Manhattan Modern Indian
448 Toorak Road, Toorak
03 8592 4651
Indian
$$$$$
Food
- Pani Puri
- Johl Muri
- Harry Barra Kebab
- Johl Muri
The Good
Nothing.
The Mediocre
The paddle or Pani Puri looked mighty impressive. Each shot glass contained a different flavour, ranging from Mint, Tamarind, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Guava and Toffee. The traditional mint flavour worked well with the fried puff rice ball, but the other sweeter and fruitier flavours were definitely out of place.
The Chicken Tikka also failed to impress. The chicken didn’t quite have the spices and marinade that one would come to expect from an authentic Chicken Tikka. The execution was also lacking finesse, resulting in protein that was dryer and tougher than expected.
The Bad
The Harry Barra Kebab would’ve been pleasant if not for the poor execution. Having been over-fried, or rather re-fried, the Kebab was merely a chickpea falafel, featuring a tough outer, dressed with an overwhelmingly sweet lemon chutney. Thoroughly unspectacular.
The Johl Muri was a huge disappointment. Within the puff pastry, the stale rice bubbles were soft and lacking crunch, which was mixed with raw onion and mint. The tamarind dressing was unfortunately very salty and made it very unpalatable. The only saving grace was the flakey puff pastry holding it altogether.
The Verdict
After one and a half hours into this so-called “degustation”, we only received pre-prepared bites that were poorly executed, and the mains failed to even make an appearance. The atmosphere was deader than a morgue, with occasional hints of cigarette smoke and petrol fumes wafting in through the sizeable gap in the door, coupled with music that consisted of constant notification sounds from a smartphone.
With staff neglecting to clear uneaten food sitting on your table for long periods, coupled with the unremarkable food and stale atmosphere, this is most definitely not an enjoyable, let alone premium dining experience, and should not be advertised as such. At $75 a head, it’s a blatant rip-off.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
Won’t be caught dead inside!
Under new management or not, Manhattan Modern Indian is a poor attempt at reviving a failed business that’s simply not worth your while.
Penguineats was invited to dine at Manhattan Modern Indian.