One of the originals

 

One of the originals

NewQuay restaurant Bhoj has witnessed the evolution of Docklands.

Since opening its doors in 2003, Bhoj has become a Mecca for fine Indian food. While Docklands has continued to evolve around it, one thing has stayed the same – Bhoj has continued to serve up its delicious, traditional Indian fare.

The name of the restaurant translates as “Indian feast” and, according to chef and proprietor Rajesh Mehta, that’s exactly what you’ll find at the family-run business.

The NewQuay restaurant is Mr Mehta’s second restaurant in Melbourne, after originally opening a restaurant under the same name in Templestowe in 1995.

Having worked in the industry for 38 years, Mr Mehta said he and the restaurant were still very much focused on traditional cooking methods.

“We have our own clay oven, or tandoor, which is lit with charcoal to cook traditional Indian kebabs and fresh bread,” Mr Mehta said.

“Our menu also boasts many signature dishes and less-familiar numbers that showcase the diversity and versatility of Indian cooking.”

Having operated in Docklands for more than 12 years, Mr Mehta says Bhoj continues to reinvent itself.

“We want to take Bhoj and Indian cuisine to a level rarely seen in Melbourne,” he said.

With a large floor-space and expansive outdoor seating area overlooking the Docklands harbour, Mr Mehta said Bhoj was the perfect venue for corporate functions and social events, and remained a popular option for weekday lunches.

To cater to the ever-increasing corporate offices around Docklands, Bhoj has recently introduced Biryani Fridays – a lunchtime treat of a biryani paired with a Kingfisher Lager, house wine or mango lassi for $20.

For the uninitiated, biryani is the Indian equivalent of Spanish paella or Italian risotto – slow-cooked, aromatic curried rice, served with lentils and raita dip and your choice of slow-cooked lamb, chicken with mint or garden vegetables.

And if the wintery weather has put you into hibernation, you can still enjoy Bhoj’s warm and tasty curry without venturing outside your front door.

With delivery throughout Docklands and CBD via Foodora or takeaway pick-up, it’s as simple as placing your order online and enjoying the mouth-watering dishes from the comfort of your home.

For more information about Bhoj visit http://www.bhoj.com.au, call on 9600 0884 or stop by the restaurant at 54 NewQuay Promenade.

The local strata experts

If you’re looking for a strata manager with local knowledge, look no further than Whittles.

The Docklands branch of the national company has been operating in the area for the past 25 years (seven years under the control of the Whittles group).

According to Whittles Victoria state manager, Neville Sanders, the company prides itself on its local knowledge and experience.

Mr Sanders himself has been involved with owners’ corporation management for more than 25 years.

“We’ve got a really long depth of knowledge in what is really quite a unique area,” Mr Sanders said.

“We were involved right at the start, when Docklands really became Docklands.”

It’s this local experience that can make all the difference in strata management.

“Even though we’re a national company, within each state we’ve got key people who have a long history in the area and have built up local knowledge,” Mr Sanders explained.

While the company is Australia-wide, with offices in five states and territories collectively managing 70,000 lots across the country, Mr Sanders said at the end of the day Whittles was a family business.

“From the top-down, the company is essentially owned by three groups of families that were the founders,” he explained.

“It’s still run and owned by those family groups and that feeling of staff-loyalty that you get in a family business has spread right through the offices.”

Mr Sanders said the company also had a strong sense of leadership in the real estate and owners’ corporation fields.

Mr Sanders is currently the president of the Real Estate of Industry of Australia and was previously president of the Victorian branch.

Whittles managing director Mattthew Amber has also served two terms as president of Strata Community Australia.

“We want to be leaders in the space,” Mr Sanders explained.

The company also aims to lead in the services provided to the owners’ corporations it manages.

According to Mr Sanders, one of the benefits of an established business like Whittles was that it is able to tailor its services to its customers.

For example, Whittles owns its own software which has evolved to cater for the range of owners’ corporations the company manages.

“We have the ability, because we’re a larger company, to tailor our services and make them really useful to our clients,” he said.

You can find Whittles’ Docklands branch at suite 125, Level 1, 838 Collins St (Lifestyle Working).

Contact the office on 8632 3300 or visit http://www.whittles.com.au for more information.

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