An avante-garde Bengali diner has come to Surry Hills. Opening doors in Crown Street in late September this year, the new restaurant offers an elevated Bengali cuisine inspired by top chef Opel Khan’s memories of the food that he enjoyed growing up as a child in Bangladesh.
The new business venture is situated on Crown Street, the space under the Adina Apartment which was formerly occupied by Flour Eggs Water. Khānaa joins Khan’s other venues: Potts Point’s Métisse, Acqua E Farina, and Pizza Boccone.
Khānaa, which means “Feast” or “Food” in Bengali, sports an elegant fit-out that features white walls, and dark chairs and is accentuated with a wall sculpture made from hand-woven silk, titled “Mermaid”. The venue contains a 60-seat dining area indoors and another area for 40 guests to enjoy their food alfresco.
Hand-woven silk and a Mermaid sculpture | Instagram / Khānaa
Khan will be joined in the kitchen by his daughter and equally talented chef Lucinda Khan. Lucinda will be working alongside Jazz Singh.
Khānaa’s menu is neatly divided into pichchi nola (small sharing plates), boro nola (large sharing plates), and mishti (desserts).
One of the highlights includes a 65-degree egg paired with braised chickpeas, an eggplant bhaji served with macadamia paté and a pepper glaze, and barramundi accompanied by spinach bhaji and dal tadka.
Duck Leg Confit Samosa with Fermented Daikon | Instagram / Khānaa
Other must-try dishes include a duck leg confit samosa with fermented daikon and mandarin, and seared tuna with scallops and watermelon. And then there’s lobster served with prawn pitha and dhane masala, and sticky beef short ribs paired with aloo bhorta (mashed potato dish), blood orange, and saltbush.
Sticky Beef Shortribs . Aloo Bhorta . Blood Orange . Salt Bush | Instagram / Khānaa
Fancy some Yamba prawns? This scrumptious dish consists of two large, shelled prawns then served with a fresh and herby green masala, broccolini and mustard oil. Or Mosaïque, which is a dish made with slender slices of tuna, kingfish, and trout, separated by charred vegetables before it is presented on a bed of watermelon slices, sprinkled with salt flakes and cardamom, and garnished with a drizzle of browned butter.
For desserts, chai ganache with jeera biscuit and Aam Panna which consists of fresh mango, a sheet of edible platinum and chaat masala, are just two of the standout options.
You can find Khanaa at Shop 3, 355 Crown Street, Surry Hills. They are open for brunch starting 10 am and lunch Fri-Sun and dinner Tue-Sun
Published 1-November-2023
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