Bollywood Spices Indian Cuisine, 6006

A humble little Indian eatery where whats going on in the dining room is trumped by whats happening in the kitchen. Bollywood Spices are not in business for a fun-time atmosphere or an impress-the-pants-off-your-date dining experience, no. Bollywood Spices stand for honest Indian food prepared with loads of flavour, a tonne of love and very little grease.

 The sizeable menu was hard to narrow down so we asked for a recommendation or two and ended up with Tandoori Paneer Tikka - squares of ricotta cheese nestled under shells of soft onion and green capsicum. Yummy. 

Tandoori Panner Tikka $8.50

Of the curries we went for Aloo goobi, $12.50 which is a potato and cauliflower curry and the Goan fish. Each were complex and delicious to the taste, without being oily - added points!

Fish Goan Curry $15.90

Aloo Gobi $12.50

A side of kachumber salad to lighten the load. The salad was pretty standard, but very reasonably priced.

Kachumber salad $3.00

I believe you can just about always judge the talent of an Indian chef by the quality of the breads and rices. Complemetary papadums were airy and dissolved on the tongue. The plain prata was deliately baked and so obviously fresh. The fluffly scented rice was puffed to a T. Bollywood Spices proved my theory once more.

Plain Naan $2.50

Zeera Pluao $3.50

Bollywood Spices is subsequent visit worthy for Indian take-away when the curry pangs pounce, or a no efforts dine in dinner. Bollywood Spices is not a joint for group dates, although the full house on a rainy Tuesday night suggests otherwise. I'll put it down to a reputation among North Perthites for the most honest Indian food around.

Food: 4/5 - good choice of non-greasy, wholesome Indian cooked by a pro!
Ambience: 3/5 - not winning any awards here but its clean and sweet
Value: 5/5
Service: 4/5 -  food arrived in good time, no complaints otherwise.

Saffron Indian Restaurant, 6052

Riding home in a taxi a few weeks ago,  I was knocked out by the strong smell of curry permeating the car.  I asked my friend sitting next to me if she could smell it too. The cab driver overheard and explained it was his dinner sitting in the boot and asked if I wanted to try some of it….as enticing as it smelt, I kindly declined his offer. It would be just a little awkward stopping on the side of the road, at 3am, to eat curry out of the boot of a taxi, no?  Whilst on the topic of curry with the cabby, and feeling fatigued with my current resorts in Indian cuisine, I started quizzing him on the best places to get Indian around Perth. The driver told me without hesitation, "Saffron, Inglewood".  I asked him what he thought of Gogos Madras Curry House, my current trust in Indian. He branded them "average". Intriguing.  What I describe as amazing, this guy considers mediocre, and apparently that plain looking Indian restaurant opposite IGA and Tyre-power, has promise. Naturally, this became my next culinary inquisition.

Fish Goan Curry $23.50

The restaurant itself is a large open space, perfect for groups.  Hanging lights and wooden floor boards. Matching burgundy chairs and table cloths make for an uninspired but homely decor.

We ordered a serve of Vegetarian Samosas ($9.50) the Channa Masala ($15.90) Malai Kofta ($16.90), Fish Goan Curry ($23.50), a Kachumbar Salad ($4.50) and spiced Raita ($4.50) and wholemeal Paratha ($4.50) to mop up the curry sauce.

Channa Masala $19.50

Paratha $4.50

Tummies rumbling, the waitress brought over our entree Samosas.  Everyone at the looked at the epic Samosa with shared surprise -  they were MASSIVE. Three giant triangles of crunchy pastry filled with a mash of peas, carrots, potatoe and fragrant spices. The sauce that came with them was a treat for the taste buds too.

Epic Veg Samosas $9.50

Samosa dissection

Chana Masala was enjoyed by all - a mix of large, pulpy chickpeas and caramelised onions, flavoured with masala, coriander and cream.  My favourite dish was the Malai Kofta.  Soft, fluffy balls made from potato, cheese and chickpea flower, swimming in a creamy cashew nut sauce. Its no wonder that the creamiest, nuttiest curries always taste the best. We levelled out the rich curries with zesty Kachumber salad. Itty-bitty dices of cucumber, tomato and an unexpected carrot, doused in vinegar dressing.  

Malai Kofta $16.90

A word of warning: don't come here for an early dinner, with plans to catch the 7:10 movie, because the service isn't speedy.  It's not sloppily slow, but slow like the cooks are taking careful time with your meals.  To me the wait is a small sacrifice, especially when you get to pass the time with great friends and BYO wine.

Food: 4/5

Ambience: 2.5/5

Service: 2.5/5

Spice Shack, 6053

Its slim pickings out in Bayswater and Spice Shack is a welcome relief from the monotony of grotty lunch bars around this industrial area. I discovered this little oasis driving on my way to work one day and have been back a few times since trying their delicious Sri Lankan home cooking.

The curries are SO tasty and not to mention great value. 1 Meat + any mix of vegetable curry is $10.50 and 2 Meat + Veg combo is only $12.50. They also have a "Pick Me Up" pack, which they describe as a "quick, fresh and tightly packed box of takeaway goodies".
Its also nice to try some spicy food that's a little different from the plethora of Indian and Thai curry options around Perth. So today I got the special which was some sort of hot pot of Roast Pepper Chicken along with a Dahl, a Pumpkin curry and rice ($8.50). The rice was fragrant, light and not starchy. The chicken had a tasty smack of pepper and chilli and the pumpkin was mushy and mildly honeyed. I generally find Dahl to be a runny, bland excuse for a vegetarian curry but the Dahl I had today was a lovely lumpy texture and full of flavour.

Great taste and rotating daily specials have made spice Shack a lunch time favorite. They also sell a selection of refrigerated meals and Ceylonese snacks like Roti breads, cutlets ($1.50), fish cakes, curry puffs ($2.50) and a sweet home-recipe iced coffee. An assortment of curry pastes, chutneys and spice mixes are also available, making it possible for customers to make their own spicy creations at home.

Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Decor: 2/5
Value!: 5/5