Longrain can do no wrong; we fell in love with Shortgrain and the Bunker Bar, where we relished the camouflage style darkness and enjoyed random music fuelled evenings on those oh so comfy banquets which made it really difficult not to say “Oh go on, I’ll stay for another one”. Sam Christie’s basement bar has had the courage to leap from Thai to Sri Lanka, India and go a new round of sub-de-fusion we didn’t know existed. Welcome the new, the unpigeonholable Subcontinental.

Eat up at the bar whilst perching on pea green leather butterfly seats, or grab a table on the floor or at the ever popular high chair booths. The staff and service are as smooth as the whisky cocktails, but be ready to push your food boundaries beyond the borders.

Kick off with aniseed flecked pappadums and moreish brick shaped cheese pakoras. Whilst burrata is normally an Italian staple, here its worked into a sublime salad of peanuts, mint and orange – it’s like the first time you eat Smores, so wrong, but oh so right. Cod wrapped in banana leaf is given a mustard oil zing with curry leaves and coconut, whilst the Bengali curry of king prawns and Sri Lankan black pork with pickled eggplant takes you on a round the world ticket of fun. If you fancy a bit on the side, choose the vego biryani or okra with kashmiri chilli which will cause any meat lover a dilemma.

Yes, the DJ booth has gone, it’s grown up a bit (as have we) creating a cooler more intimate hideaway in which to dine. The cocktails and wine list are still mighty fine with daily changing gin and daal menus, but what’s replaced our Thai drinking den is infinitely more exciting.

Subcontinental
8 Hunt Street, Surry Hills
Open hours: Tue – Sat, 5.30pm–10.30pm
www.subcontinental.com.au