IT WAS the addition Wonthaggi had been waiting for, a delicious Indian restaurant in the heart of town, open seven days a week and offering a wide variety of dishes.
Serving Aussie favourites like butter chicken and korma to vegetable samosas and paneer dishes, there is something to suit every taste bud, including a good selection of vegetarian dishes.
The Curry Club began as a modest community food initiative from a family kitchen on Phillip Island and has grown into one of South Gippsland’s most beloved Indian eateries.
“We just wanted to make a community,” said founder Surdeep Singh, affectionately known as Bunty.
“It was a community-focused group first... we started from home and sold food to friends and family. It was not like a restaurant before – we had no plans of opening a restaurant.”
The Curry Club’s origins stretch back to just before the COVID-19 pandemic, when Bunty and his wife Vanita began cooking and delivering meals directly to customers’ doors from their family kitchen to earn a bit of extra money for their young family.
“We were cooking in the house and delivering to their doorstep,” he recalled. “We didn’t think of commercialising it at that time.”
The pandemic may have shuttered many restaurants, but it also opened a unique window for this family to grow. With help from Bunty’s dad, Amarjit, who was unable to return home due to the pandemic, they navigated lockdowns and council approvals to bring their food to life for locals.
“It took off. We were just busy, and we were fortunate to get a shop in such a good location in front of Woolies in Cowes. I never dreamt of a restaurant, let alone two restaurants,” Bunty admitted.
“We wanted to make some extra money, that’s why we started cooking from home, that is why it was called a club, because we wanted to make our own little community selling the food. Even now, we still put the community first.”
The Curry Club donates meals to people doing it tough through PICAL and is looking forward to the same opportunities opening in Wonthaggi in the future.
“We’ll go and give them like 50 lunch packs, and then they distribute it to the people who need it,” he said.
“We try to give back to the community – it’s the backbone. It’s not about take, take, take from the community.”
Now settled into their Wonthaggi location, a decision due to regulars travelling to Cowes from Inverloch, Cape Paterson, Dalyston, and Wonthaggi, The Curry Club continues to serve food tailored to the local palate.
“We picked the favourites of Australians,” Bunty explained.
“We don’t have a big Indian community in South Gippsland, so we had to pick things that suit the community – less spice, more balance.”
That doesn’t mean compromise.
“We have a lot of techniques to contain the flavour but eliminate the heat on the tongue,” he said.
Their menu may be smaller than some Indian restaurants, but it’s finely tuned and still offers a great selection.
“We have a very small menu, so we’ve mastered what we do,” Bunty said.
“These are all my favourites and signatures.”
Unsurprisingly, butter chicken is a customer favourite.
But Bunty urges locals to try another dish: “I would really recommend people try our korma – it’s the perfect balance. Not too sweet, not too spicy.”
And if you’re after something a bit special, try their house-made Kashmiri naan – a refined take on the traditional Peshwari style, filled with coconut, ground cashews and almonds, sultanas, and cardamom.
“Not many people try it,” Bunty said, “but it’s one of the best things you can eat, even on its own.”
Another favourite of this scribe is the cauliflower pakora bites.
The heart of The Curry Club remains grounded in its roots: family, flavour, and a deep respect for the local community.
As Bunty puts it, “We couldn’t be anything without them. We owe every single bit of our success to the local people.”
