Maxx and Co manager Jaymin Patel with sister and chef Asha Chaudhari, her daughter Thuvi and nephew Apurv. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
Griffith cafe Maxx and Co has been adding some spice to its traditional Italian menu.
Jaymin Patel, 25, and his family have been running the restaurant since it was bought by businessman Naresh Chaudhari, who took ownership of the popular cafe from former manager Joe Barbaro in January.
“We are doing the same Italian menu and have been adding some Indian menu items – like butter chicken, egg curry and eggplant curry, etc. Every week we will have different curries,” Mr Patel said.
Maxx and Co continues to serve coffee and its traditional favourites, such as pancakes, waffles, eggs and grilled haloumi for breakfast and zucchini fritters and risotto for lunch.
But there’s more spice on the menu, with specials changing regularly.
Something new they offer is called a ‘thali’ – or an Indian full set meal which consists of two curries (whatever is being offered that week), rice, naan and an Indian dessert.
The thali or Indian set meal at Maxx and Co. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
Naan is an Indian flatbread that is traditionally cooked in a clay tandoor oven. But this Griffith eatery serves what’s called tawa naan, which is cooked on a large round frying pan.
“We don’t get anything ready-made from outside; we make everything fresh here,” Mr Patel said.
The 25-year-old manager is a software engineer from Melbourne who moved to Griffith to help his family get the restaurant off the ground before he starts his own business. He has a simple message to Griffith.
“Come and enjoy the food and give us a good review. People might think things have changed but we haven’t, it’s the same menu with a few Indian dishes added on,” Mr Patel said.
Maxx and Co owner Mr Chaudhari also runs the Griffith fast food eatery Red Rooster.
The number of restaurants serving Indian food in Griffith has mushroomed over the past year.
The most recent to open was Biryani Hut – the first eatery in town to serve South Indian cuisine.
The two flagship dishes at Biryani Hut is masala dosa – a thin savoury crepe made from a fermented batter of ground rice and lentils and stuffed with a spicy potato and onion-based mix; and biryani – marinated meat, vegetables and spices mixed in with rice.
Maxx and Co, located at 344 Banna Avenue, is open every day from 7 am to 2 pm.
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