Dine the rustic way

MAYA DA DHABA offers authentic Punjabi cuisine, with a dash of country charm

‘Dhaba’ is one of those Indian words that has made its way into the English dictionary, defined as an Indian road side food stall. That is what a dhaba originally was –  a rustic structure characterised by the presence of charpaais or wooden cots and a plank of wood placed across it to serve as the table. It was a fuss-free eating joint that served tasty, clean and wholesome local cuisine to travellers.

Even today, the Indian highways are dotted with these dhabas though some of them have been ‘modernised’ – the charpaais replaced with tables and chairs. Eating at a dhaba is always the highlight of a road trip. It is believed that dhabas were initially started by enterprising Punjabis to cater to the needs of truckers, who were also Punjabis, serving them authentic, nutritious, clean, hot food at any hour of the day or night. The Punjabi dhaba is supposedly a part of the culture of the people of Punjab. Food in the dhabas is generally served in large brass plates or thalis and the drinks of choice are either lassi or tea. Drinking the cold frothy lassi from one of those tall, gigantic brass glasses is an experience in itself.Today eating at a dhaba—urban or roadside—is a trend.

With Maya Da Dhaba, Ajay Rajstarted this trend of serving dhaba style food in Sydney. Food that is served is wholesome and full of rustic flavours. Maya Da Dhaba proudly offers a wide range of great tasting North Indian cuisine prepared with the utmost precision and care. In the ten years since its inception, Maya Da Dhaba has become a brand name for Indian food especially in the Surry Hills area. Though they have been in the business for many years, they have continued to maintain their reputation as a restaurant that serves good Indian food at good value for money. Maya Da Dhaba are the proud winners of a few awards, the latest being the DIMMI People’s Choice Award for 2016.

The menu here is quite elaborate and the restaurant only serves the kind of food one will find in a dhaba – there are different kinds of curries, different kinds ofbhuna and makhani dishes and most of the options are non-vegetarian.The signature dishes or the Chef’s Picks of the Season are a selection of delicacies that the chefs choose to showcase their culinary skills. For someone who is a great fan of Dhaba style food and taste, Maya Da Dhaba definitely serves up a plate that is authentic in taste and tantalising to the palate.

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