Star of India (Now Spice Kitchen)

Reviews

• RG

  Rheda Gerlock

  4 days ago
  5.0
  I placed an order online for pick up at 5:30 - confirmation indicated order would be ready at 5:45. I called at 5:20 to check the progress of the order and was told it was ready for pick up. I suggest they refine this system as I prefer to pick up food when ready, rather than after it's been sitting for awhile. The new owners season the dishes than the previous Star of India recipes - still very good. I like the option of heat level mild + as this is the right level for us. Great masala. Good portions.
• MG

  Max Gurule

  Aug 8, 2026
  5.0
  People think hunger is the desire for food. It isn’t. Hunger is memory searching for a familiar address. Spice Kitchen, formerly Star of India, understands this. A restaurant can change its name the way a snake sheds its skin, but if the soul survives the transformation, then all you’ve witnessed is evolution. I ordered the chicken vindaloo, hot. Not “internet challenge” hot. Not the sort of heat designed to punish your life choices. The intelligent kind. Just enough to make your nose run a bit, persuade a few beads of sweat onto your brow, and remind you that comfort is often overrated. Spice, like truth, is most effective when it commands respect rather than demands surrender. Each bite carried me back to Brick Lane in London, where the curry houses line the streets like philosophers arguing through spices instead of words. Nostalgia is a peculiar thing. Sometimes it arrives in the form of a familiar scent and politely reminds you that you’ve been several different people throughout your life. The naan was flawless. Soft where it should be, blistered where it mattered, and possessing the quiet confidence of something that knows perfection requires no advertising. Bread is civilization in its simplest form. This was excellent civilization. At one point, the owner came out personally to ask how the food was. That simple gesture tells you something. Restaurants can serve excellent meals, but hospitality is a different ingredient altogether. It can’t be bought in bulk, and it certainly can’t be faked. The waitress was equally exceptional, pleasant, attentive, and always appearing at precisely the right moment, as though she’d quietly mastered the physics of good service. Never intrusive. Never absent. That’s a rarer talent than most people realize. To accompany the meal, I enjoyed one bottle of Old Monk 10000. One bottle. That is all one requires. A second bottle isn’t a beverage; it’s a negotiation with tomorrow. Spice Kitchen doesn’t chase trends or demand your attention. It simply prepares remarkable food, treats its guests like they’re welcome, and waits patiently for you to discover that excellence rarely needs to raise its voice. Five stars. Some restaurants feed you dinner. The rare ones quietly transport you to another continent while never asking you to leave your chair.
• RL

  R Lee

  Aug 5, 2026
  5.0
  Star of India has been one of our top 2 favorite local restaurants for approximately 20 years, and we were nervous about the recent change in ownership. There was no need for worry, since our recent meal was just as delicious as ever. I am relieved the spice levels were retained -- the Mild+ level is perfect for us. Our other favorite Indian Restaurant -- India's Clay Oven near Park Meadows -- featured a flatbread called Cherry Kulcha that we'd been unable to find since the restaurant's closing years ago. We were quite pleased to find that Star of India/Spice Kitchen now offers Kabuli Naan, which was very similar in our most recent meal. My only suggestion is that the online menu include descriptions and/or pictures for their menu items.
• JB

  Jay Bishtawi

  Jul 24, 2026
  5.0
  The food and the staff are AMAZING. We had the chicken tandoori and the combo tandoori. Both were incredible (not too salty and very flavorful). They both came out on sizzling plates and had steam coming off of them! They served us a complimentary appetizer called papadum w/2 sauces, and it was out of this world. Love that a side of masala sauce and saffron rice are included with the entree. VERY authentic and delicious. The staff was perfectly attentive too (but not so attentive that we couldn't have a nice conversation). They also have a nice selection of Indian and Nepalese beer.
• CS

  Cesar Enrique Sanchez

  Jul 18, 2026
  5.0
  My mother saw this was under new management so we went for lunch. It used to be Star of India which we enjoyed. What a great 👍 surprise! A really varied menu for lunch with Nepalese cuisine, and great CHAI!! It's house made and you can tell it is because of the time from ordering to when we received it. Made to order like their breads --- garlic and plain naan were excellent 👌! We received some pappadum to start with which were very light, crispy and good. Not greasy! We ordered the Chicken Korma and Aloo Gobi for opposite tastes to compare with basmati rice which comes with it. Again, we were impressed because the chicken was very tender as were the cauliflower and potatoes; moreover, the different curries were very tasty and not overwhelming in flavor where you couldn't taste the other ingredients. Our server did a great job and answered our questions while making sure we were happy 😊! One observation is our server asked how we wanted our curries 🍛-- mild, medium or spicy. That is plus because sometimes you have to tell servers in other places. The restaurant was clean and airy. Now they just started this place so I'm sure more will be done with how they want their ambience to be. Overall, a very nice surprise with great food and priced right with good portions! Will be back!