WHY CHOOSE THIS RESTAURANT?

Bold, intense and often unexpected combinations reflective of the tastes of regional India are what you will remember most vividly about any visit to GOAT, the Wyndham Street altar to deliciousness created by one of the country’s most important chefs, Sid Chopra. In just one dining room, he offers a limitless cornucopia of Southern  Indian, Kashmiri, Goan, Bengali and Punjabi dishes among others.

ABOUT THE CHEF

Ask Sid where he wants to be in five years’ time and he is blunt. “I want GOAT to be truly the Greatest Of All Time. Instead of people saying they want to eat Indian, I want them to say I want to eat at GOAT. I want to move ‘Indian food’ away from being tasty, comfort food – something that we do well in the small, family restaurants of New Zealand – and give it the recognition it deserves for being a complex, elaborate, diverse, cultural icon. I want to elevate it to being one of the great cuisines of the world.” It seems that here Sid has found the vehicle to propel him towards his goal. Born, raised and trained in Delhi, he came to New Zealand when he was 21 and for the last 20 years has worked in Auckland kitchens including an influential 14-year stint at Prego.

ABOUT THE MENU

Sid will proudly tell you that the menu here represents at least 10 years of work. Everywhere he travels he takes notes of what he has eaten, where it comes from, how it could be improved, what ingredients he would have to substitute. “Then at home we cook it, take it apart, analyse it. I look for clips of it online. I look up variations and then armed with all this info we build our best version of it.” Sid has no problem with adapting recipes. “I think every chef should add  something of themselves to each dish. It’s perfectly reasonable to adapt but always without losing the ‘soul’ of the dish. I do a little fusion in my mains but with my starters I go all out to keep them true to tradition.” Delhi street-food influences permeate the entrées such as dilli chat – aloo tikki combined with yoghurt, tamarind, sev, papdi and green herbs, which wakes the tastebuds. Chouriço poi – a tantalising Goan classic that melds local chorizo, truffle and caramelised onion with a soft and chewy bread – does a great job of drawing attention to the influence of Goan cuisine and its Portuguese colonial influences. Spice gets the Sid treatment in laal maas, his take on a Rajasthani slow-braised beef short rib, that dances with Mathania chillies, smoked ghee and whole spices. Fish lovers are not forgotten – a superb kolambi rassa, with origins in Agri, combines black tiger prawns, garlic, coconut  asala, red chillies and kokum in a dish that will knock your socks off. If you can only choose one dish, opt for the goat champaran. Rooted in Bihar, this is goat meat first marinated in aromatic spices and mustard oil and then slow cooked in garlic and green chillies. Superb!

ABOUT THE TEAM

The team at GOAT is awesome. Led by Sid’s wife and business partner, the immensely experienced Monica Arora, the service is attentive and knowledgeable and is, in Sid’s words, “designed to make everyone leave happy”. In the kitchen, Sid works closely with long-time collaborator chef Nick Chouhan.

OF NOTE

Sid and his kitchen team conjure up dish after cosmic dish of reimagined favourites and creative newbies. You are in very safe hands so opt for the ‘Leave it to the Goat’ menu, a four-course guided taste tour of India.

12 Wyndham St, Auckland
Check website for opening hours
Mains: $26-$41
09 377 7414, goatakl.co.nz