Jessi Singh’s colourful Indian restaurant flips tradition with cheek, cocktails and unapologetic energy.

Daughter In Law: The Indian Restaurant That Refuses To Behave

Daughter In Law is not your quiet night out. It’s a collision of colour, spice and sound, where chef Jessi Singh throws out the rulebook and serves modern Indian food that hits every sense at once. The neon-lit room hums with Bollywood beats, bartenders pour gin lassis instead of wine, and the menu feels like an open invitation to eat with your hands and laugh too loudly while you do it.

It’s Singh’s brand of hospitality at full volume, playful but precise, a little bit cheeky and completely confident. He calls it “unauthentic Australian Indian,” a phrase that captures exactly what this place is — grounded in Indian technique but free from the expectation of tradition. You’ll spot curry house favourites, but never quite how you expect them.

Plates That Break The Rules

The menu reads like a festival lineup. There’s Punjabi prawn curry rich with coconut, fried cauliflower tossed in turmeric, and tandoori-grilled meats kissed by smoke. Butter chicken comes laced with heat and depth instead of sweetness, while the naan is blistered and chewy from the clay oven. The must-order is the Colonel Tso’s cauliflower, a perfect blend of India and Chinatown that sums up the restaurant’s entire spirit.

Each plate lands with colour and purpose, often on enamel trays or patterned ceramics that mirror the riot of energy in the room. It’s bold food designed for groups, built for conversation and meant to be shared with hands and instinct rather than cutlery and ceremony.

Energy That Never Switches Off

The room is alive before the first cocktail hits the table. Pink neon floods the walls, mirrors scatter the light, and the DJ booth in the corner hints that this dinner could easily slide into a late-night session. Service moves fast but with warmth, the kind that makes everyone feel like a regular. Staff will suggest what to pair with your curry and probably tell you to stop overthinking it — they’re right.

Daughter In Law is a reminder that dining can still feel spontaneous. It’s not about tasting menus or hushed rooms, it’s about the shared chaos that happens when good food, good people and good music meet. For Melbourne, it’s proof that fun and flavour belong at the same table.