Shompen - Carlton

This restaurant is absolutely delicious. We tried the tasting menu and it was fantastic. The presentation of the dishes was beautiful and each meal had its own unique flavors. The Indian cuisine allowed our taste buds to discover new tastes and aromas. I highly recommend this restaurant as it is a must-try experience. The staff were also wonderful.

Presentation of the dishes were excellent. Very impressed by how they explained every court. Wouldn't go again.

A completely different intake of Indian food, so do not expect your traditional curry dish. Meals came at a good pace and the quality was excellent. The tastes were Indian, but done in another, imaginative way.

I had low expectations when I was invited to Shompen for an Indian meal, assuming it would be over-spiced and of low quality. However, upon arrival, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Shompen was a true gem among Indian restaurants. The food was not only excellent, but it rivaled that of the most luxurious resorts and hotels I had visited in India. As a food critic who has reviewed many Indian restaurants in Melbourne, I had been disappointed by the lack of authentic and skilled cooking. Most restaurants had relied on family members with limited culinary expertise, resulting in subpar dishes made with cheap ingredients. Shompen, on the other hand, offered a unique and flavorful dining experience. Their tasting menu showcased a variety of dishes with subtle and exquisite flavors, accompanied by explanations of the ingredients and cooking methods used. I invited a friend, a former Australian diplomat with extensive experience in India, to join me for dinner at Shompen. He was equally impressed, stating that the meal surpassed anything he had eaten during his time in India. The restaurant's chef, trained in prestigious Taj hotels in India, ensures that every dish is prepared to perfection. While the chairs may be uncomfortable, the quality of the food more than makes up for it. Whether you are vegetarian or have specific preferences, Shompen offers a menu that caters to all tastes. If you seek a truly exceptional Indian dining experience, Shompen is the place to go. This restaurant is not for those seeking cheap and ordinary Indian food; it is a culinary adventure that should not be missed.

The apearance from outside is ordinary but the interior and the dining experience in inside were phenomenal We were greeted by the owner who gave us an explanation of the concept of the food He said as well as enjoying the taste he hoped we...would enjoy the visual experience. We had read the menu before booking and were intrigued by the dishes such as tandoori charred potatoes, curried puffed lotus seeds for entree. Black garlic crusted goat, confit duck in curry lobster and coral trout in dhal for main just to name a few. Certainly not your traditional Indian dishes. Our meal was 8 courses with a bottle wine for $129.00 for 2. Not cheap as traditional Indian food can be but this was not to be average food. Every dish that came to our table was a visual delight and amazing in flavour....we were blown away. Talk about taste explosions Our waiters (3 of them over the night) explained the origin and the ingredients to us. Our only 2 criticisms are that a bottle of wine was included in the deal but when the wine menu was given to us the prices ranged from high 30's to $100 per bottle. We asked how the wine component part worked and was told we could have either the white or red bottle at $39.00 or upgrade to a wine of our choice. We were told if we did that the restaurant offered a $10 discount on the dearer bottles. We chose a $55.00 bottles and thought the difference we would need to pay would be $6.00 being the $39.00 from tge deal and $10.0 discount. In fact we were charged $45.00 for the wine at the end of the night. The other disappointing aspect was the first course was a shared plate of 3 papadum cones filled with 2 different fillings. With a share platefor 2 this should have been 4 pieces so both guests could try each flavour