When Narendra Modi visited Sydney in 2023, the Indian prime minister and Anthony Albanese unveiled a plaque recognising the contributions of the Indian diaspora to Australian society. It would become the foundation stone of a gateway in Harris Park, billed as Little India.

The suburb is now widely appreciated as the centre of Indian culture in Sydney, but Harris Park’s rise in the public consciousness is a relatively new phenomenon; as recently as 2015, the suburb supported just a handful of Indian restaurants.

“There were just 12 to 15 eateries serving Indian food then,” says Nitin Setia, president of Little India Businesses Inc, the body representing Harris Park’s interests to the public and council.

Since the Little India moniker was first proposed in 2015, and the area hosted its first Diwali two years later – attracting 20,000 attendees – that number has tripled. “Today we have 45 to 50 places serving delicacies from all over India, which means more than 20 cuisines,” says Setia.

A key factor of Harris Park’s character is the worker cottages, licensed by council to serve as restaurants and street stalls, strung up with lights, that remain lively throughout the evening. The other is the demography, with 45 per cent of residents citing India as their birthplace. This is reflective of the fact that India has become the top country of birth among permanent migrants to Australia, and the high level of students and temporary workers with Indian heritage.

They come, says Setia, for the proximity to Parramatta, the employment opportunities, but also the energy and atmosphere on the streets, especially after 5pm, when there’s a marked increase in people and bustle.

“It means easy public transport and employment opportunities, but it also means access to Indian food and groceries, and certainly the atmosphere makes them feel at home.”

It only takes a stroll along Wigram Street to experience the buzz. But where to start?

Shri Refreshment Bar

Whether you’re local, driving or exiting the station, Little India is best explored from south to north. Kick off from the corner of Wigram and Marion streets, where you’ll find Shri Refreshment Bar. Here, street snacks (or chaat) are the game, handed over the counter to scoff at outdoor tables.

Pick the vada pav, and a fluffy roll comes stuffed with a spiced potato patty coated in chickpea flour and fried to golden crispness, with green and tamarind chutneys for dipping.

The samosa chaat – a smashed samosa overloaded with chana masala, yoghurt and chutneys – totally rocks, while the affiliated pani puri stand over the road is a chance to load up on wafer-thin puffs, filled to order with flavoured tamarind water.

53C Wigram Street

Chulho

Turn onto Wigram Street, and you’ll spot Chulho, one of a handful of locals specialising in Nepalese cuisine. Momos, the juicy Nepali dumplings, are the order of the day, filled with chicken, vegetables or buffalo meat, neatly pleated and steamed or fried, then either served floating in tomato-based jhol or with achar for dipping. You’ll also find Nepalese thali, noodles and imported beers if you’re planning to make it a meal.

59-61 Wigram Street

Not Just Curries

Cross the road and Not Just Curries is the next stop. Northern Indian is the specialty here, with the name alluding to the fact that Indian food is far more than what casual observers might know it for, says co-owner Deepanshu Gambhir. It’s for this reason you’ll find two versions of butter chicken, one the milder Australian-Indian spin, the other Delhi style.

“It’s more authentic, the gravy base is thicker and it’s hot,” says Gambhir. “Once you try Delhi-style butter chicken, you never go back.”

Equally appealing is the tawa goat served on a sizzling platter and heady with garlic and spice.

66 Wigram Street

Rocket Kulfi

At Rocket Kulfi, an open-air verandah stall, $5 will get you a rocket-shaped stick of ice-cream, made by reducing milk slowly then infusing it with the heavily reduced, caramelised cream known as khoya or mawa. There’s a distinct hit of cardamom, with flavours such as saffron or almond, pistachio and cashew taking top billing. If you’re not crossing the road for one of these, you’re doing it wrong.

65 Wigram Street

Dosa Hut

Just a few doors down, the Harris Park outpost of Dosa Hut offers a menu of South Indian standbys, headlined by the dosa, thin sheets of fermented batter fried to crepe-like crispness on a hot tawa pan and served rolled up, often with stuffing, alongside an array of sauces and chutneys.

The masala dosa, or the chef’s special, served thali-style with an array of side dishes, are key picks, as is the biryani, layered with aromatic basmati rice, onion, ghee and spices.

69 Wigram Street

Ginger Indian Restaurant

Back over the road, inside the walls of a cosy cottage, lies Ginger, a more formal offering with linen-clothed tables and a menu geared towards Mughlai cuisine, specific to north-west India.

Tandoor drumsticks and paneer tikka are musts for starters, while the darbari sees a buttery, tomato-laced gravy form the base for slow-simmered chicken. Tandoori roti, jira rice and naan flavoured with fenugreek and coriander are essential add-ons.

94 Wigram Street

Taj Indian Sweets and Restaurant

Continue further down Wigram Street, past the grocers selling curry-leaf plants, and you’ll spot Taj Indian Sweets and Restaurant. Opened in 2003, Taj is one of Little Indian’s originals, with regulars dedicated to the epic, all-vegetarian menu.

There’s plenty of chaat, including winning pani puri, and the thalis – northern or southern style – offer an entry point to the venue’s curry offer, complete with rice, bread, pickles and pappadums. Don’t leave without grabbing a sweet from the stacked front bar either.

91 Wigram Street

Jaipur Sweets

Speaking of sweets, it’s time to stroll back to where you started, and head for Jaipur Sweets. The crowds fronting the stall are here for the jalebi first, the twisted coils of batter fried in batches until crisp, then drowned in sugar syrup, which leeches out with each crunch.

Also on high rotation is the gulab jamun, sweet dumplings made on a base of khoya, fried until golden, soaked in flavoured syrup and served hot. Add a scoop of ice-cream to take them up a notch.

Next door, relative newcomer IndoChainese offers an extended menu of Indian-style Chinese dishes and Hyderabadi-style plates.

48 Marion Street

Radhe Supermarket

We’re off Wigram Street now, but there are more stops to make. First up, around the corner is Radhe Supermarket, a one-stop shop for South Asian staples. Stalk the aisles here for premium Amul ghee, tea, paneer, whole and ground spices and blends (pick MDH brand) that put Goan fish curry or tikka masala at your fingertips.

8-12 Station Street East

Chatkazz

An icon of Harris Park and beyond, Chatkazz has built its name on its epic menu and bright atmosphere, but it’s the dishes that co-founder Dharmesh Rangparia remembers eating growing up that are the signatures.

Order the pav bhaji and soft, sweet and outrageously buttery bread rolls come alongside rich vegetable curry; pick the chole bhature, and fried bread is served with chana masala and achar. Lassi cools the fire. “These are all items we used to eat on the streets of Mumbai,” says Rangparia.

Breakfast options abound, and the Bombay Chinese section satisfies the nostalgia for Indo-Chinese food, that, according to Rangparia, every Indian kid harbours.

Shop 4-6/14/20 Station Street East

Durga Paan & Falooda House

Exit Chatkazz and head left to this hole-in-the-wall for falooda, which sees a cup filled with vermicelli-like sev noodles overflowing with a rainbow of ice-cream, jelly, pistachio and sweet saffron-infused milk.

Then, step up to the counter for a paan, an after-dinner freshener consisting of a soaked betel leaf stuffed with cardamom, coconut, gulkand (rose-petal jam) and mukhwas, the anise-spiked mix of sugary seeds and spices. If you’re game, order the fire version, which is lit up, then stuffed into your mouth still blazing.

3/14 Station Street East