The dining room at Pinky Ji’s on York St, in Sydney’s CBD, looks like it’s been nicked from the set of a Bollywood blockbuster. It’s a riot of vivid colours, from the ceiling festooned with floral garlands to the gilded chandeliers, neon signs and lavish paintings of flamboyant stars from the Indian film industry.

There are also turmeric-toned walls, enamel minakari plates hand-painted by artisans in India, a karaoke machine and luxurious banquettes.  There’s a lot to take in. It’s kaleidoscopic. 

Despite being open just a few weeks, Pinky Ji’s was packed to the flower-filled rafters on a Wednesday night with a mix of twinkly-eyed 20somethings, Indian expats, and colleagues keen for a catch-up.

Those familiar with restaurateur Jesse Singh’s brand of “unauthentic Indian” will recognise the mod-Indian menu and whimsical approach to decor that has been similarly applied at sister venue Don’t Tell Aunty in Surry Hills.

Singh is also behind Daughter In Law, the casual bar and restaurant that he’s rolled out in Melbourne, Adelaide and Byron Bay and which follows the same fun formula.

Pinky Ji has a kind of Punjabi meets pop princess aesthetic. Positioned as the younger, cheekier addition to the family, you are pretty much guaranteed a good time from the moment you walk past the neon sign in the front entrance that says: “Happy Ending”.  

Our Pinky Ji feast starts with a happy beginning: a plate of papad (mini papadams) which we use to scoop up squares of kingfish ceviche and a velvety sauce of jaggery coconut and pops of finger lime.

The Colonel Tso cauliflower is another cult favourite and Singh’s take on the classic Chinese takeaway dish, General Tso’s chicken.

It’s served freckled in sesame seeds and is crispy, meaty and so moreish it would convert the most strident opponent of the creamy white vegetable. The lamb chops are pulled straight from the tandoor and made even better when dredged through a puddle of horseradish yoghurt dotted with tiny curls of charred zucchini.

Singh also keeps things proudly Indian and playful with the mains. For instance, the Punjabi-born chef slings the superlative “unauthentic” at his version of butter chicken curry, which has been a staple in his restaurants since day dot.

Anyone who has travelled in India knows that butter chicken served outside the subcontinent is a very different dish to the version said to have originated in northern India. Here, the butter chicken is creamy and luxurious, and served with pillowy triangles of charred paratha to mop up the vivid sauce.  It may be “unauthentic” but it’s a successful meld of spices and flavours. 

While all the food was enjoyable at Pinky Ji’s, it’s the entire experience – the slightly bonkers and buzzy atmosphere, colourful decor, and playlist that you can download from Spotify – that makes it feel less Sydney CBD and more cool dinner party in Mumbai.

Although there are a few service issues to iron out, the inexperienced wait staff were fun and friendly and easy to forgive after just a mere week on the job.

Drinks at the basement-level eatery include Indian-inspired cocktails such as a Hot Like Kholi with tequila, triple sec, chilli and lime and craft beers pulled from a self-serve fridge. The cardamom and pistachio kulfi is seductively creamy way to finish the meal. In fact, it was quite the happy ending.

Related news: The Hartsyard team has opened an Indian-inspired diner on Enmore Road