First Look: Thaali’s Second Outpost Brings Polished North Indian Dishes to Fairfield

A thali is all about variety – and at Thaali, the new Fairfield restaurant from chef and co-owner Ishu Wadhawan, that idea extends across the entire menu. The kitchen turns out plates heaving with street snacks, North Indian curries, Indo-Chinese favourites, plus a few unexpected twists, all designed to be sampled together.

Wadhawan has spent the past two decades working across Melbourne kitchens, including stints at CBD staples Transport and Mr Tulk. (He and his wife and business partner, Anna Dewan, also run the popular Burger Road chain, with outlets across the city’s north, west and south-east.) Originally from Chandigarh in north-west India, Wadhawan’s approach is shaped as much by those years in local venues as it is by his mother’s home cooking, as well as research trips back to India, revisiting restaurants in Delhi, Mumbai and Chandigarh to refine his butter chicken, Afghani chicken and vada pav.

Thaali first opened as a 48-seat spot in Craigieburn and quickly reached capacity. The Fairfield follow-up is a bigger, more polished operation: about 100 covers, a full bar and a sheltered courtyard dubbed the Mehfil (which roughly translates from Urdu as “soiree”), set up for parties, live music and looser, more casual dining. Inside, a bright handpainted peacock mural anchors the main room, but the overall look is restrained and modern.

The move here, unsurprisingly, is the thali. There are three versions – vegetarian, non-vegetarian and a larger maharaja designed for two – each landing as a spread of curries, snacks, sides and dessert. The à la carte menu runs wide: papri chaat (crisp fried dough with chutney, yoghurt, herbs and spices), pani puri (crisp, hollow spheres filled with potato, chickpea and a delicate spiced water) and vada pav (a spicy fritter served on a soft bun) from the street-food menu; chilli chicken, Hakka noodles and Manchurian (fried veggie balls or cauliflower tossed in a spicy, sticky sauce) on the Indo-Chinese side; and butter chicken, dal makhani and paneer curries holding down the classics.

The two in-house tandoors (one for bread, one for barbeque) do most of the heavy lifting. Breads run from garlic naan and tandoori roti to richer Fairfield-only specials, including jalapeno naan with burrata, and cheese and spinach naan. Elsewhere, there’s biryani, momos and crossover plays like biryani arancini.

Cocktails are tangy, sweet and spicy: the Tandoori Tempest pairs tequila and pineapple with curry leaves and tandoor spices, while the Aam Panna Spritz heroes raw mango. There’s also a tight wine list, beers on tap and plenty of non-alc options.

Early on, the restaurant proved able to pull a crowd – including Masterchef judge Andy Allen, who Wadhawan says dropped in for a thali and papri chaat and stayed for hours.

For Wadhawan, the goal with Thaali was simple: to create a place that delivers good food consistently. “You can ask me for the best Thai restaurant, and I can tell you,” he says. “But Indian – it’s hard to name.” With Thaali, he’s set out to change that – offering a menu grounded in variety, and a restaurant built on getting it right, every time.

Thaali
120 Station St, Fairfield
0488 885 778

Hours:
Daily, 5pm–10pm

@thaaliaus