RecipeTin Eats founder Nagi drives 50 minutes to enjoy a ‘secret’ hole-in-the-wall lunch spot – so I visited to see if it’s really worth the hype
RecipeTin Eats founder Nagi Maehashi has revealed her ‘secret’ hole-in-the-wall restaurant that she drives 50 minutes to visit for her ‘curry fix’.
The popular cookbook author has been a regular at New Shakthi, a South Indian and Sri Lankan takeaway shop in Homebush, for many years.
She always orders the chicken rice lunch special pack with three vegetable curries – eggplant, lentil and chickpeas.
‘For $18, it stretches two to three meals,’ Nagi said, adding: ‘I’ve never had a bad curry from here, ever.’
‘Ridiculous value for money, excellent curries… Everything here is boldly spiced and very authentic. Meat curries are great but the vegetarian curries are the absolute bomb.’
Nagi explained that whenever she’s craving Indian food, New Shakthi is a ‘hidden gem’ she’d happily go out of her way for.
It isn’t the first time the foodie has raved about her favourite Indian restaurant.
RecipeTin Eats founder Nagi Maehashi has revealed her ‘secret’ hole-in-the-wall restaurant that she drives 50 minutes to visit for her ‘curry fix’
‘My brother’s gonna kill me when he finds out I told everyone about our secret curry place… I was not going to tell you guys about this place, I was going to keep it as my little secret but I have to share,’ Nagi said, laughing.
‘It’s just such great curries and incredible value for money. I’m yet to have a curry here that I don’t love.
‘They’ve got all these fried goodies as well which are ridiculously good value for money and so big that one of them is a lunch in itself.
‘I always get the same thing – I get a lunch pack with rice, one meat curry and three vegetarian curries. Easily stretches to two, if not, three meals.’
For first-timers, Nagi said you can’t go wrong with anything.
‘Order quick because the servers get peeved when newbies stumble with their order. Just jab your finger at any curries, they’re all good,’ she said.
She said she wasn’t fazed by the long drive, saying: ‘Yes, I have been known to drive from Mona Vale to Homebush just to get a curry fix.
‘But then again, I’ll drive to Parramatta for a laksa, Cabramatta for Vietnamese, Kingsford for Malaysian, Ashfield for dumplings. So Homebush is nothing.’
I visited RecipeTin Eat founder’s favourite curry spot in Sydney
I love trying different cuisines but I haven’t found an Indian restaurant in Sydney that I’ve really loved yet. Personally, I find many of the dishes quite heavy, and the spice can be a little overbearing for my taste.
But when I discovered RecipeTin Eat founder Nagi Maehashi’s favourite curry spot in Homebush, I knew I needed to check it out.
My husband and I hopped on a train to Homebush on Friday night and walked about four minutes to the tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant. There was a queue, but the line moved surprisingly quickly. It was overwhelming not knowing what to order because the menu was so extensive.
However, one of the lovely employees helped us choose some of the most popular dishes, so we ordered an abundance of curries and fried dishes to try.
What I loved about the menu was that the prices were affordable, and you could order dishes in three different sizes – small, medium or large – so you could try a bit of everything. We ended up getting four different curries to try: chicken chettinad, butter chicken, and two vegetarian curries.
My favourites were definitely the eggplant and lentil curries – they paired perfectly with the roti. What really took us by surprise were the tikka masala ‘lollypop’ chicken pieces. They were mini drumsticks, but the seasoning was to die for. We also ordered some samosas and pastry rolls filled with potato and chicken.
Everything was so flavourful, delicious and surprisingly light. Unlike some of my previous experiences with Indian food, I felt satisfied rather than weighed down or sluggish. The portions were incredibly generous – we ended up having leftovers for Saturday lunch and Sunday night dinner. I’m already looking forward to returning so I can try Nagi’s all-time favourite lunch special.
The popular cookbook author has been a regular at New Shakthi, a South Indian and Sri Lankan takeaway shop in Homebush, for many years
What I loved about the menu was that the prices were affordable, and you could order dishes in three different sizes – small, medium or large – so you could try a bit of everything
Many were quick to back Nagi’s recommendation, with one saying: ‘Just went there tonight for dinner. OMG the food is amazing, portion is huge and so reasonably priced! Thanks for sharing the secret!’
‘What a gem of a place,’ another revealed.
‘As a North Strathfield secret, the cat’s out of the bag… It’s a flavour dance party in your mouth,’ one confirmed.
‘OMG the best samosas,’ another added.
The restaurant has been around since 2013, and it’s one of the best-kept secrets in Homebush, with huge queues stretching down the street during the lunch rush.
The takeaway shop boasts nearly 1,000 Google reviews, boasting an average rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars.
‘This is hands down one of the best spots for Indian/Sri Lankan food around Sydney. The flavours are incredible – rich, authentic, and consistently delicious… The taste truly exceeds expectations and is absolutely worth it,’ one raved.
‘Very nice place for authentic Indian and Sri Lankan food. The quality, price, and service are excellent, and the food is very reasonably priced,’ another shared.
