It’s often said that the world food we’re served in the United States doesn’t really compare to the real thing in the country of origin. What we generally get is an americanized version, a twist on the traditional that might leave us curious. And unless you’ve actually traveled to those countries, it’s impossible to compare.
It is, however, always a good sign when you go to a restaurant and it’s frequented by the people that share its roots. And when you go to India Sweets & Spices, you’ll often find Indian people there.
“We serve authentic Indian food with a rich blend of myriad herbs and spices from all over India,” they say on their website. “India Sweets and Spices chai cafe serves traditional Indian food consisting of flavorful spices, rich curries, lentils, and other variations of freshly made rice and hand-made breads. Freshness is the key at India Sweets and Spices chai cafe, which sets us apart from other dining options in the local area. Over time, we have earned the reputation of serving mouth watering Indian dishes that reflect our time honored traditional recipe; bringing you the flavors we reminisce about when we think about home.”
That’s the key – this is Indian food cooked and served by Indian people, and it’s the food that brings them comfort. When you taste what they have to offer, the comfort is spread.
The items on their street food cart, including the Bhelpuri (spiced puffed rice), Papdi Chaat (a potato dish), and Chana Bhatura (Fried, filled puffed bread) are amazing.
But we wanted to sample a few different things, so we went for the Rice and Two Dishes Roti and Samosa combo. Naturally, this is served with a delicious slice of Roti flat bread, and a packed samosa.
There’s a choice of plain basmati rice, or lemon rice. We were feeling adventurous, so opted for the latter. It was worth it – the grains are marinated and spiced to perfection and the rice is delicious by itself.
For the first of the two dishes, we had a vegan spicy chicken curry. Obviously, the “chicken” is a soy alternative, but the curry sauce is so fragrant and full of flavor that you don’t notice.
We also had the Aloo Gobi, which is spiced potatoes and cauliflower. Of the two dishes, this was the best. The vegetables are cooked perfectly and spiced in a manner which enhances rather than overpowers their flavor. It all just works.
The good people at this fine establishment say that the food is authentic, and that’s good enough for us.
India Sweets & Spices is located at 9409 Venice Blvd., Culver City 90232. Call 310-857-5286 or visit indiasweetsnspices.com.