Southall

Food is a family affair for Ravnish Gandhi. From 1990 to 2015, the third-gen restaurateur worked at his parents’ Indian diner Bombay by Night before opening his own restaurant, Southall, in St Kilda in 2015. Now at a larger, 70-seat space in Hampton, he serves dishes influenced by different regions across India. And you’ll occasionally find his mother Arvind and father Jaspal on the floor, interacting with a clientele who have been coming to the family’s restaurants since 1990.

At Southall, mainstays include chicken tikka masala, a smoky 48-hour charcoal tandoor-cooked kaali daal, saag paneer and lamb biryani. There’s also lamb shank rezala (a mild curry slow-cooked in broth with dark fragrant spices from the east Indian state of West Bengal), Goan fish curry with house-made coconut cream (using fresh, whole coconuts), and gobi Manchurian, a crispy fried cauliflower dish seasoned with carom seeds and ginger.

On the sweeter side of things, dessert is prepared by Arvind – as it has been since 1990 – carrying over Bombay by Night’s offerings of gulab jamun, mango kulfi and roasted almond and praline kulfi. Southall’s wine offering features about 12 reds and 14 whites on the list. There are also Aperol and limoncello spritzes perfect for warmer nights.

The fit-out here is sleek and pared-back, complete with exposed brick accents, timber panelling, deep red chairs, crisp white tablecloths and brass lighting. Having been a photographer since 1995, you’ll find some of Gandhi’s works – capturing his travels around India – alongside black and white family pictures hung on the walls.