Thumbs Up for Spice Up House of Indian Cuisine
Flavors at this two-year-old Northern Indian and Nepali hole-in-the-wall are bright, bold and balanced.
Photo: Thomas Obungen
After getting multiple recommendations about an Indian place on South King Street, my boyfriend and I had to check it out. With its location on such a busy thoroughfare near Ala Moana Center, we can’t believe it took us this long to discover Spice Up House of Indian Cuisine. Dinner here was so good I told the editors at Frolic—and found out they already knew about Spice Up.
Separately, they tried the restaurant when it opened more than two years ago. Both said they experienced bland dishes then but would come back with me for a second visit. This time, after our hearty lunch of flavorful, well-executed dishes and no misses, we all agreed: Spice Up has glowed up.
The restaurant has only eight tables spaced comfortably apart, giving it a bright, airy feel. The menu has some Nepali dishes, including momo dumplings, but is mostly pages of North Indian appetizers and curries. Here are some recommendations to start with:
Photo: Thomas Obungen
Chicken Malai Tikka, $17.45
This dish comes out sizzling on a cast iron platter. You can hear the crackling under the bed of softly cooking bell peppers, onions and chicken and see steam rising. The cast iron keeps the chicken warm—four large, boneless and skinless chunks of breast meat marinated in garlic, ginger, yogurt and other spices before it’s cooked on skewers placed in a clay tandoor oven. The creamy and succulent yogurt permeates the meat, which is juicy under bits of tandoor char. Other tandoor-grilled items include lamb, shrimp, mahi mahi and salmon.
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Garlic Naan, $3.95
Naan is a staple at Indian restaurants, but I have never experienced it so fluffy and fresh. Also cooked in the tandoor, it’s soft and chewy with crispy bubbles. Spice Up offers naan in plain or butter, garlic, cheese or garlic and cheese. Other choices are stuffed with onions, ground lamb keema curry or a mix of coconut and nuts. My favorite has to be the garlic naan because the mild flavors go well with curry. I find the cheese garlic naan is a little too oily, and you can’t taste real cheesy flavors.
Photo: Thomas Obungen
Chana Masala, $15.45
The famous chana (chickpea) dish is listed among the vegetable dishes. Cooked in a fragrant tomato sauce with onions and spices, the chickpeas are plump and softly moist. The bold curry pairs with the plain basmati rice that comes with our lamb curry (and that you can order as a side for a dollar or two more) and makes for a perfect simple meal if you are dining solo. Several paneer dishes are also on the vegetable menu along with aloo matar, aloo saag and mixed vegetables.
Photo: Thomas Obungen
Lemon Fried Rice, $7.99
As a side dish, the lemon fried rice is a good accompaniment to bolder dishes because its flavors are light and refreshing. You can taste the subtle flavors of lemon and mustard seed and squeeze on more fresh lemon juice if you want. If you’re looking for a slight citrus lift and flavors that won’t steal the show, get the lemon fried rice. Otherwise, you’ll probably want a more seasoned biryani or the plain basmati rice.
Photo: Thomas Obungen
Lamb Rogan Josh, $18.95
This lamb curry, cooked in yogurt with house-made ghee and kashmiri spices, is rich and complex. The savoriness is a good complement to the flavor of the lamb, which is tender enough to bite into. It’s especially good scooped straight out of the bowl with pieces of naan (save the basmati rice that comes on the side for another dish). If you are not a huge fan of rogan josh, other curry options include korma curry, coconut curry, hot and spicy vindaloo—all offered with chicken, lamb or shrimp—and the top seller, butter chicken.
Spice Up doesn’t take reservations and can get busy, especially during dinner, when you sometimes see people waiting on the sidewalk. There’s a small parking lot in the back, but don’t plan to go on Tuesday—that’s the one day of the week they’re closed.
Open Wednesday to Monday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 5 to 8:30 p.m., 1289 S. King St., (808) 784-0338
