE JASMIN DINING ROOM AND A SMALL SAMPLE OF THE ARTWORKS OF TOM CLEGHORN
a marvelous 40+
years young
There is not another restaurant in Adelaide where I can say, that in forty-odd years of dining there I have never had a bad meal. The Jasmin is a local favourite, with more regulars than any other Adelaide restaurant can boast. Equally, they have an international following of not just the Indian cricket team but famous chefs and international travellers returning time and time again to enjoy their food. The Singh family have seen generations of families pass through their doors, so small surprise many guests are greeted like long-lost friends on their arrival.
Dark wood, artefacts collected from the family’s travels and homeland Malaysia. The walls are covered with paintings and artworks from Tom Cleghorn, who at 99 still paints every day and is regarded as a national treasure for his unique contribution to art in Australia. Perfectly polished glassware and cutlery and gleaming dark timber complete the picture. There is a warmth and ambience rarely found in a subterranean dining room.
FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE CHEF ANANT SINGH
PORTRAIT TSERING HANAFORD
Whilst their founder and executive chef Anant Singh, at 93, is no longer hands-on in their kitchen, Anant’s chefs frequently seek her advice. Dishes, especially new dishes, are sent home to her for a final stamp of approval. The feedback often includes nuances that are so subtle, because only Anant understands the chemistry that will make them perfect.
SO TASTY
MY FAVOURITE NAAN, THE FISH NAAN
Open the door and start walking down the stairs and one is assailed with the most exotic aromas. As a regular, you may have already worked out in your head what you are looking forward to eating. If you’ve never been before do the feed-me menu. Although we have probably eaten at the Jasmin hundreds of times, we most often go for the feed-me because the staff already know our favourites and make sure they are inserted into our meal at some stage.
I do have a lot of personal favourites…I love the fish nan, mainly a special, a fluffy naan stuffed with a mix of ikan billis still with a little bit of chewiness. The problem is the cheese naans are also sublime, so, be warned stuffing too much naan can spoil your meal because you won’t have room for the entire feed-me offering. The Tandori Mushroom is divine…the meaty texture of the marinated Swiss brown mushroom is further embellished with cooking in the tandoor. Add the Punjabi Lamb Tandori, available as both and entrée and main is yet another favourite. Then of course there is Butter Chicken and Prawn Sambal…..and, and!!
EGG PARATHA WITH DATE CHUTNEY
One of the great things about The Jasmin is that there are always seasonal specials. For instance, their Goat Curry with its tiny marrow bones….fall apart tender young goat in a mild aromatic curry sauce. Recently I watched a female diner, snatch the marrow bones from her dining companion and suck out the marrow…go girl! Another seasonal favourite is the Tandoori Garfish. When I see a diner pick up their knife and fork to attack the garfish, I feel like rushing across the dining room and explaining that, to avoid the bones, these are tackled with your fingers. Break off the head and holding the tail pull up toward the head end. The garfish always comes with a little dish of one of their house-made chutney. The basis of the perfection of this dish is really fresh fish, so, so good. On a recent visit, we tried their Paratha. A thicker, firmer style of bread, the egg omelette and onion filling is not encased in the dough and came served with their very tasty hot date chutney which was an excellent sweet foil for the egg and onion.
By now anyone who is not a regular at the Jasmin must be wondering what the hell I am banging on about, but the truth is the Jasmin is one of those very rare restaurants where everything is excellent and has been for the 40 plus years they have been open. Anyone familiar with Indian cuisine will also know vegetarian food is a staple. Listed as side dishes, a selection of these make a wonderful vegetarian meal and there are other vegetarian dishes scattered through their menu. We particularly like their Eggplant Curry, Peshawri Alu, potatoes cooked with onion, tomatoes and lemon juice or the Alu Ghobi a mix of potatoes and cauliflower laced with mild aromatic spices. Add Dahl, Raita and of course naans and the carnivores are equally happy.
Just when you think you can’t eat another thing there are dessert options. My first choice is always their Kulfi, which now also comes with a Gulab Jamun another of my favourites. On a recent visit my dining companion insisted that their Affogato was the best and convinced me to give it a go. Of course, not even slightly traditional it was excellent.
TANDOORI GARFISH WITH HOUSE-MADE CHUTNEY
NOT EVEN SLIGHTLY INDIAN THEIR AFFOGATO IS EXCELLENT
The Singh family has a long-held interest in the best of South Australian and international wine and their list is evidence of not just their determination to write an excellent list, but is also evidence of the support of the South Australian wine industry who, like us love the Jasmin.
The Jasmin is a family-run restaurant, siblings Shiela and Amrik Singh are the key controllers of the consistency of the food, wine and service offering. Lee Skrabanich, restaurant manager has worked for the Jasmin for many years and has been joined by Joel Catlett as assistant restaurant manager. One of these four familiar faces is always on-site to welcome guests into their dining room and are fundamental to the service and product knowledge of the Jasmin Indian Restaurant.
"
respect
feeding the
homeless
every week
for 23 years
There are many reasons to respect the Singh family for their contribution to the South Australian restaurant industry, however, for me, it is their community work that I most respect. The least of which is feeding the homeless once a week for 23 years, even throwing an annual Christmas party for their homeless regulars. Such is their community spirit that their 40th birthday celebrations a couple of years ago enabled a large donation to the amazing Blaze Aid group.
If you have never eaten at the Jasmin you must. Bookings are always advised and even without a booking a quick last minute call to the restaurant, [where someone will answer the phone] to make sure they have a table is advised…it may mean you need to go have a drink somewhere nearby and they’ll call you when they have a table.
The Jasmin have an excellent private dining room and also have their own cookbook [pictured left] available at the restaurant.
ABOUT
We have 42 years history at the highest level
in the food and wine industry and the passion for our craft remains undiminished…
read more
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