It takes a certain amount of gall to will a restaurant into existence sparked by a dream, plenty of passion… and zero formal training. Yet for Enter Via Laundry’s Helly Raichura, there was never a moment of doubt. It began as an emulation of the popular at-home supper club trend that was all the rage in London in the early 2000s. In her mind, her version could become a spicy Indian fine dining concept all of its own. And with a 15,000+ waitlist of punters desperate to get in, I reckon it has. 

Originating out of her Box Hill home in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, Gujarati-born Helly began a private supper club in her dining room, serving 10 diners around her table several nights a week. The concept was simple: focus her obsession with Indian culinary anthropology into an evening-long exploration of the region’s rich history and diversity, through a series of finely wrought, highly artful, yet soulfully grounded dishes. 

Gathering inspiration from books, travels, interviews, and any form of research she could get her hands on, this moonlighting HR advisor managed to do something many people in food dream of; to create a food experience with an identity entirely singular in its offering. 

Flash forward to 2022, and food is now Raichura’s day job, and she’s migrated the culinary concept out of her home and into its own space, in the inner-city suburb of Carlton North. While you may no longer have to enter via the laundry, you do arrive via a clandestine back alley which opens into a serene, minimalist garden, then onwards into a pared-back navy hued lounge space. 

Here, snack on spiced macadamia bhujiya and sip a sparkling drop of native Australian-spiced soda, while you meet your fellow dining companions. All this conviviality hints at what’s to come: it’s an invitation to witness a dynamic conversation between a modern interpretation of ancient Indian cuisine, and even-more-ancient indigenous Australian ingredients.

For those who delight in the thrill of the unknown, communal dining as per the OG days of EVL remains an option, while those who prefer a quieter affair also have a view of the pass in a second, more intimate room. 

If you’re still in the dark on how it all works, let me break it down for you. You take a seat and strap yourself in for set menu of seamless small dishes and snacks that showcase the regional focal point of the moment. Right now, it’s all about Bengali food culture.

‘Degustation’ might have become an undesirable word of late, but nothing here feels like a hostage scene, I promise. Rather, Helly describes it all as a feast, which sounds and feels a lot more apt. The meal begins with avocado gabli chat, a mouthful of finely diced and spiced avocado and friends, dusted with tart Davidson plum powder, a refreshing, savoury opening gambit to the rollercoaster ride ahead. A crunchy prawn is wrapped in nasturtium leaves, cooked over charcoal to produce a bite that is at once bitter, sweet, and vegetal. 

A gleaming golden halo of a platter, a Kasa Thal, is your vessel for the next series of dishes. Something as simple and universally loved as a masoor dal is anchored in earthy cumin and aromatic red chilli, yet playfully punctuated with sharp pops of desert lime. A piece of perfectly cooked Murray cod sits in a broth of Bengali fish curry (jhol), accompanied by blue oyster and snowflake mushrooms, and spiced apple-like muntries, which accent the broth with aromatic sweetness. A banana leaf-wrapped kingfish is also given the charcoal treatment and when unwrapped, unleashes the aroma and glorious golden hue of one of Bengali cuisine’s most treasured flavours, mustard. 

If marron is on a menu, it is unquestionably the queen, and while this lady bathes in an utterly regal, spiced and coconutty garam moshla, it’s hard to pick it as a hit in this series of complex, nuanced bites. 

A small, but perfectly formed wine list suits the complex progression of flavours effortlessly, and there are refreshing cocktails of the alcoholic and sans variety on offer, as well.

Each course is topped up with rice cooked in caramelised ghee, and, if you really want to lean into the headiness of it all, you are encouraged to eschew cutlery and go in with your hands. 

Most fine dining capers involve an interactive moment, and this one takes place at the pass, where diners are invited to choose the accompaniments for their tart blood orange flavoured shaved ice (chuski). 

Throughout, Helly and her team gently guide you through their reimagined Bengali feast, an earnest and charming grounding touch to the counterbalance of bright ideas and skilful interpretation.  

Was there anything bad, you ask? The table height makes it a tad awkward to cross your legs and front of house are still finding their groove, but that’s about it. Everything else at Enter Via Laundry feels dynamic, exciting and dare I say intelligent. At a time where Australia is rushing to catch up with falling in love with the jewels of the subcontinent, cooks like Helly are leading the charge with deep thought, detailed insight, and joyous flair. 

Related restaurant review: Di Stasio Pizzeria delivers classico cuisine in an ultra sleek setting