What’s on offer?
A taxi driver from the Punjab told me his favourite takeaway is Spice and Rice on Clanbrassil Street. He said to order the Nihari. That was nearly a year ago, and the dish is no longer on the menu.
On its website, Spice and Rice Dublin describes itself as an established Indian takeaway with “years of experience” and a “reputation for excellence,” offering dishes made with premium ingredients and traditional spices. The menu includes items such as tandoori chicken makhani, prawn biryani, kebabs, curries and vegetarian options, all prepared “with care and passion”.
What did we order?
Vegetable samosa, aloo paneer kumbi, seekh kebab, tandoori chicken, bhindi dupiaza with pilau rice, lamb doner kebab meal with chips, and tarka dal with pilau rice.
How was the service?
Ordering was via Just Eat. The interface worked but gave no way to print or view a detailed receipt, and the confirmation email didn’t list individual dishes. Delivery was on time, with food arriving hot and well packaged, but unlabelled containers meant each item had to be identified manually.
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Was the food nice?
Five vegetable samosas in crisp golden pastry were generously filled with peas and small cubed potatoes. Four aloo paneer kumbi, like deep-fried pakoras in dark golden batter, were stuffed with mushroom and paneer – tasty, though the mushrooms left them a little watery inside.
Four seekh kebabs were well flavoured but let down by a reheated texture. The quarter tandoori chicken on the bone was underwhelming – no tandoori char and bones untouched by heat.
The bhindi dupiaza was good. Okra, cooked slowly in a spicy tomato sauce with onions and coriander, was tender; the pilau was standard – yellow-tinted and lightly seasoned.
The lamb doner kebab meal with chips faltered on the lamb – dry and overcooked – but the chips, seemingly hand cut, beat those you’d find in most chippers.
The tarka dal was another highlight, the lentils a mix of whole and soft, with assertive but balanced spicing.
What about the packaging?
The food arrived in brown paper bags, packed in styrofoam, plastic and foil containers, none of them marked.
What did it cost?
€62.81 for dinner for four people: vegetable samosa, €5.95; aloo paneer kumbi, €5.95; seekh kebab, €7.95; tandoori chicken, €7.95; bhindi dupiaza with pilau rice, €12.45; North Indian garlic lamb with naan, €14.45; lamb doner kebab meal with chips, €11.95; and tarka dal with pilau rice, €12.45; plus €3 delivery, minus €19.29 Thursday discount.
Where does it deliver?
Delivery daily via Just Eat, 5pm-1am.
Would I order it again?
I would reorder some dishes – especially the okra – and, if I lived nearby, I’d be in regularly for those chips.
