hanuman

i had read good things about the hanuman chain but left underwhelmed. the food was very average at exorbitant prices. i had the korma and the butter chicken which both lacked any kick or complexity. the wait staff had poor knowledge of the recipes and even the manager reflected that she didn't find thecurrywas authentic because it had was designed for local tastes. why water down the food given darwin is so close to asia? i've had far better on the east coast. won't be back.

if you are looking for acurryin darwin, this is the place to go. went on a weeknight - was packed but we were able to find a table quickly. staff were very efficient and attentive considering the number of people dining. we shared 6 mains between us and i am struggling to think of any significant negatives for any of them. portion sizes were good. a fairly expensive restaurant, but you get what you pay for.

hanuman is a casual southeast asian eatery in darwin cbd which receives a hat in the recent good avoid guide. the spacious restaurant is decorated with hindu iconography and features elaborate magenta lightings and coloured crockery.

food wise, it ranks among the worst and most devious asian food because you will never find them in their source country. the food is considerably sweeter and far accustomed to the australian tastebuds (sweet, sweet, sweet)

i ordered few dishes including fried pork roll, tandoori chicken and green chicken curry. first, the greencurrygot to be the most feminine and sweetest greencurryi had ever tried (even though i have requested for extra spice). i am sure australians are not as sissy as the food suggest. the chicken was overcooked and tough as rubber.

second, the tandoori chicken was ice cold. it was likely that they are roasted in the afternoon and reheated in the evening. the chicken weren’t fresh either.

third, the fried pork roll. goodness gracious. the beancurd skin was absolutely over fried and reeked of cuddled oil (cooking oil which was used for long time). the meat was rocked hat and dry since it was fried too long.

did i mention the rice clumps together?

one-hatted. good food. fairfax media. you’re making australia an international joke.

tasting platter and lamb cutlets were great. malai kofta and dal tasted traditional. coconut and fishcurrywas not good. fish had smell no one could eat. virgin singapore sling tasted just like flavoured drink there is nothing fresh about it. customer service needs an attention. one of the guys explanation for the dishes was "we are not serving traditional indian food" i don't think it's an appropriate answer. apart from this, it's all good.

great food and ambience. had the red duckcurrywhich was fantastic. the black rice brûlée was also amazing. they forgot our dessert order so it took a while to come but then took it off the bill which was not necessary but appreciated. apart from that service was friendly and attentive so overall a great dinner.

it's located on busy mitchel street , as the name specifies indian food , i must say they have angels cooking in their kitchen
i tried butter chicken, chilly prawns , lambcurry, thai noodles & dal makhani
everything was up to the mark :)
i'm fully satisfied with their service and preparation
though getting indian food in darwin is tough but thanks to these guys for bringing home like food over here
planning to visit soon here

one of the best fine dine restaurants in darwin. they cater to wider audience with indian, thai and vietnamese food. just loved the authentic flavours and hats off for the tasty food. hanuman oysters and lamb cutlets for starters. naan, rice and chettinad chicken for the mains. even though thecurrywas a bit oily, it tasted amazing. didnt have enough space to try their biryanis.

i didn't have a booking the place was packed but the lovely girl at the front managed to find a place for me. apologising for seating me in the outside part of the restaurant which was totally fine.

i had the greencurrychicken, garlic roti bread and coconut jasmine rice.
the food was delicious with all the different subtle flavours complimenting eachother perfectly.
definitely coming back.

i can't compliment the staff enough with their smiles enthusiasm and service.

we went to hanuman first to try the vegetarian indian curries and the fish tikka. it was some of the best indian food i have ever had, and very worthy of the 4.9 rating. we had the okra, which was cooked absolutely perfect and the koftas which were delicious.

we had to come back the next day to try the thai options. we got the fishcurryand the pad thai. unfortunately both were extremely bland and unexciting. i would not rate either above 3/5. stick to the indian curries if you want to have an amazing dinner.

after seeing how highly this restaurant had scored we decided to come for dinner. it was somewhat disappointing, the service was good but the food was a let down. the goatcurrywas full of fat and bone, hardly any meat. i then also found a hair in the curry, which i was then told was quite common with goat. ?! it's overpriced for what it is, but suppose choice in darwin is a little limited.

busy restaurant, large open plan dining room. the duckcurrywas good - portion size enough for one. service is quite slow, possibly due to mount of diners. pleasant evening.

amazing authentic asian food. definately worth the visit here. partner was a chef at the hanuman in alice springs a few years back & ever since we have known each other, he has raved about hanuman & now i know why. their oysters - sweet, spiced, tangy & melt in your mouth. their trumpet mushrooms are an explosion of flavours & textures & beautifully creamy. meen moolie - the fish was a bit dry but the flavours that thecurryexuded made up for it. we also had the slipper lobster & it was beautifuly prepared. their butter chicken was smooth & rich & hands down, their chicken chettinad was the winner for me. it tasted as authentic & as real as you can get to chettinad food in india. and from what my partner has said, it tastes the same as it was 4 years back in alice springs, which shows their consistency in quality. service was a bit slow but when attended to, they were friendly & welcoming. will definately come back to hanuman on my next visit to the nt & we can only hope they will open up one in melbourne.

love love love this place. dinner last night eggplantcurryand okracurry- both were delish - great friendly service, the highlight absolutely - as per the waitress recommendation- the black rice brûlée. i'm a big fan of the outdoor area but there's indoor for those who aren't.

update 17/5/16
love hanuman but i got some take away fried rice that was disappointing. since when does a thai chef fill the fried rice with raw onion? strange. once i picked out all the raw onion (both white and red) the rice was good. have a chat to your chefs jimmy.


do you want some of australia's best thai and nonya food? well, this is it. big call i know, but jimmy shu is a gun chef slash restauranteur and he has this place full almost every night of the year for good reason. sure, he has been on tv and in the foodie magazines but at the end of the day he is successful because he gives the fans what they want. generous serves full of fresh authentic thai flavours. i have eaten here dozens of times over the years and never had a bad meal. the curries in particular are awesome. the seafood is always fresh and the whole fish dishes are a must. personally i love going to hanuman on a hot darwin night, ordering a icy cold beer with the duck redcurry(best i have tried) and blissing out with the refreshing perfectly balanced flavours. book ahead. you will need to.

best restaurant in darwin. always top quality dishes that are full of flavour and presented by great servers. try the trumpet mushrooms, duckcurryand the butter chicken is also excellent. but actually i have never had a bad dish there. oh and the cocktails and spot on too.

it is quite pricey but worth it if you want to impress or you dont want to risk the other hit and miss restaurants around town.


-----02 dec, 2013-----

great food, fabulous service. while the prices are steep the food is well worth it. the cocktails are also brilliant. try the duck curry! the service was excellent, attentive without being overbearing. i will definitely be back but only for special occasions as the bill can be quite hefty.