You may not need to enter via an actual laundry anymore, but the mystique of founder and chef Helly Raichura's passion project Enter Via Laundry remains just as alluring. You won't get an address until after booking, and even then, locating the restaurant's wooden doors down an unassuming Carlton North laneway proves to be somewhat of an enchanting journey in its own right.
But once you’re snugly inside, you can expect the same warmth and generosity of spirit Enter Via Laundry’s been known for since its early days operating out of the chef’s house in Box Hill. Raichura’s curiosity is her compass in directing the ever-evolving degustation offerings, and her latest winter menu is no exception.
Inspired by the opulence of Persian-influenced medieval Mughlai cuisine, Raichura once again delves deep through the annals of her Indian heritage to deliver a singular and refined culinary experience. For this menu, you can opt for the five-course short menu or go all out with the nine-course experience – of course, we recommend the latter. Mughlai cuisine is well-known for its lavish approach to ingredients, technique and presentation, but Raichura’s contemporary yet down-to-earth approach breathes new life into the opulent royal flavours in a sleek modern setting.
Presented on ornate hand-painted plates from Jaipur, the sequence of hearty meat and poultry-focused dishes comes with plenty of fresh snacky surprises along the way, and there’s also an optional upgrade to pair your meal with hand-selected local wines by sommelier Ben Knight, previously known for lending his grape genius to Vue de Monde and Gin Palace.
Anticipate dishes like Jerusalem artichoke and truffle sheermal (milk bread) with a warming and earthy spiced shiitake broth; kangaroo pasanad with parsnip, riberries, pink peppercorn and edible silver; goat and winter citrus pulao with toasted garlic raita; smoked hapuka fish with leatherwood honey, ginger juice and mountain pepper, plus much more.
Perhaps one of the most ambitious dishes on the menu and therefore rarely attempted, the centuries-old inspired parindey mussallam (stuffed birds) is a showstopper. Like an elevated royal Mughlai version of a turducken, the pretty creation comprises an egg stuffed into a quail, stuffed into a chicken that’s been stuffed into a duck, and is served with besan roti and pickled vegetables – perfect for building your own sophisticated sanga.
For dessert, you may be served a delightfully light shokupan with basundi (slow-cooked caramelised reduced milk), saffron, quince and candied rosemary, or yet another wild idea Raichura’s got up her sleeve. A focus on seasonality at Enter via Laundry means rapid shifts and adaptations in the dining experience are par for the course.
A five-course feast on Thursday dinner or Sunday lunch will only set you back $122, while the full nine-course menu on Fridays and Saturdays costs $212 a head. For more information or to make a booking, head to the website.