Menu packs a punch

Report from TimesOut Thursday March 23 2006 by Dinertec

Talk about giving a fella an inferiority complex. Parking at the Spice Indian restaurant should come with a health warning liable to induce acute car-envy.

Bothwell Road with its gleaming forecourt Bentleys, Beamers and brand new saloons would give James Bond food for thought.

The Moll can't take her eyes off a racy little Aston Martin so I step on the gas and power us to our destination next door before she gets designs on trading me in for a younger model.

Spice is no shoddy neighbour to this opulent display.

The gleaming white exterior of this converted two-storey villa is tastefully lit and welcoming.

Inside the look is modern and sumptuous with neutral tones, thick carpets, subtle spotlights and comfy chairs.

The menu is comprehensive with a good range of traditional Indian dishes and enough spiced-up variations to suite the play-safers and the adventurous.

We order a reasonably-priced bottle of Australian Colombard Chardonnay while we ponder the menu.

The Moll throws down the zingy gauntlet by plumping for a mixed tikka tandoori to my aloo tiki selection.

Neither starter takes the breath away on sight, but they pack a mean punch.

"They don't call this place Spice for nuthin'" gasps the Moll, as she tears into her marinated chicken and lamb.

My aloo tiki resembles two disc-like golden poatoe fritters, although combined with the fiery red suace - offered in a quirky pot - they make a pleasing combination.

Spice has its service down pat; enough time to graze before plates were removed and a generous breather ahead of the mains.

The Moll could barely contain her excitement as her fizzing, spitting chicken lyllpuri arrived, turning heads around the restaurant.

It is a blisteringly hot dish of barbecued chicken mixed with fried mushrooms, onions and capsicums served with a side of masala sauce.

My butter chckcen masala looked positively tame by comparison; the generous chunks of chicken bathed in a sinfully moreish sauce.

Spice was on its way to becoming a destination restaurant had it not been for a few silly drawbacks.

Firstly the plates weren't nearly hot enough. Secondly the rice portions were meagre compared to the mains.

The real disappointment though, was the garlic nan which looked like a block of Lurpak had been melted on top of it. I made a feeble attempt at eating it but the grease was prohibitive.

The Moll couldn't have cared less about these minor grievances; her chicken lyllpuri barely touched the sides and she was close to proclaiming it oen of her favourite dishes ever.

My butter chicken masala was the stuff of dreams too.

After a valiant ettempt was made and the table groaned a little less under the weight of food, our thoughts turned to desserts.

These were of the Crolla ice-cream freezer variety.

The Moll's coconut surprise came with a surpise drizzle of toffee sauce and a squirt of cream, making it look more pleasing than the laminated ohoto she'd pointed to.

My lemon sorbet looked identical to almost every other I've encountered, rendering it a soothing ending to a mostly agreeable meal.

In all, Spice only needs to step up a gear to put it into formula one.

What to look out for

Keenly concocted dished served in beautiful surroundings.

What to avoid

The nan ......... unles grease is your thing.

Starters

Aloo tiki £2.95
Mixed tika £4.50

Mains

Chicken lyllpuri £8.95
Butter chicken masala £8.95

Accompaniments

Garlic nan £2.95
2 x fried rice ££4

Desserts

Coconut surprise £2.95
Lemon sorbet £ 2.95

Drinks

Bottle of Colombard Chardonnay £10.45