Spice Delight dishes not only delicious, but also beautifully plated | Local Flavor
My friends and I had a true Indian feast recently at The Spice Delight in Munroe Falls.
The food was delicious and plentiful and the prices were great at this cheerful eatery in a small, suburban strip mall, owned by chef Hemanta "Heman" Adhikari. The delightfully friendly Adhikari clearly gets a lot of joy from sharing foods from his North Indian culture at his restaurant, with good reason.
During our dinner, I enjoyed a wonderful medley of Indian flavors with my friend Lisa and her son Dash, who have become regulars at this gem of a restaurant. Lisa's love for Indian food goes back 30 years, from New York to Los Angeles and in between.
In Munroe Falls, Indian music played at the casual Spice Delight, which is decorated with colored lights and has a small bar. Red-backed booths add a pretty pop of color inside the restaurant.
We started out with hot, fragrant chai ($2.99) and some appetizers.
The Spice Delight, open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, has a large menu with numerous vegan and gluten-free choices. That's important for Lisa, who is gluten-free and predominantly vegetarian, and Dash, who is vegan.
"One thing I like about Indian food is I can eat vegetarian," Lisa said.
Diners receive complimentary papadam (thin, lentil wafers) in a basket with house-made tamarind and mint chutneys. I enjoyed the crispy, light papadam for the first time, alternating dipping pieces into the ultra-fresh mint and deliciously sweet tamarind chutneys.
Lisa and Dash shared their favorite masala papadam ($4.99), a gluten-free, vegan appetizer also featuring the lentil wafers, topped with diced onion, tomato, julienned carrot, herbs and Indian spices. I tried a bite and unknowingly bit into a hot green chili that set my mouth on fire.
Both Lisa and Dash like their food really spicy, whereas I'm on the moderate to low side.
"I eat spicy stuff constantly and this is very spicy, I'd say," said Dash.
After that, I stuck to my delicious chilli paneer appetizer ($14.99), a large serving of deep-fried paneer (Indian cheese) with a Szechuan-like sauce and chili paste, served with sauteed bell pepper and onion. The sweet, mildly spicy dish was wonderful and so rich, I took most of it home to share with my family.
Dash also enjoyed two huge vegetable samosas ($4.99), deep-fried flaky pastry stuffed with potatoes, peas, Indian herbs and spices. He and Lisa pronounced the flavorful samosas nicely spiced.
"I've never had a giant samosa," Dash said.
"It's delicious," Lisa responded.
The Spice Delight offers 16 types of tandoor breads baked in a tandoor, a clay oven used to make leavened and unleavened flatbreads. Dash enjoyed tandoori roti ($2.99), an unleavened flat bread made from whole wheat, which he topped with vegan butter.
The roti had a yellower color than the naan ($2.99) Lisa ordered, which is a leavened, yeast-free bread baked in a tandoor. Lisa dipped her naan in raita ($3.49), a whipped yogurt blended with cucumber.
Owner hails from North India
Adhikari opened his restaurant just over 15 months ago. He and his wife moved from New York to Cuyahoga Falls early in the pandemic to be with his wife's parents.
The restaurateur, who hails from the Assam state of North India, worked for a decade in Indian restaurants in New York, New Jersey and Baltimore before moving to Ohio.
During our dinner, he was very accommodating answering our questions about various menu items and their ingredients.
Beautiful presentation
At The Spice Delight, the food's not only delicious, the colorful dishes also have great visual appeal.
I oohed and aahed at how beautiful my tandoori chicken looked when it came out sizzling on a hot skillet. The dramatic presentation was a lovely surprise.
"The aesthetics are really, really good — the plating and also just the amazing colors," Dash agreed of the food.
The tandoori chicken ― marinated overnight in yogurt, ginger, garlic, red chili, onion power, coriander powder and turmeric powder — was wonderfully moist and deliciously seasoned. I ordered a half order of this delightful dish ($10.99) at a medium spice level, both of which were just right for me.
The Spice Delight's large menu has 12 chicken specialties, 10 tandoori dishes, 12 lamb and goat specialties, nine vegan entrees and much more. Entree prices range from $10.99 for the half order of tandoori chicken to $29.99 for tandoori lamb chops.
For his entree, Dash experienced the comforting goodness of vegan, gluten-free tadka daal ($12.99), which are yellow lentils cooked with onions, ginger chili, herbs and spices, served over rice.
Lisa's entree was vegan okra masala ($13.99), featuring fresh okra cooked in onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and spices. The dish is a big favorite for both Lisa and Dash.
After sampling and sharing a number of wonderful dishes, needless to say, we were all full.
"I always stuff myself with Indian but I can't help it," Dash explained.
Having dinner at The Spice Delight was a great way to continue my education in Indian fare. Next time, I'd like to try one of the biryani dishes, a mixed rice entree served with chicken, vegetable, lamb, shrimp, goat or paneer.
Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.
Details
Restaurant: The Spice Delight
Address: 14 S. Main St. No. 4, Munroe Falls
Hours: Lunch 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., dinner 4 to 9:45 p.m. Monday through Sunday
Information: 234-334-5955 or thespicedelightohio.com
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Spice Delight in Munroe Falls shines light on North Indian food
