Ganga’s, formerly known as Gunga Din’s, is located directly below a busy section of Wyndham Street, and its entrance is through an easily missable staircase. Entering through, and it is an oasis of calm with relatively plain decor. With white stucco walls, bright lampshades giving pops of colour and mini bronze figurines above the bar, framed quotes by Kipling finish off the modern look.

Ganga’s serves a wide variety of regional Indian specialities, from Keralan fish curries and vindaloo from the south to lamb rogan josh from the north. The menu is separated into appetisers, tandoori, chicken, lamb, beef, seafood and vegetarian dishes. As with most Indian restaurants, vegetarians are particularly well-catered to. We start with some vegetable pakoras, piping hot seasonal vegetables coated in a slightly spicy fritter. For mains, we try the ever-popular chicken makhani (or butter chicken), signature lamb tikka Anghar and baingan bhartha (roasted eggplant). The chicken makhani is rich and creamy with just a slight touch of sweetness from the dried raisins. The lamb arrives on a sizzling hot plate on a bed of lettuce with a dark red gravy flavoured with tomatoes and coriander, again with just a hint of spice. The roasted eggplant is less oily than other versions around town and hearty for a vegetarian dish. To mop up all the curries, the garlic naan is an obvious choice while the vegetable biryani (a fried saffron rice) is so chock-full of a wide variety of vegetables that it is almost a meal in itself. The most surprising dish was the dessert of gulab jamun, a deep-fried dough ball that usually comes in a rose or saffron syrup. Ganga’s version looked innocuous enough until the strong waft of alcohol hits us. We’re still not sure whether that was an accident or a deliberate twist, but it is certainly a memorable finish to a satisfying meal.

In most Indian restaurants, most diners prefer to wash their curries down with pints of beer, and Ganga’s offers the usual range from Carlsberg to Kingfisher. Wines are also available, primarily from Australia and New Zealand. Prices per bottle hover around the HK$400 mark, apart from a small premium selection that goes up to HK$1,750. There are three whites and one red by the glass.

The waiters at Ganga’s are mainly older Indian men, who are soft-spoken with a gentle air. They are efficient and kind, if not overly verbose when asked for recommendations or wine pairings.

A completely filling meal for two with wine comes to about HK$700. Considering the central location and good range of curries, we would say this is reasonable.