Once in a long while I crave spicy and exotic Northern Indian food. I've been told by friends that this new Indian restaurant is excellent so off we went for a simple lunch last Saturday.
Spice Garden is a chain restaurant from Kuala Lumpur. The place has only been opened about 2 months and was desolate, with only two other tables occupied. Given that, you'd think the food would arrive quickly but it took half an hour for our small order of 3 naans, a briyani and a butter chicken. Points deducted, the food better be worth the wait, Wey said. Service however was excellent, with very courteous and helpful Indian waiters (straight from the motherland, judging by their accent). Hub joked that they must've trained the waiters in New York because they serve plain water in bottles only (RM2.90 ++, small bottle), which is something KK people aren't used to (we were told by a friend to avoid their lassies, which are too spicy).
Modern, casual and pleasant interior of Spice Garden
Left: lamb briyani (RM14.90/US$4.40). right: cheese naan (RM5.90/US$1.70) and methi parantha (RM3.90/US$1.10), bottom: butter chicken (RM12.90/US$3.80)
The briyani was okay but a little more wet than what I'm used to. Btw, my briyani epiphany was at a members-only yacht club in Aberdeen, Hong Kong, of all places. One mouthful and I thought : this is how briyani should taste! I've never had briyani like that again, sad to say. The chicken Makhani (butter chicken) was good but not as good as that in the Indian restaurant with the forgettable name in Waterfront. We seem to eat butter chicken everytime we eat Indian, mainly because Wey likes it and we don't really know what to order. The naan and parantha were very good, much better than those in Choice (a restaurant whose food I never really liked).
Raita (RM4.90/US$1.40) and aloo parantha (RM4.90/US$1.40)
The raita was 90% yogurt (VERY good yogurt) and I was wishing they'd put in more cucumber and veg because it was like eating soup. That aloo (potato) parantha was absolutely delicious. Unfortunately we had stuffed ourselves with my banana choc cake that morning and we couldn't try more dishes. I saw a beautiful platter of mixed grilled kebabs passing by, and my eyes were lusting after it but my stomach said no.
Naans are slapped onto the sides of this charcoal oven, giving them that slight smokey roasted flavor that home ovens can't give.
Spice Garden is next to Umai Restaurant and below Royal Palace Restaurant in the new D Junction Building, just off the intersection of Jalan Lintas and Jalan Penampang. Tel: 088-257 7896
Rating: 7.5/10
Spice Garden is a chain restaurant from Kuala Lumpur. The place has only been opened about 2 months and was desolate, with only two other tables occupied. Given that, you'd think the food would arrive quickly but it took half an hour for our small order of 3 naans, a briyani and a butter chicken. Points deducted, the food better be worth the wait, Wey said. Service however was excellent, with very courteous and helpful Indian waiters (straight from the motherland, judging by their accent). Hub joked that they must've trained the waiters in New York because they serve plain water in bottles only (RM2.90 ++, small bottle), which is something KK people aren't used to (we were told by a friend to avoid their lassies, which are too spicy).
Modern, casual and pleasant interior of Spice Garden
Left: lamb briyani (RM14.90/US$4.40). right: cheese naan (RM5.90/US$1.70) and methi parantha (RM3.90/US$1.10), bottom: butter chicken (RM12.90/US$3.80)
The briyani was okay but a little more wet than what I'm used to. Btw, my briyani epiphany was at a members-only yacht club in Aberdeen, Hong Kong, of all places. One mouthful and I thought : this is how briyani should taste! I've never had briyani like that again, sad to say. The chicken Makhani (butter chicken) was good but not as good as that in the Indian restaurant with the forgettable name in Waterfront. We seem to eat butter chicken everytime we eat Indian, mainly because Wey likes it and we don't really know what to order. The naan and parantha were very good, much better than those in Choice (a restaurant whose food I never really liked).
Raita (RM4.90/US$1.40) and aloo parantha (RM4.90/US$1.40)
The raita was 90% yogurt (VERY good yogurt) and I was wishing they'd put in more cucumber and veg because it was like eating soup. That aloo (potato) parantha was absolutely delicious. Unfortunately we had stuffed ourselves with my banana choc cake that morning and we couldn't try more dishes. I saw a beautiful platter of mixed grilled kebabs passing by, and my eyes were lusting after it but my stomach said no.
Naans are slapped onto the sides of this charcoal oven, giving them that slight smokey roasted flavor that home ovens can't give.
Spice Garden is next to Umai Restaurant and below Royal Palace Restaurant in the new D Junction Building, just off the intersection of Jalan Lintas and Jalan Penampang. Tel: 088-257 7896
Rating: 7.5/10
Awesome must check this out. Have heard about this place from some friends.
ReplyDeleteOh the North Indian on the Waterfront is called Kohinoor.
BTW I've just emailed you about a blogger hook-up this Sunday at the shamrock with Pete Tan. Please let me know what you think. I've emailed Louis as well.
um, who is Pete Tan?
ReplyDeleteup scale looking restaurant; the naan & butter chicken looked delicious.
ReplyDeletefunny, we tend to order butter chicken every time as well, mainly because K can not stomach 2 spicy stuff…butchik is pretty tame. 2 months ago, we tried out a place close 2 us, called Ancilas ( check it out : ancilas.com ) & ordered the followings:
Baingan bharta (roasted eggplant with onion, tomatoes, peas and spices) – good but 2 much lime.
Butter chicken – best among all
Fish curry – disappointment – smothered w/ 2 much source that’s 2 tangy & not much like curry we’re used 2.
Naan – absolutely the best around here; this alone will bring us back 4 sure.
Check your email terri. Forwarded you details :)
ReplyDeleteNEE: The food made my mouth water. think we also have one indian restaurant here. yet to try out.
ReplyDeleteHuaa..
ReplyDeleteThe butter chicken looks very tantalizing...:P
And the restaurant looks very nice too. There's an indian restaurant here in kch with relatively good indian cruisine but the decor pales in comparison to the Spice Garden.
mike: i think tt just proves we play safe bc we don't really know Indian cuisine...we love naans too :)
ReplyDeletegreg^nee, wombat: read in ck's blog tt you now have an upscale chinese dimsum place in kuching. food looked good.
will try one day terry.
ReplyDelete