Ms Chowki

Look for: Indian families, Asian students, and taxis lined up at the front as the drivers get their evening meals.
The service: Friendly and accomodating.
The shop: Ms Chowki used to be strictly vegetarian/​jain, but now does meat dishes under the name of Fennel (two restaurants under one roof, with one kitchen). Mismatched furniture from IKEA and vintage stores, bare floors and little insulation from noise, Bollywood movies and music.
The drink: Wallet-​friendly $ 1 chai in an environmentally-​unfriendly styrofoam cup.
The food: Consistently good food, excellent prices, extensive menu and generous serves in a shabby setting. Eating with fingers is encouraged, however cutlery is provided for those who look distressed. Renown for their dosas (crisp savoury lentil crepes served with vegetable stew and chutney) within the Adelaidean sub-​continental community, however their pav bhaji (spicy vegetables in a tomato sauce served with a toasted buttered bun, raw onions and pickle) is my ultimate junk food: eaten with fingers, scaldingly hot, savoury and moreish. Their butter paneer masala is superior to most butter chicken dishes in Adelaide, with generous cubes of paneer and a sweet spicy sauce for dipping assorted naan breads.
Desserts here are highly recommended by those who can appreciate Indian sweets: their housemade jalebi (funnel cakes soaked in sugar syrup) is reputedly often bought by the kilo on the weekends.