ONE of Penang island's newest outlets, the Spice 'n Rice Restaurant is something unusual in Penang. They serve good Indian food in a trendy, fine dining environment.
Located at the corner of Green Hall, the restaurant is housed in a historic 19th century building which used to be the headquarters of the North Malaya Chinese Textile and General Merchants’ Association.
The beautifully-restored shophouse is owned and run by former Miss Malaysia International, the gorgeous Andrea Franklin, 31, and her lawyer husband. Her equally lovely sister-in-law Sherina Begum helps out as the operations manager.
The dishes, from different parts of India, are cooked by chefs specially brought in from the sub-continent. They are quite different to our local Indian dishes, but just as delicious.
Instead of coconut, yoghurt or finely-ground nuts make up the base.
A slow cooking process imbues the meat or vegetables with the gorgeous aroma of the spices, resulting in a delicious, thick curry perfect for scooping up with a hot, moist piece of home-made naan or paratha bread, (of which they have a good selection).
The curries are also great eaten with fragrant pilau or briyani made with non-sticky basmati.
The Chicken Parettal, a South Indian dish cooked in spicy masala, is a good choice, and so are the Mutton Rogan Gosh and their special, Pepper Prawn. The Chicken Curry was great, quite hot and spicy, but it can be toned down with a yoghurt raita if you prefer it milder.
Peppery: (clockwise) Garlic Naan, Vegetable Pilau and Chicken Parettal
For starters, what about a tender Murg Masalam, a quarter tandoori chicken topped with a mild, tasty cheese sauce, or a crispy fried samosa?
The Fish Tikka is a good low-fat choice but there are soups and a healthy selection of salads and vegetable dishes.
Roasted to perfection: Fish tikka marinated in yoghurt, herbs and spices.
No comments:
Post a Comment