Trevor Pepys reviews Copper Kitchen, Noosa Junction.
As is well known, Trevor asks only three things of a good Indian restaurant – variety, spice with flavor, and a crisp papadum. Oh, and a decent house wine or equivalent also helps.
The fairly recent addition of Copper Kitchen to the ever more interesting Junction tucker offering seems to meet the above criteria, although Trev got off to a bad start when he and the missus decided to eat early ahead of a thrilling night watching the test pattern of the US election on the box. As the sun set over Sunshine Beach Road, we were shown into a perfectly empty restaurant and sat next to a wall decorated with bad paintings of the Greek islands. Marked down for cultural authenticity and, Trev muttered under his breath, if the papadums arrive soggy, we’re out of here.
But our mood began to lighten when the papadums ($4) proved suitably crisp, the place began to fill up, the menu revealed a predictable but nonetheless interesting selection, and the wine list, hallelujah, had a sensible starting price. We selected the Jardin des Charmes dry ros¨¦ ($30) and sipped with some pleasure as we selected.
In view of the urgency (of the commentariat if not the actual count) in four swing states that would send the Trumpster back to reality TV or eternal damnation, which is more or less the same thing, Team Tucker elected to hurry things along by sharing a couple of starters and just one main, combining a mixed entr¨¦e ($17) with extra spring rolls ($8). While this gave us a pretty good spread over the starters – handy on a first visit – the extra spring rolls were a dry and bland mistake, while the onion fritter and lamb kebab were delicious and left us wanting more.
The menu at Copper Kitchen is unmistakably dominated by the cuisine of the north (the friendly manager is from Delhi), but there are also a few interesting southern touches, so for our shared main we opted for the Goan fish curry ($22.90), a lightly spiced barramundi with tamarind and coconut cream. It seems unlikely that you would be offered a barra at a beachside caf¨¦ in Goa, but who cares! This was bloody delicious, and ample for two.
Trev added a side of fresh chopped chilli, just to make the veins pop a little, and then cooled down with the recommended pineapple raita ($6), which was the perfect complement to a very good dish.
The limited dessert options were particularly limited on this night to just one – the homemade kulfi mango ice cream ($6.90). Fortunately, it too was very good, the perfect palate cleanser to conclude a brief, but happy first encounter with Copper Kitchen.
The verdict: At night this basic shopfront spreads itself over Covid-safe distanced tables in front of adjoining businesses, creating a pleasant kerbside ambience on Noosa’s most interesting eat street. If you like your tucker wallah to wear a Nehru jacket and headgear – and in Rajasthan Trev insists on it – perhaps look elsewhere, but for good, no-nonsense Indian food at the right price in a friendly and very casual setting, this is the place. Having left plenty of options still to explore, Trev will be back, and soon.
Copper Kitchen, 2/25 Sunshine Beach Road, Noosa Junction. Phone 5372 9516.
