Most travellers on the Hume Highway pull into Yass for fuel, coffee and a leg stretch, then get back on the road. Some turn west onto the Burley Griffin Way instead and have dinner with us. Motel Royal Tara is a licensed country restaurant in Binalong, roughly 30 minutes from Yass, and we cook Indian curries and Royal Hyderabadi biryanis alongside steaks, burgers and pizza. Here is what is on the Indian side of our menu, how it is served, and how to book a table or order takeaway.
An Indian Menu 30 Minutes from Yass
Binalong sits on the Burley Griffin Way, a short detour off the Hume Highway between Yass and Harden. Our dining room is part of a 20 room country motel established in 1986, so there is space to park, room to spread out, and no need to drive any further once you have eaten. The restaurant is licensed and also BYO, which gives you a choice on the night. Whether you are staying in one of our rooms or just passing through on your way somewhere else, the kitchen is open for dinner every day except Wednesday.
Our Curries, Served with Naan and Rice
Every curry we serve arrives with naan and rice, so there is nothing extra to add to the order and nothing to work out at the table. The curries are made in our kitchen, and there is a clear spread of heat levels across the menu, from mild and creamy through to genuinely hot. Three curries currently anchor the Indian section.
Butter Chicken
Our butter chicken is made in house, sauce and all, rather than poured from a bought-in base. It is the mildest of the three curries on the menu, and a good choice if you are new to Indian food or want something rich rather than fiery. The sauce is tomato based and creamy, and it works particularly well mopped up with naan. Served with naan and rice as standard, it also travels well as takeaway.
Paneer Butter Masala
Paneer butter masala is our vegetarian curry, built around paneer in a buttery tomato gravy rather than meat. It carries a similar creamy character to the butter chicken, which makes it a good pairing if two people are sharing and one eats vegetarian. Like every curry on the menu, it comes out with naan and rice, and it travels well if you are picking up takeaway on the way home.
Lamb Vindaloo
Lamb vindaloo is the spicy end of the curry list and the one to order if you like heat rather than richness. It is a lamb curry with a sharp, hot finish, and it is best balanced against something cooling from the sides list. If you are ordering a few dishes to share, pair it with the paneer butter masala and you get both ends of the spectrum in one meal. Naan and rice come with it.
Royal Hyderabadi Biryani, Cooked in the Dum Style
Biryani is not a curry with rice stirred through it. Ours are Royal Hyderabadi biryanis cooked in the traditional dum style, which means the rice and the meat are layered and then slow cooked together in a sealed pot so the steam and the spices stay inside. The result is rice that carries the flavour rather than sitting underneath it. Every biryani we serve is a 500g portion at medium spice, and each one comes with raita and pappadams on the side. There are three to choose from.
| Biryani | What sets it apart | Portion and sides |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken biryani | Classic chicken biryani, slow cooked in the dum style | 500g, medium spice, with raita and pappadams |
| Chicken 65 biryani | Built around boneless Chicken 65 pieces | 500g, medium spice, with raita and pappadams |
| Goat biryani | Goat, slow cooked through the layered rice | 500g, medium spice, with raita and pappadams |
Medium spice is a deliberate setting rather than a mild one. It gives the biryani enough warmth to taste like biryani, and the raita on the side is there to cool things down if you want it milder on the fork. The 500g serve is a full meal rather than a side, and it holds up well as takeaway because the dum cooking means the rice has already taken on the flavour before it leaves the kitchen.
Sides to Start or Share
Our sides are simple and easy to add to any order. Samosas come as two pieces with sweet chutney, which makes them a straightforward starter while the curries are being cooked. Pappadums come as four pieces with mint yoghurt chutney, and they double as a table snack and as something to dip into between bites of a hot vindaloo. If you are ordering biryani, remember that raita and pappadams already come with it, so you may not need to add anything else.
