Crows Nest has many Indian restaurants with a following of loyal customers. And the Pacific Highway restaurant strip is enriched by Dhakshin.

Chef Vijayan Ramasamy was born in Tamil Nadu, India. This is where he learned to cook – at his mother and grandmother’s knee – before training professionally in his home country and going on to gain experience at restaurants including the Michelin-starred Tamarind in the UK.

Dhakshin – meaning “south” in Sanskrit – is the culmination of Ramasamy’s dream to open his own restaurant. It is a mixture of beautifully executed traditional recipes and local produce. The dining room is understated and uncomplicated, with private dining available for groups out the back.

South Indian dishes, with twists include: tandoori spatchcock; a coastal specialty from Kerala – cochin nandu puttu blue swimmer crab with mustard and fennel in a Pandang broth; or the barramundi Tamilian fish curry. Kairy ka goat infused with raw mango and black cardamom falls off the bone as you scoop up the rich tomato sauce. The chicken tikka is vibrant orange and smoky, straight from the glowing tandoor in the kitchen.

Simple and authentic, but still with the hint of Ramasamy’s international training (watch out for the scallop pepperonata), this is southern Indian dining from the heart.