On the last Saturday of Barrielicious, we opted to go to yet another restaurant-we've-always-wanted-to-try-but-never-got-around-to-it, Spice. Don had made reservations online but, judging by the look on the maître d's face, the online reservation didn't actually get through to the front desk. But he covered it up well, and set up a table for us very quickly. The restaurant was still reasonably full, and more people arrived after we did, so we didn't feel too guilty!
There is a lovely mural of mountains on the back wall, tan and red walls, some traditional paintings, and prayer flags lining the ceiling. There was some traditional music playing, but the volume was perfect – we could enjoy the playing AND have a good conversation, and nobody had to shout above anything. Very elegant, and a nice feel to the room.
The waiters were very attentive, although we never were given anyone's name, and our main waiter's voice was too quiet for Don to hear much of what he said (not his fault, obviously, but it did make for a lot of smiling and nodding). We were given both the regular menu (which looked delicious too) and the Barrielicious menu, which included Butter Chicken, Lamb Rogan Josh, and Vegetable Korma as main courses.
This restaurant also had a particular wine listed on the Barrielicious menu, so we decided to go with that – Obikawa Shiraj from South Africa. We'd never heard of it before, but like Shiraz, so decided to take a chance. And we were rewarded for our faith! It was quite a delicious wine, and we got a whole litre (hey, it's Saturday!) for less than we often spend for a bottle. Win!
Our waiter came back for our orders, and we said we'd do the Barrielicious. Don asked for the Butter Chicken main dish, and the waiter explained that nobody had to choose between the main dishes, that ALL THREE of the main dishes were included. Whoops! Chicken and lamb don't work for Alyssa the veg-head, so we asked for a moment to re-scan the menu. The waiter said they could still do the Barrielicious special, but he would replace the lamb dish with a vegetarian one – so Don could still have his butter chicken, and Alyssa could have two of the main dishes with him. After asking our spice tolerance, he suggested the Paneer Tikka Masala, which was a "2" on their spice scale (which ranged from 0-4).
Another gentleman brought out the papadum, and our appetizers – Vegetable Samosas, with both Tamarind and Cilantro sauces. The samosas (and sauces) were very flavourful. The pastry was a bit thicker than what we're used to, although not heavy, and the filling was absolutely delicious.
It was around this time that we took notice of a young couple off to the side, obviously – painfully obviously – on a first date. The young man had a beautiful Indian accent, and spent much of the earlier part of our meal explaining to his date how this food was slightly different from the food in the place he came from, so it was quite interesting to eavesdrop (not that we'd ever do that...). He was obviously trying very hard to impress her. Although there came a point later on where he started to take on a slight tone of superiority, as he explained that his culture was over 6000 years old, so obviously much more historic and sophisticated than North America. We're not sure if she – who was clearly of First Nations heritage – said something very quietly to him, or gave him the stink-eye, but the message got across it seems, as there was much back-pedalling on his part for several minutes. They seemed to get back on track, fortunately. But it was rather entertaining for a while!
Anyhow, back to food.
Our main courses were brought out in the most beautiful serving dishes! Very ornate metal bowls and platters, perhaps imported from India, but what do we know. A medium-sized platter of Kesari Pilau (saffron rice), which looked as beautiful as it tasted (although that didn't stop us from eating it!). Three small (deceptively – they looked small, but we still needed a take-home bag!) bowls of the main courses. Don's Butter Chicken was awesome – very mild, but still packed with flavour. He ate the whole thing, to ensure we could put everything in the same take-out bag (and maybe because he liked it so much, too!). The Paneer had a nice kick to it, but wasn't too spicy – doubt we'd want to go to the "3" spice dishes, but "2" was perfect. And the Vegetable Korma was a milder dish, a nice accompaniment to its spicier cousin. Lots of Naan, of course, to get every last drop of goodness! We did have to take some of the two vegetarian dishes home with us for lunch, but hey, we got to enjoy the food again! And it was delicious.
Dessert was nice and simple (which is good, because we were full, and still had to navigate the hill home!): Gulab Jamun, a single fried spongy ball, soaked in rose water – simple, not too sweet, but a nice way to end the evening.
