Maitland's newest restaurant The Indian Town has barely had any vacancies since it opened its High Street doors last month.
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From authentic dishes to traditional Indian furnishings, customers can expect to experience the essence of India in the heart of Maitland.
The Indian Town owner Karan Bhumbla has been involved with restaurants for the past 18 years and said he has wanted to open his dream restaurant for the past seven years.
"I originally wanted to open a restaurant in Newcastle but I live in Maitland and it's where I call home so I decided to open a fine dining restaurant here," he said.
The interior of the venue certainly reflects Mr Bhumbla's heritage with traditional Indian artworks, antiques, hand painted arches and a door that is 200 years old and sourced from a palace in India.
When it comes to the restaurant's dishes, the menu covers meals from North, South and East India.
"We have a mixture of Indian dishes but majority of the dishes are from North India," Mr Bhumbla said.
The menu also includes Australian's favourite Indian dishes such as butter chicken, mango chicken and korma's.
The restaurant also has the Moustache Bar which has a particular focus on Indian style whiskey.
"All generations of my family have been whiskey lovers, so I wanted to provide a variety of whiskey," Mr Bhumbla said.
Even the restaurant's logo shares a resemblance to Mr Bhumbla's own grandfather.
"It's not his face but his features are there, his turban and his moustache," he said.
"We wanted people to know what the cuisine was just by looking at the logo and the restaurant's interior."
Getting the restaurant ready has been no small feat and Mr Bhumbla said he had been looking for a building for the past two or so years.
"I travelled to India to source everything that would be required," he said.
To bring his vision to life, Mr Bhumbla had five different designers from India and Australia involved with the project.
"I wanted to have a contemporary design, but I also wanted to have a style that showcased Indian heritage," he said.
Mr Bhumbla is a chef by trade and he came to Australia as a student in 2006.
"This restaurant has been my dream project for a long time," he said.
Mr Bhumbla also owns Namaste Indian, which has stores at Green Hills, Charlestown and Rhodes.
Since opening The Indian Town, there has been a great response from the people of Maitland and even a cold Monday night didn't stop the restaurant from seating more than 50 people.
"I've found that people in Maitland like to try more authentic foods and to see Maitland enjoying what we are offering is the icing on the cake," he said.
The Indian Town can sit more than 165 people and there is also a function room at the back.
It is open every day for dinner from 5pm to 9pm and there is plans to eventually start doing lunches.
People can make a booking by calling (02) 4933 4363 or via their website.
Laura Rumbel
Laura Rumbel is a journalist who has always called Maitland home. She has been with the Maitland Mercury since 2022, and is passionate about all areas of local news.
Laura Rumbel is a journalist who has always called Maitland home. She has been with the Maitland Mercury since 2022, and is passionate about all areas of local news.
