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Hartsyard transforms into Irene's Enmore with mango lassi cocktails and Indian snacks

Bianca Hrovat
Bianca Hrovat

Meals are designed for sharing at Irene's Enmore.
Meals are designed for sharing at Irene's Enmore. Supplied

Hatted former Enmore restaurant Hartsyard has been transformed into Irene's Enmore, a culinary homage to a childhood spent in the bustling Indian city of Mumbai.

Head chef Neville Dsouza, who formerly worked at Yellow and Cirrus, teamed up with Hartsyard owners Dorothy Lee and Jarrod Walsh to open the pop-up restaurant on November 4.

The restaurant serves "fun and flavourful" Indian-inspired cuisine, designed to be shared over a few Kingfisher beers on a sunny summer afternoon.

Head chef Neville Dsouza with Oliver Hammond and Sabrina Sebastiani.
Head chef Neville Dsouza with Oliver Hammond and Sabrina Sebastiani.Supplied
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"I just wanted to open a relaxed neighbourhood restaurant where friends and family can come together," Dsouza says.

The restaurant is named after Dsouza's late aunt, a woman who inspired his love of cooking with the elaborate meals she'd cook every second Sunday for their family.

"I'd stand next to her in the kitchen and watch. I was the only one allowed in the room," he says.

Zucchini flower a la Bombay.
Zucchini flower a la Bombay. Supplied

"Everything I know about cooking came from her."

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When Dsouza was accepted into culinary school, Irene was diagnosed with cancer for the fourth and final time.

"For my first class we made shepherd's pie and glazed carrots," he says.

Warm sardines on the menu at Irene's.
Warm sardines on the menu at Irene's. Supplied

"I took it to her on her deathbed and she said it was the best pie she'd ever eaten, even though she'd probably only eaten two in her life.

"After that I decided I should probably stick with cooking."

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Dsouza recreates Irene's hand-written recipe for goat curry with condiments ($52), a recipe he first tried just one day before opening.

Crumbed fried pork with nduja butter.
Crumbed fried pork with nduja butter. Supplied

"I haven't touched the recipe one bit," he says.

"The first time I made it, the day before opening last week, it took me straight back to being 12-years-old.

"It's a cool thing to eat, it's very unique in its own way with heaps of coconut and dried red chile."

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The restaurant is expected to open for six months, with the possibility of extension. While Dsouza helms the kitchen, Lee and Walsh will be working to open a new restaurant at The Old Clare Hotel in Chippendale.

The interior will be familiar to Hartsyard diners, with little change aside from a few Bunnings plants ("a humbling experience") and vintage magazines.

We asked Dsouza how to make the most of your first visit to Irene's Enmore.

What are your three must-order dishes?

The first thing I'd recommend is the cucumbers with Willowbrae goats curd and kashmiri chilli ($14). Willowbrae is this very small producer in Rozelle that makes his own ghosts curd. It's a really good product. When paired with the cucumber and the chilli it's really tasty, fresh and summery.

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The zucchini flower a la Bombay ($7 each) is already a crowd favourite. It's inspired by vada pav, a potato sandwich in an open bun with a mint and coriander chutney. I've recreated that by putting the potato in a zucchini flower, then I've deep fried it and served it with a mint and coriander mayonnaise.

For dessert … I was thinking about making a rice custard pudding but it didn't really work the way I wanted it to, so I thought I'd make a fruit salad instead ($18). It has banana and apples with a nutmeg custard, aeroplane jelly with blue nigella seeds and candied fennel seeds. It's a super simple, happy dessert that reminds guests of their childhood.

What's your pick of the drinks list?

We have a mango lassi which is pretty tasty, with yoghurt-washed Brix Distillers white rum, mango syrup and lime.

Best seat in the house?

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Definitely the bar, that's one of my favourite places to sit. It doesn't even matter who you're sitting with because it's such a great place to observe people and have a good time.

Do people need to book?

We do have a booking platform but we also save a lot of seats for walk-ins.

What's the best time of day to visit?

On the weekend we open at 5pm, so I'd recommend coming in for an early drink. It's a great way to kick-off the weekend, you can walk in, have a few drinks, then sit down for dinner.

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Open from 6pm Thu and Mon; from 5pm Fri, Sat, Sun

33 Enmore Road, Newtown; irenes.au

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Bianca HrovatBianca HrovatBianca is Good Food's Sydney-based reporter.

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