New rice and curry place? Yes, please! A few feet away from the railway crossing on Poorwarama Road, Spice and Curry is a spot we’ve had our eyes on for a few weeks.
The Food
There’s nothing special when it comes to the menu. You can select 4 veggies and a meat item with red, white or yellow rice. I got a Red Rice (Rs. 300) with Maalu Ambul Thiyal, Mallun, Dhal, Kesel Muwa and Pumpkin, which was a delicious meal.
The curries, as their name suggests were full of spices like culinary seeds (thuna paha), cumin and mustard seeds. The kesel muwa especially was my favourite. The fish was marinated perfectly with just the right amount of spiciness. The rice tasted a little dry, which might be because it was a cheap type of rice but it didn’t really stop me.
We also tried a Devilled Chicken Fried Rice (Rs. 500) which came with a side of chop-suey, chilli paste and a boiled egg. It was a little underwhelming because it tasted more like garlic rice than fried rice. It wasn’t seasoned well either. It was similar to the ones you get at Pilawoos.
While I’m all for using very little oil in food, a fried rice, in particular, has to have a bit more oil compared to the rest, and this one didn’t. The chicken had not much to comment on. Chilli paste was your regular chilli paste but we liked the chop-suey. The veggies were fresh and a little raw, just how we liked it.
For dessert, we got a Cream Caramel (Rs. 200). It was served warm so we’re guessing they had just made it. It tasted alright but definitely would have been better if it was popped in the fridge for a couple of hours.
The Drinks
We were blown away by their drinks. You don’t really expect a rice and curry place to serve such great fruit juices. The Watermelon Juice (Rs. 150) and the Orange Juice (Rs. 200) were so delicious and refreshing. The fruits were fresh with lots of natural flavours seeping through every sip. Highly impressed.
Service & Ambience
The staff was friendly and efficient. There were more takeaway orders than dine-in but our food arrived on time which was nice. There were a lot of flies around but they have taken measures to get rid of them, which is more than what we can say about certain other places.
With food in clay pots and the ordering counter made out of small logs and palm thatched roofs if feels like a small little village hut, whereas the eating area has tiled floors with wooden tables and chairs.
Overall
We highly recommend this place. The only problem is the location. It’s a bit of a drive from the main road so unless you’re taking a shortcut you might not come across it. That being said, it’s worth the drive because the food is delicious.