PASSAGE ΤΟ INDIA

The spices of Bengali cuisine come to the table in a menu from Enter Via Laundry's HELLY RAICHURA.

- MICHAEL HARDEN

For someone who champions tradition in Indian cooking, Helly Raichura takes an approach that’s far from traditional. A self- and family-trained cook who was born and raised in Ahmedabad in India’s west, Raichura came to Melbourne in 2007 to study human resources but, via an ongoing and ever-increasing love for cooking, ended up hosting one of the hottest food tickets in town in her own home. Enter Via Laundry, so-named because guests (10 per night) literally entered her home through the laundry, served multiple, intricately plated versions of the Indian food Raichura loved but couldn’t find in Melbourne.

Fast-forward a couple of years, past the waiting list that grew to the thousands and a series of pop-ups after using her home as a restaurant lost its charm, and Enter Via Laundry now has a permanent home in North Carlton. It’s retained the name despite the lack of laundry and the approach has changed a little too. Instead of plating and serving multiple dishes fine-dining style, Raichura is more closely emulating the way the food would be served “back home”.