There’s a moment that happens at almost every table when the seafood platter lands. Conversation stops for a second. Phones come out before forks do. And then everyone just digs in.
That’s the reaction we were hoping for when we put together our seafood platter at Waadiya, and three months in, it hasn’t stopped happening. If you’ve seen it show up on your Instagram feed or heard a friend mention “the seafood thing at that Indian and Sri Lankan place in Mount Waverley,” this is your sign to come try it yourself.
But the platter is really just the headline act. Underneath it is a menu that pulls from two coastal food cultures — Indian and Sri Lankan — that have been cooking with the ocean for centuries. So let’s talk about what’s actually on the plate, why it works, and what else you should order alongside it.
What Makes a Seafood Platter Fine Dining?
Anyone can pile seafood on a tray. Getting it right is a different job entirely.
At Waadiya, our seafood platter is built the way we’d want to eat it ourselves — a mix of textures and cooking styles rather than five versions of the same thing fried the same way. You’ll find prawns that have been given the full South Asian treatment: garlic, chilli, curry leaf, the kind of pan-hot spice work that Sri Lankan and South Indian coastal kitchens are famous for. There’s calamari cooked until it’s tender rather than rubbery, and our hot butter cuttlefish — a dish that keeps getting singled out in reviews, and for good reason. It’s rich, a little sweet from the butter, a little sharp from the chilli, and it disappears from the table faster than anything else we serve.
That’s the difference between a seafood platter and fine dining seafood. It’s not the amount on the plate. It’s the care that went into each piece before it got there.
The Dishes That Built Our Reputation
While the seafood platter is having its moment, it sits alongside a menu that Mount Waverley locals have been ordering for years. Here’s what regulars ask for by name.
Butter Chicken & Naan
Butter Chicken needs no introduction and is one of the dishes guests mention most in their reviews. It’s creamy, tomato-based and packed with flavour, with tender chicken and warm naan fresh from the tandoor to soak up every bit of the sauce. It may sound simple, but getting the balance just right takes care and technique. It’s easy to see why so many guests call it one of the best they’ve had.
Kottu Roti
Shredded roti tossed on a hot griddle with vegetables, egg and your choice of meat, seasoned as it cooks rather than after. This is Sri Lankan street food at its most honest — loud, fast, and built for sharing. If you’ve never had kottu before, this is the dish to start with.
Tandoori Lamb Chops
Marinated overnight in yoghurt and a blend of Indian spices, then finished on the tandoor until the edges char and the inside stays juicy. Served with fresh herb chutneys on the side. A favourite for anyone who wants their curry night to start with something off the grill.
Garlic Prawns
A coastal classic done the way it should be — prawns cooked hard and fast in garlic and butter so they stay plump, not overcooked. One of the most ordered items on the menu, and a natural pairing if you’re already going the seafood route.
Hot Butter Cuttlefish
Mentioned above, but it deserves its own line. Fresh cuttlefish, a buttery chilli glaze, and a flavour that lands somewhere between sweet, savoury and spicy. Order it as a side to your curry or as part of the seafood platter.
Lamb Rogan Josh
A slow-cooked curry built on layered spice rather than heat for heat’s sake. Deep, fragrant, and one of the dishes our regulars come back for specifically.
Cashew Curry & Jackfruit Curry
For guests after something plant-based that still carries real depth of flavour, these two Sri Lankan curries are the ones to order. Rich, textured and every bit as satisfying as the meat dishes on the table.
Black Pork Curry
A Sri Lankan specialty roasted with dark spices until it turns almost black — hence the name — and packed with the kind of slow-built heat that lingers rather than hits all at once.
Hopper Train
Our version of the classic Sri Lankan hopper, served endlessly and freshly made at the table. It’s playful, it’s interactive, and it’s become one of the most requested experiences at Waadiya for birthdays and group bookings.
Why Seafood Belongs on an Indian and Sri Lankan Menu
If your only reference point for Indian cuisine is butter chicken and naan, seafood might seem like an unusual addition. It isn’t. Along India’s western and southern coastlines and right around Sri Lanka’s shores, seafood has been central to home cooking for generations — Kerala fish curry, Lamb Rogan, Goan prawn masala, Sri Lankan devilled prawns, coconut-based fish curries eaten with rice at nearly every meal.
Bringing a seafood platter to Waadiya isn’t a departure from Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine. It’s closer to the source than a lot of what people expect when they think “Indian food near me.” South Asian food has always been coastal food in large parts of the region, and we wanted our menu to reflect that properly.
Planning a Visit
Booking ahead is genuinely worth doing, especially on weekends when the dining room fills up quickly. The seafood platter is best shared, so if you’re coming as a couple, pair it with one curry and rice. If you’re a group of four or more, add the tandoori lamb chops and a kottu roti and you’ve got a table that covers grill, curry and coast in one sitting.
Address: 17-21 Centreway, Pinewood Shopping Centre, Mount Waverley, VIC 3149 Phone: 03 9803 5112 Hours: Lunch Thursday–Sunday, 12:00 PM–2:30 PM · Dinner Tuesday–Sunday, 5:00 PM–10:30 PM · Closed Mondays