Cafe Spice Philadelphia Review
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Address: Cafe Spice Indian Bistro 35 S 2nd St Philadelphia, PA 19106 Other Philadelphia Indian Restaurants |
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Cafe Spice Philadelphia - Below Average Food; Brusque Service
Cafe Spice Philadelphia has changed a lot over the years - sadly, for the worse.First, the Kulfi - our favorite dessert at Cafe Spice - changed.
Now the food has taken a turn for the worse.
We've been to other Cafe Spice outposts in New York and New Jersey but the Philadelphia bistro on South 2nd St used to be our favorite.
Cafe Spice's deterioration saddens us because it was a standout Indian restaurant amidst the mostly dull South Asian food joints in Philadelphia. Indian restaurants in the U.S. typically have drab interiors, unfriendly service and uninteresting menus.
Cafe Spice dared to be different. It had a nice interior, friendly service, good food and a nice bar.
The interiors are still the same at the Philadelphia Cafe Spice but alas, the food is now below average and the service so-so.
Further, some of the fine dishes are not available during lunch now. For instance, Chicken Chettinad is no longer offered on the lunch menu. So on our recent visit we settled for Chicken Vindaloo ($9.95) and Kofta Nazakat ($8.95).
Chicken Vindaloo, Chicken 65, Papri Chaat
As we waited for our entrees, we started with some appetizers - Chicken Sixty-five ($7.25) and Papri Chaat ($6.00).Chicken Sixty-Five came way too crispy and had too much sauce on it. It was very bland and had little of the flavor we usually associate with the fiery Chicken Sixty-Five.
Perhaps to compensate for the bland Chicken sixty-Five, the chef sent out the Chicken Vindaloo with enough chilli powder for an Indian army. It was awful - just a fiery mass of meat in a bowl with little taste other than that of hot chillis.
Chaat is another perennial favorite for most Indians, who eat it at street-side carts in Mumbai and other cities. But the Papri Chaat at Cafe Spice was just too crunchy for our liking.
Our cup of woes overflowed with Kofta Nazakat, vegetable dumplings in a seasoned spinach sauce. This dish was also a disappointment. Way too bland for our palates.