Just off Brighton Beach is where you’ll find Indian Palace Restaurant, but things here on Church Street feel a little closer to South Asia than Melbourne’s southeast. Indian Palace Restaurant is affordable and welcoming, and the food is a lot tastier, healthier and more authentic than most Indian eateries in the area. Chef Karthik Karanam has almost two decades of experience in professional Indian cookery, but a lot of the meals here are inspired by traditional techniques and family-protected flavours as much as they are contemporary cuisine. The menu is vast, but whether you opt for some bright and zingy entrees, rich and warming curries, authentic dosa, exquisite meat dishes, fresh bread, pristine desserts or the whole lot, you won’t find a scrap of MSG, artificial colour or bland flavour anywhere.