PhillyLunchBox

Cafe Spice

Cafe Spice
35 S. 2nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-627-6273

I made it back to Café Spice this past Sunday night, after staying away for several years (see "Appetizer-Gate” below). Aussie and I enjoyed it, including the décor, the service, and definitely the food.

The restaurant is just too new and nice and clean to remind me much about my journey to India this summer. I knew we weren’t in India when I used the bathroom at Café Spice – it didn’t actually smell like the hell-holes I pissed in throughout Bangalore, the "City of Gardens." I don’t think that even Sai Baba (aka "Fred 'Re-Run' Berry") could perform a miracle big enough to clean that place up.

Ah, India. What a trip. The poverty, the blight, the beggars – and that was just the ride through North Philly on the way to the airport!!

Anyway, Café Spice. One thing’s for sure – the food is the real deal, it’s tasty, spicy Indian food, as good as anything I’ve gotten in India or Nepal – and I love the food over there, maybe my favorite cuisine.

My chicken biryana rocked, and Aussie’s Nalli Ka Gosht was delicious – and they even made hers less spicy, as requested. Her dish was lamb - the menu says "marinated lamb shanks braised on a slow fire with whole spices." She picked it clean, took us about an hour to get through what we could.

As is normal at Indian places, the entrees came with a cup of “yogurt,” which is used to cool down your mouth from the hot spices. It’s not the Dannon-type yogurt that westerners are familiar with, it’s more of a curd-like, creamy salad dressing thingy. I like it a lot.

Oh – Appetizer-Gate!! Back in 1999, a dozen of us from the office took a colleague out for a going-away lunch at Café Spice. We asked if they had some appetizers to start us out with. They brought out two plates of sampler food, tasted real good – until we got the bill: $40 a plate, a total of $80 for both plates. The sampler plates weren’t actually on the menu, so they charged us whatever they could.

Dicks.

A couple people in the group argued when the bill came. I’m not even sure if we ended up paying the full $80, I just went outside with everyone else, vowing not to come back there. The whole thing was major cheesy. It kept me away all of these years.

The bill this time was $40, for the two of us, not too bad for Olde City, but obviously a bit much compared to the Indian buffets around town - many of which, by the way, have food that's just as good as Cafe Spice's.

Berkserker Reviews Minar Palace

Minar Palace
1605 Sansom St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 564-9443

Berserker spices up Minar Palace:

I went to Minar twice in the past week, and just had to write about it. Actually, I had been there a few months ago, but I'm just getting to the review now.

It's a good thing too, because in the past visits, there was a funky smell in the basement-floor seating area, like the kind of odor you get with a wet basement in an old house. I'm happy to report now though that the smell isn't there anymore, hooray...

I've had a couple India friends along for most of the trips to Minar, and they both agreed that this India food is the real deal. They're both from south India, where they eat chili peppers like Hershey's kisses, so they like their food spicy as hell (me too, although I'm merely from Manayunk).

Unlike many Indian places, Minar's setup is not buffet - you order at the counter. The whole setup has the feel of a walk-in pizza shop, which I like, and, I suspect, so does the rest of the lunchtime crowd - these office people like speedy service. The girl at the counter, and the guy too for that matter, could use some happy pills, but the heat from that kitchen is brutal, so it's partly understandable.

These are the dishes ordered in the two visits:
Chicken Tikka Masala*
Chicken Korma
Kofta Curry
Chicken Biryani

*(masala means "spice", for you goras...)

The portions are really big, American-style, so you will not leave the place hungry. There's a measly little salad included, but it's not worth the plastic it's served on.

But, I do love the free water downstairs, which can help save you money on drinks. Mr. Lunchbox said the huge old jug looks like it survived World War II (I'd say the civil war - India's, that is!)

There is a side cup of 'yogurt' included with every meal. You take small spoonfuls of this right into your mouth, to cool down the spices. I had the same thing in Nepal, but over there it was very sour.

Overall, a real nice place to get cheap, tasty Indian food, with no frills...

Passage to India

Passage To India
1320 Walnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19107-5410
Phone: (215) 732-7300

Speaking of buffets, I've always wanted to write a review of Passage to India. Unfortunately, I never have a pad and pen handy to write down the great meals they serve for their lunch buffet. The food is superb - from the breads - to the salads - to the spicy concoctions... The samosa is fantastic. Please don't ask to me name any of the other food served, but I try everything, and have never been disappointed. Make sure you try the rice pudding... see if you can only have one bowl. And if you are really adventurous, try the fresh mango juice. Passage has been around for a while, and the service is always great. I think it's $8 buck veg and $10 bucks non-veg. You can't lose here. Tell them the Lunchbox sent ya!

P.S.

Telling him the "Lunchbox sent ya!" will not get you discount :)