Dessert and Drinks
For dessert we serve gulab jamun with pistachio, a sweet finish that works after a rich curry or a spiced biryani. On the cold side, mango lassi is the natural partner to anything hot on the menu. As a licensed venue we also serve drinks with dinner, and if you prefer to bring your own, BYO is welcome as well. That combination suits groups where some people want a beer with their steak and others want a lassi with their biryani.
Steaks, Burgers and Pizza at the Same Table
The Indian dishes share a menu with steaks, burgers and pizza, which matters more than it sounds. It means a group can eat together without anyone compromising. One person can order a lamb vindaloo with naan, another can order a steak, and nobody has to drive somewhere else afterwards to find what they actually wanted. In a country town, that kind of range on a single menu is the difference between a dinner that works for everyone and a dinner that works for the person who chose the restaurant.
Takeaway, BYO and Booking a Table
Every dish on the menu is available for takeaway, curries and biryanis included. If you are coming from Yass or passing through on the highway, you can call ahead on 02 6227 4310 and have your order ready when you arrive. To book a table, call the same number or send a WhatsApp message to 0426 428 501. You can also look through the full menu on our dining page before you decide what you are ordering.
Dinner Hours at Our Binalong Restaurant
We serve dinner every day except Wednesday. In winter the kitchen runs from 5pm to 9pm, and in summer it runs from 6pm to 9pm. Outside of dinner service, we also run a buffet breakfast from 7:30am to 9:30am by booking, which is handy if you have stayed the night and want to get away early. If you are planning around a long drive, it pays to call ahead on 02 6227 4310 and confirm the timing for the day you are travelling.
Staying Overnight in Binalong
If dinner turns into an overnight stop, we have 20 rooms and all of them are ground floor, non-smoking, with a private parking space at the door. That includes room for trailers, utes and work vehicles, which suits anyone travelling for work or towing something. Rooms come with an ensuite, reverse cycle air conditioning, an electric blanket, WiFi, a TV, a kitchenette, tea and coffee facilities, an iron and housekeeping. Choose from Family, Triple, Queen and Twin rooms. Check-in is from 1pm and check-out is 10am. Details are on our Binalong accommodation page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an Indian restaurant near Yass?
Yes. Our licensed restaurant in Binalong serves Indian curries and Royal Hyderabadi biryanis and is about 30 minutes from Yass along the Burley Griffin Way. The drive is a short detour off the Hume Highway, and there is parking at the door. Dinner is served every day except Wednesday, and every dish is available for takeaway if you would rather collect it.
How spicy is the food?
The butter chicken and paneer butter masala are mild and creamy, the lamb vindaloo is genuinely spicy, and the biryanis sit in the middle at medium spice. Each biryani comes with raita, which you can stir through to soften the heat. If you are unsure, mention what you like when you order and we can point you to the right dish.
Can I order takeaway instead of dining in?
Every dish on the menu is available for takeaway, including the curries and all three biryanis. Call 02 6227 4310 to place an order, or send a WhatsApp message to 0426 428 501. If you are driving from Yass or along the Hume Highway, calling ahead means your food is ready when you pull in.
Do you have vegetarian options?
Yes. Paneer butter masala is our vegetarian curry and it comes with naan and rice like the others. Samosas with sweet chutney and pappadums with mint yoghurt chutney are also meat free. If you are ordering for a mixed table, the paneer butter masala pairs well with the spicier lamb vindaloo so everyone has something to eat.
What is dum style biryani?
Dum cooking means the rice and meat are layered in a sealed pot and slow cooked together, so the steam and spice stay inside rather than escaping. Our Royal Hyderabadi biryanis are made this way, served as 500g portions at medium spice with raita and pappadams. It gives the rice a deeper flavour than simply ladling curry over cooked rice.
Indian food near Yass does not have to mean staying in town. Our kitchen plates curries and Hyderabadi biryani 30 minutes west of Yass, with naan, rice and raita included, and every dish can be taken away. Call 02 6227 4310 or send a WhatsApp message to 0426 428 501 to book a table or place an order. For best rates call or book us online from our website.
