Owning one restaurant, let alone two with a vision for even more was not part of the plan when Kabir Singh came to Australia for a month-long stay from New Delhi in 2020. Now Singh, as his regulars call him, is a Fitzroy local with a huge heart for the neighbourhood, hospitality and for his beloved Mukka, the restaurant he bought as Melbourne went into lockdown. I have always loved Mukka. I sat down with the original owners Prateek and Aditya Dhawan and their mother Rekha when they first opened the restaurant back in 2016 and they had a loyal following, especially for their butter chicken. Singh saw the potential in the restaurant after one visit and as well as respecting the original passion (and butter chicken) has taken it to whole new heights. Singh opened Mukka 2.0 in St Kilda and last year took the OG Mukka across Brunswick Street to a much larger venue that had previously been home to Vamos Spanish Tapas bar. It is now filled with gorgeous colours, the most inventive and beautiful use of fairy lights I have ever seen, and a soft aroma of the spices Singh grinds daily. As well as putting up delicious dishes, Singh is about the whole experience, and he loves community involvement and fun. To this end, popular Indian pastime: Bingo, also known as Housie and Tambola, is getting its own night on Wednesdays from next week and there’s also $25 Curry night on Tuesdays as well as Thursday Local’s Night, where, if you’re a local, you get 20% off your bill. Singh and I talked spices and produce and Australia’s enduring love for Butter Chicken particularly on a Sunday, but for a really in-depth exploration of many of the dishes on the menu, jump on Mukka’s Instagram for the Tangy Talks video series Singh does with the lovely Pallavi from Pallavi Social. You cannot watch these videos without wanting to rush out to Mukka and eat ALL the food. Both locations are open seven days, so off you go!