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Posh Spice
Location: Level 1, 196 King St., Newtown, NSW

Newtown is not short of restaurants offering culinary delights from all corners of the world, but one recent entrant to the food scene deserves special note. Posh Spice has been pulling patrons off the sidewalk and up one flight of stairs to its trendy confines on King Street since March. And customers have more than one good reason to make the hike. In addition to offering a delicious mix of fine dining and street eats, the restaurant features live Bollywood dance performances every Friday and Saturday night.
  
   Bollywood dancer Khursheed Irani describes the vibe at Posh Spice as upbeat.
  
   "Everyone's always open to getting up and trying a few moves."
  
   Despite the temptation to join in, it's hard to imagine too many diners have the ability to dance after indulging on the restaurant's modern Indian dishes.  
  
   Head chef Amit Guhu has joined Posh Spice from the award winning Abhi's, which received an SMH hat three years in a row.
  
   According to Guhu, "run-of-the-mill" meals don't cut it in the Posh Spice kitchen.
  
   "We consider ourselves to be an ambassador of Indian food, and we take this role seriously."
  
   Guhu's signature dishes include the Tandoori Chicken Tikka, Punjabi Chicken and Crab Xex-Xec.
  
   This reviewer's experience opened with the Posh Platter (for two) which consisted of chicken tikka, lamb cutlets, koliwada rolls and onion bhajia. In picking your way around the plate, don't be tempted to leave the cutlets to last - the standout of the platter - or you may find yourself shorted by a greedy companion.
  
   Upon recommendation, we followed the entree with the Punjabi home-style chicken curry with vadi, (which was described as "the soul of Punjabi food") and the Achari Paneer, which consisted of homemade cottage cheese cooked with pickled spices, yogurt and chillies. The two dishes complemented each other bringing a nice balance of flavours to the meal.
  
   Not to be missed is Posh Spice's cocktail menu which offers classic and exclusive libations such as Sex in Mumbai, Tendulkar Ballbanger and Slumdog Margaritas.
  
   Weekend restaurant goers would be well-advised to book ahead if they're keen to catch the Bollywood action. The restaurant is open Tuesday - Thursday & Sunday from 5:30pm - 10pm, and Friday & Saturday from 5:30pm-10:30pm, closed Mondays.
   

Monkey Magic
Location: 3&4, 410 Crown St. Surry Hills, NSW

Despite the playful name, don't look for an animated neon sign to direct you to the doors of Monkey Magic. The modern Japanese restaurant is all about style and class when it comes to both design and its menu.
  
   From the street, Monkey Magic's double doors open up into lounge area that is dominated by a two-story tree sculpture which connects to the upstairs dining area and open kitchen. The second floor has been renovated to reveal the building's brickwork, stained timber flooring and exposed industrial ducting to create a rustic look.
  
   But don't come for the decor alone.
  
   Chef Hidetoshi Tsuboi has combined Shibuya cooking style with diverse cooking flavours, techniques and presentation from other parts of world to create a modern Japanese cuisine that emphasises and highlights seasonal produce.
  
   I'd recommend starting with Renkon chips (fried lotus root) as you pour over the menu to make some hard decisions. The salty snack is a great complement to the quirky cocktails on offer. Choose from a range of traditional Asian and modern Western cocktails such as the Tokyo Punch, which is quickly becoming a favourite among regular patrons.
  
   You must, must, must try the caramelised pork lettuce cups. This cannot be stressed enough. The light dish comes with four portions, but it's hard to share between two people, let alone four friends (or soon to be enemies). You also can't go wrong with the Sydney Rock Oysters which come in ginger and wakame, yuzu ponzu gratine and natural. The standout on that plate for my dining companion was the zesty ginger and wakame.
  
   Monkey Magic's menu includes a range of sashimi and sushi, each complemented with an individual sauce. The shiso dipping sauce for the avocado tempura rolls was pitch perfect.
  
   If you can leave room for dessert, I recommend the Nashi Pear with apple pithiviers and coconut butterscotch vanilla ice cream. The dessert was shared, but I'll be damned if I make that mistake again.
  
   Monkey Magic is a fantastic option for those looking for a place to share a few plates with friends and indulge in the unique cocktails on offer before a big night out, or as a full dining experience.
  
   It's open from Monday to Saturday, 6pm to 10pm and closed on Sundays.