Indian eatery adds spice to palates of the 'burgh

Helensburgh residents' tongues have been tingling with Chef's Signature restaurant, which has fast become a cultural gem in a town previously without Indian cuisine.

The cafe-restaurant is the first of its kind in Helensburgh, offering delicious north Indian cuisine and providing local kids with jobs.

Samina Nowsheen and Baljinder Thukral are the married couple who run the restaurant, they first opened Chef's Signature as a cafe in December 2023 and quickly captured Helensburgh's hearts and bellies. The restaurant opened six months later with the strong support of the community.

“We decided to start the cafe first to gain some experience and get to know the locals, get some feedback,” Samina says.

“And the locals would say they would love for the Indian to start, ‘We are waiting for Indian for ages – there’s no Indian restaurant around here'.”

“It’s a very nice community, very nice people,” Baljinder says.

The head chef has 25 years' experience cooking Indian food, working previously at Surjit’s Indian restaurant in Sydney, catering for up to 4000 customers a week.

“He is a very passionate chef, and he used to work in the top-rated Indian restaurant in Sydney, so I’m taking advantage of his experience,” Samina says.

“We get lots of British customers. They come here because they are familiar with the food, they really know the Indian taste, and they give us the very honest feedback that our food is better than some Indians in England.”

The team at the restaurant is comprised mostly of Helensburgh youngsters working as wait staff and baristas.

“We try to be friendly, and we understand the staff here – I don’t give them any pressure, we are a very friendly team,” Samina says.

The response has been positive from the community who are happy to finally have the option for Indian food in the small town.

“We feel so happy that people give this feedback,” Samina says.

It might seem strange that Helensburgh has been without an Indian restaurant for many years considering the Sri Venkateswara Hindu temple is just down the road. The reason for this is that Australian Indian restaurants typically serve north Indian cuisine featuring rich creamy curries, naan and roti breads and most importantly meats, whereas Hinduism, which originates in southern India, has followers that are typically vegetarian.

Chef's Signature’s menu is extensive, featuring lamb, beef, chicken, goat, seafood, vegetarian and vegan dishes in all the classic curry options as well as authentic specialties such as palak gosht – a Mughlai-style dish with green spices – and railway curry, developed by Indian chefs during the British Raj era.

Prices for mains range from $20.35-$27.80, and there is a large selection of entrees, sides and desserts. Salted or mango lassi sells for $7.50.

The cafe is open every day from 7am-2pm, and the restaurant is open Thursdays to Mondays from 4.30pm-9pm. Visit the Chef’s Signature website for a menu or to order pick-up or delivery.