Dahl Daddy’s

Dahl Daddy’s is a spirited curry canteen serving nourishing dal, golden parathas and more. Its run by Corey Rozario (Glenarty Road, Black Sheep Deli, Fervor) and his partner Imogen Mitchell. Rozario was born in Mandurah to a Burmese father and a British mother, and grew up eating Asian food. And while Rozario’s Asian heritage is Burmese, his menu has a much broader, South Asian focus.

Dal, unsurprisingly, is a mainstay and Rozario’s version is a winner. A nourishing mass of slow-cooked legumes (red lentils primarily with the occasional handful of pigeon peas) finished with fried curry leaves, the recipe is based on the dal his dad cooked growing up. But as great as the dal is, it’s the house-made condiments that really make things shine. Want to ramp things up a little? The sambal balachan – a crunchy mass of shrimp and fried onions – is ready to spring into action, as is Burma’s pungent fermented tea leaf salad, laphet. Deliciousness aside, the dal also scores highly for plant-based nutrition (the use of grass-fed ghee, however, means it isn’t vegan) and value for money.

The tiny blackboard menu has also offered spiced kangaroo curry and mohinga – Burma’s legendary fish stew. While all curries come with rice, flaky parathas are also available while guests can either takeaway their order or enjoy it dine-in in the outdoor (albeit undercover) cafe space. The soundtrack grooves and the counter is littered with books about art and photography, primarily salvaged from op shops.