We left the young first-date couple to their own devices and headed up the hill, silently wishing them a second date.
We will definitely return to Spice – nice environment, lovely staff, and incredible food.
There is a lovely mural of mountains on the back wall, tan and red walls, some traditional paintings, and prayer flags lining the ceiling. There was some traditional music playing, but the volume was perfect – we could enjoy the playing AND have a good conversation, and nobody had to shout above anything. Very elegant, and a nice feel to the room.
The waiters were very attentive, although we never were given anyone's name, and our main waiter's voice was too quiet for Don to hear much of what he said (not his fault, obviously, but it did make for a lot of smiling and nodding). We were given both the regular menu (which looked delicious too) and the Barrielicious menu, which included Butter Chicken, Lamb Rogan Josh, and Vegetable Korma as main courses.
This restaurant also had a particular wine listed on the Barrielicious menu, so we decided to go with that – Obikawa Shiraj from South Africa. We'd never heard of it before, but like Shiraz, so decided to take a chance. And we were rewarded for our faith! It was quite a delicious wine, and we got a whole litre (hey, it's Saturday!) for less than we often spend for a bottle. Win!
Our waiter came back for our orders, and we said we'd do the Barrielicious. Don asked for the Butter Chicken main dish, and the waiter explained that nobody had to choose between the main dishes, that ALL THREE of the main dishes were included. Whoops! Chicken and lamb don't work for Alyssa the veg-head, so we asked for a moment to re-scan the menu. The waiter said they could still do the Barrielicious special, but he would replace the lamb dish with a vegetarian one – so Don could still have his butter chicken, and Alyssa could have two of the main dishes with him. After asking our spice tolerance, he suggested the Paneer Tikka Masala, which was a "2" on their spice scale (which ranged from 0-4).
Another gentleman brought out the papadum, and our appetizers – Vegetable Samosas, with both Tamarind and Cilantro sauces. The samosas (and sauces) were very flavourful. The pastry was a bit thicker than what we're used to, although not heavy, and the filling was absolutely delicious.
It was around this time that we took notice of a young couple off to the side, obviously – painfully obviously – on a first date. The young man had a beautiful Indian accent, and spent much of the earlier part of our meal explaining to his date how this food was slightly different from the food in the place he came from, so it was quite interesting to eavesdrop (not that we'd ever do that...). He was obviously trying very hard to impress her. Although there came a point later on where he started to take on a slight tone of superiority, as he explained that his culture was over 6000 years old, so obviously much more historic and sophisticated than North America. We're not sure if she – who was clearly of First Nations heritage – said something very quietly to him, or gave him the stink-eye, but the message got across it seems, as there was much back-pedalling on his part for several minutes. They seemed to get back on track, fortunately. But it was rather entertaining for a while!
Anyhow, back to food.
Our main courses were brought out in the most beautiful serving dishes! Very ornate metal bowls and platters, perhaps imported from India, but what do we know. A medium-sized platter of Kesari Pilau (saffron rice), which looked as beautiful as it tasted (although that didn't stop us from eating it!). Three small (deceptively – they looked small, but we still needed a take-home bag!) bowls of the main courses. Don's Butter Chicken was awesome – very mild, but still packed with flavour. He ate the whole thing, to ensure we could put everything in the same take-out bag (and maybe because he liked it so much, too!). The Paneer had a nice kick to it, but wasn't too spicy – doubt we'd want to go to the "3" spice dishes, but "2" was perfect. And the Vegetable Korma was a milder dish, a nice accompaniment to its spicier cousin. Lots of Naan, of course, to get every last drop of goodness! We did have to take some of the two vegetarian dishes home with us for lunch, but hey, we got to enjoy the food again! And it was delicious.
Dessert was nice and simple (which is good, because we were full, and still had to navigate the hill home!): Gulab Jamun, a single fried spongy ball, soaked in rose water – simple, not too sweet, but a nice way to end the evening.
We left the young first-date couple to their own devices and headed up the hill, silently wishing them a second date.
We will definitely return to Spice – nice environment, lovely staff, and incredible food.