Spices of India

When I read about Spices of India's $12.90++ lunch buffet deal, I knew I had to give it a try someday. Located within the premises of Hotel Rendezvous at the Dhoby Ghaut end of Orchard Road, Spices of India shows you how you can mix comfortable ambience with decent food at affordable prices.


The buffet variety is extensive enough for its price, and has a balance of vegetables, meats, and some sweets. I hear that they do make small changes to the buffet menu from time to time, but the following was what I had when I visited Spices of India last Thursday. Overall I would give it a rating in between a 3.5 and 3.75 on 5, and much of it is on its price competitiveness. I have yet to try the buffet lunch at Zaika though, I've been meaning to for a long while but I haven't been able to find the time. Perhaps some of you would like to try it out and then tell me how it is? :)

Garlic Naan


The garlic naan wasn't as strongly flavoured with garlic as others may like it, but I thought this gentle infusion was good enough for me. Would have been better if it was slightly less burnt, otherwise it was fine.

Tandoori Chicken


I love my tandoori chicken and this one from Spices of India was pretty alright as well. It's not served at the buffet bar and would be served to you at the start of the meal as an "appetiser". Of course if you want more, you could always ask for it, as I did.

Potato Samosas


This was served alongside the tandoori chicken, and what I would call the "real" appetiser. Quite tasty with potatoes and peas in them. The other appetiser served at the buffet bar is Mushroom Soup, which is different from Western-styled mushroom soups because of the different herbs and spices used.

Fish Vindaloo


The vindaloo is a sweet and sour type of curry that I found more sweet than anything else. It's not spicy so this is one of the few items that children can enjoy.

Mutton Masala


The mutton masala was one of the best dishes here, and for a couple of reasons. The thick masala gravy could be used as a delicious dip for your naan, while the mutton pieces were cooked to such soft tenderness that you don't need a jaw exercise at all. Goes well with the fragrant briyani rice.

Paneer Mattar


This was a tofu-based dish, but I didn't like it that much because the tofu was quite hard and dry. I realised this is because they deep-fry the tofu first, which is actually necessary because you wouldn't want your customers making a mess of this dish if the tofu was too soft.

Aloo Ghobi


My friends said this was alright, just cauliflower and potatoes really.

I was quite surprised I did not take any pictures of the Chicken Adraki, which was just chicken curry really but at least it tasted very good. There was also the Dhal Maharani (I learnt it's a type of Indian gravy with lentils and chickpeas in it) that I did not try. Desserts meanwhile included the sweet Gulab Jamun and fresh cut fruits. Finally, wash it all down nicely with aromatic coffee.

Service
Excellent. The service staff treated us as well as they treated the Caucasian tourists/expats or Indian diners.

Price
$12.90++ per person.

Place
Rendezvous Hotel, #01-01.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.