Spice India

I’ve been to this new restaurant twice now, and loved it both times. Before going to Spice India, I thought I didn’t like Indian food, but I’ve sure changed my mind. The first time I went with a friend and ordered Cashmere Chicken, and since I like spice and heat, I ordered it “spicy,” the hottest level of spice. It was fabulous! I also ordered Afghani Nan which is flatbread with the subtle addition of fruit and nuts – warm and delicious. My friend ordered Tandoori Chicken, which she loved, but I wasn’t as enthusiastic about it. For dessert, I had their Rice Pudding, which was delicious, just like everything else. Don’t expect the average American thickish sweet mixture – this is thinner and not nearly as sugary. Just went back yesterday, this time with family members. I had to order the Cashmere Chicken again, and also ordered Malai Kofta which are vegetable balls in a spicy sauce. The Kofta were recommended by a vegetarian buddy who just loves Indian food, and I had to try them. The chicken dish was just as good as the first time, and the Malai Kofta, very good as well. I actually had quite a lot left over in a take out bag, and enjoyed the Kofta even more re-heated in the microwave for lunch this afternoon. Other dishes we enjoyed were Salmon chunks in a spicy sauce, and Chicken Kebabs served on a bed of sliced veggies. For dessert, we sampled several items including a Mango Ice Cream dish, Cheese Balls in sugar syrup and rose water, and another with noodles in a tall parfait glass (sorry the exact name escapes me). The waiter was very attentive, but not intrusive, and kept our ice cold water pitcher full at all times. There is takeout and a buffet available on a week night, too. A casual eatery, but a highly recommended dining experience.

I’ve been back to Spice India many times, and I have had a few dissapointing meals, but overally the experiances have been good. The Garlic Naan is fantastic! Sometime the service is slow, but never awful.

I love Indian food. It is possibly my favorite thing on the earth—to eat, anyway. I have often gone to Spice India alone because my husband has a thing against Indian buffets. But today he was being nice, and decided to humor me by coming along, and after sampling several of the selections, he is now a convert—‘we can come here every week!’ he happily announced. And we will be.

We arrived early—around 11:30, and so everything was just recently laid out. The selection is fantastic—four or five vegetarian dishes (that my meat-eating husband even tried) and four or five meat dishes in addition to the mixed grill tandoori platter. Everything was perfect—perfectly spiced, perfectly cooked, and there is no way that there could have been a better selection. Hot fresh naan is delivered to the table, which is one of the greatest things on earth, particularly when dipped in the mint chutney. There were no shortage of starters on the buffet as well—many chutneys, several salads, and a mixed fried veggie dish that was beyond description—I picked out all of the pieces of fried cauliflower (I don’t know the actual name of this dish) and would have gone back for more if I’d had the ability to eat more food.

In addition to the great food, they’ve clearly recently remodeled, and the decor is tasteful and clean, which only adds to the experience—but to be perfectly honest, I’d eat that food with my hands, crouched in an alley. It is that good.