Jaz: 00:10

Hi there, and welcome to this episode of My Mate Inn. My name's Jaz. Today, I'm catching up with my mate, Tony, in Wagga. I'm feeling very humbled and pleased to be able to catch up with you, Tony. It's been a while.

Tony: 00:24

My word, it has. Yes. Hi, Jaz. Lovely to talk to you.

Jaz: 00:30

So I think we'll probably talk about a couple of different places on this pod. Where would you like to start? What's our first place?

Tony: 00:39

Well, I was thinking about this, as I think I mentioned to you before, that we really don't go out very much at all these days apart from anything else we can't afford to go out much. However, there are times when we want to catch up with friends. In fact, we're catching up with friends tonight, but I actually don't know where we're going tonight. But the place that we very often go to under these circumstances is an Indian restaurant in Turvey Park, part of Wagga, called the Indian Rasoi. Rasoi meaning kitchen.

Tony: 01:18

The original Indian Rasoy is here in Wagga, but they've also opened other restaurants. I know there's one in Sydney at least, and I think they've opened one or two others. So that's what I thought we might talk about.

Jaz: 01:34

Lovely. Well, they're obviously doing something right if they can open up multiple locations.

Tony: 01:39

Yeah, the thing that keeps us going back then is that they are consistently good. So many places that I've been to, especially in Wagga, are terrific the first time you go, and then you think, oh great, we'll go back there, and then it's a totally different story. And that's happened too often really, but the Indian restaurant is really consistent in their food, can't remember ever having a bad meal, it's always good, I always eat far too much, I always feel thoroughly uncomfortable afterwards, and then the next time it happens all over again.

Jaz: 02:24

Yeah, it's something that we want to complain about after eating, but we do it again. When you've got that food that's really comforting and enjoyable every time, to become a little distended, it's like, yeah, it's part of the process.

Tony: 02:39

It is, it is. And the other good thing about them is that they are licensed, but you can bring your own. You know, that can save a lot in way of cost and it's strange because it is such a good place and a lot of people that we know do go there but it's very often not very full, even on a, you know, weekend, but they do a roaring trade in takeaways. So I think that says a lot about it as well.

Jaz: 03:14

Definitely. Yeah. How did you guys find it?

Tony: 03:17

Somebody mentioned this place, which is in a shopping center called Turvey Tops, is in the suburb of Turvey Park, which is nothing is very far away, but it's certainly not in the the main business district. It's thoroughly suburban, but somebody said they've served good food there and we gave it a try and have been going back ever since. I'm pretty sure it was probably there when you were still in Wagga because it's been there for quite a while. And as I said, it's one of the few places we feel that we can go back to whenever we want.

Jaz: 04:00

Consistency is really important because it is expensive to eat out. Life's too short to go places where it's not consistent. Know?

Tony: 04:09

That's true.

Jaz: 04:10

I got really excited when you said turvy tops because my first job was in turvy tops. It was originally I think it was an IGA, but then it became a FoodWorks, and I worked there for a while while it was FoodWorks. So very familiar with this place. It

Tony: 04:27

so happens that I went to FoodWorks just the other day, I mean, don't TURVY TOPS I don't normally go to, it's way out of my normal beat, but I had to go to the post office there for reasons that are unimportant, but I also had to buy milk, and so I ended up in FoodWorks and it'll be ten years since I last went there.

Jaz: 04:58

I imagine it would look exactly the same. Because I mean, there's not a lot of need to change the layout. Yeah. Alrighty. So when you go to Indian rasoi, what do you like to order?

Jaz: 05:13

Do you do your own thing? Do you get multiple dishes and share?

Tony: 05:17

Multiple dishes and share is the norm, and of course it rather depends on who we're with and what they like, but my personal favourites are dishes like chicken saag or lamb saag, which is a dish with spinach. Fran invariably says when we go there, she says you order what you want, I'll get the rice. She invariably orders coconut rice, which is fine, you know, that's the way it works. And as I said, we always share with the others. In fact, there's one couple that we go there with from time to time who invariably order far too much, and that is a great temptation to eat far too much.

Tony: 06:10

So that happens.

Jaz: 06:13

Because they tend to be you know, Indian cuisine, the curries and things tend to be quite thick and rich, makes it more ish, especially if you're having a glass or two of wine, but, yeah, can fill you up pretty well.

Tony: 06:26

Yep. Yep. And yes, there's always a glass or two of wine to go with it, so, you know, that gets everything flowing.

Jaz: 06:38

Anything else we should mention about Indian rassoi?

Tony: 06:42

Firstly, I should say I am not a cook. I cook as seldom as I can get away with, and therefore I am no expert on food as such. I know what I like, you know, it's a bit like art. I know what I like, but I don't know what on earth it is. I can't really speak with any great authority on what I'm eating, which is a shame, but I enjoy it because I like it, because I like the food, and I go with friends whose company I enjoy, and that's about it.

Jaz: 07:24

Tony, Indian Rasoi sounds really great. Appreciate you coming on the show to share that with listeners. Thanks a lot.

Tony: 07:31

Pleasure. Thank you.