![Entrepreneurs Nishita Koli and Goutham Arya Thota with some of their team at their spicy new burger joint, Sauce, opposite Figtree Grove shopping centre. Picture by Wesley Lonergan. Entrepreneurs Nishita Koli and Goutham Arya Thota with some of their team at their spicy new burger joint, Sauce, opposite Figtree Grove shopping centre. Picture by Wesley Lonergan.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/UPAcJLQNVGftX3BUDy544C/d26ab717-ebac-4ab6-9196-76a3598a928f.jpg/r0_0_2048_1365_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The Illawarra's fast food with a cult following is now available in Figtree.
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The masterminds behind delights like the Aussie Gangsta Burger and Japanese Loaded Fries have opened a new restaurant opposite Figtree Grove shopping centre and are ready to spice things up.
![Peter is your friendly barista you'll meet at Sauce, which is currently open for breakfast and lunch, with dinner trade to come later in the year. Picture by Wesley Longergan. Peter is your friendly barista you'll meet at Sauce, which is currently open for breakfast and lunch, with dinner trade to come later in the year. Picture by Wesley Longergan.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/UPAcJLQNVGftX3BUDy544C/631651e2-8ec3-45a6-bdb0-040cc1aa41ae.jpg/r0_0_2048_1365_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Sauce (formerly known as Culture Sauce), is the brainchild of husband-and-wife duo Nishita Koli and Goutham Arya Thota, who promise their delights will be a hit with food lovers who crave a little spice and diversity.
"In our culture, sauces are a big deal," Goutham said. "They're what brings a dish together and makes it pop. We wanted our restaurant to be all about the sauce - hence the name."
They will bring together tastes from Italy, India, Nepal, Istanbul and Japan, among other parts of the earth.
"We really wanted to offer something different," said Goutham, who originally hails from India.
"We've all grown up with different flavours and spices, and we wanted to bring that to the table. We want people to experience new things and be adventurous with their food choices."
![The award-winning chef and his wife were sick of finding generic burgers with the same mass produced sauce, so decided they would put a spin on fast food and founded Culture Sauce in Dapto before moving to Figtree. Picture by Wesley Lonergan. The award-winning chef and his wife were sick of finding generic burgers with the same mass produced sauce, so decided they would put a spin on fast food and founded Culture Sauce in Dapto before moving to Figtree. Picture by Wesley Lonergan.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/UPAcJLQNVGftX3BUDy544C/06d75d4b-125f-4829-81ec-95b13973c4ff.jpg/r0_0_2048_1365_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Customers are immersed in that vibe as soon as they walk in the door, greeted with a large-scale mural from local artist Saltwater Dreamtime (Zachary Bennett-Brook) which mixes Indigenous dot painting with a Rangoli (a symbol for the celebration of life).
"He really put the effort into incorporating the Aboriginal art with the Indian art ... and the colours too, you see the red earth and then we got the turmeric," Goutham said.
Sauce is not just about burgers either.
The restaurant is serving breakfast and lunch, with plans to add a dinner service in the future.
![Goutham's Triple Fried Japanese Burger is expected to be revived when they start trading for dinner. Picture supplied. Goutham's Triple Fried Japanese Burger is expected to be revived when they start trading for dinner. Picture supplied.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/UPAcJLQNVGftX3BUDy544C/776e8ddc-9f9d-4b99-ba35-e045e7235a53.jpg/r0_0_1200_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Fans will be pleased to know there'll be a revival of all the signature recipes they created for their previous Dapto outlet, where they were selling 800 burgers a week through Menulog alone.
When asked about their hopes and dreams for this venue, the owners shared they plan on doing more community events and gatherings in their courtyard upstairs.
"We're really proud of what we've created here," Nishita said. "It's been a lot of hard work, but we're excited to share our food with everyone."
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