CLIFTON PARK — What you eat is a mirrored image of the lengthy historical past of the place you reside and who was there earlier than you. That’s true irrespective of the place you might be. A rustic’s delicacies is sort of a language: It’s continually altering, including new phrases and reflecting the affect of its inhabitants.
The delicacies of the Malabar area is influenced by Arabian, Persian, Indian and European kinds. Spice Malabar, cognizant that this can be a altering world, provides American to that record. That’s an commentary, not a criticism.
The restaurant’s decor is serene; modern and upscale suburban, based on my pal Amy, which is excellent for the neighborhood. The supplies are stone, wooden, glass and different laborious surfaces that replicate noise. There are cushioned seats and banquettes, and many room between tables. Tasteful recessed lighting makes it smooth — on a winter night the environment is sort of medical. Not cozy, however definitely spotless.
We received there simply after opening on a weeknight. Spice Malabar opens for a lunch buffet and later once more at 5 p.m. for dinner. It wasn’t busy but however steadily stuffed up.
The buffet presents quite a lot of starters and mains, each vegetarian and meat-based, however the dinner menu is broad and deep.
You would make a meal of starters and road snacks, which we nearly did. There’s bhel poori ($6), made with spicy puffed rice, and different appetizers reminiscent of samosas ($6) and the Malabar veggie sampler ($14). There’s dosa ($10), skinny pancakes of lentils and rice full of sambar, a lentil-based vegetable stew, and chutney. There’s additionally shrimp in creamy sauce ($12) and the Malabar meat sampler ($16), and various kebabs.
The Spice Malabar specials are their entrees, all $30, fairly elaborate if our easier meals have been something to go by. There’s rack of lamb, fish or jumbo shrimp cooked in coconut milk and tomatoes, with spices and curry leaves, and fish in banana leaf. The specials include vegetable biryani and broccoli.
Tandoori dishes are moderately priced, from vegetable tandoori and Indian cheese known as paneer ($18), to garlic hen ($19) and jumbo shrimp ($23). Biryani, a rice-based dish, comes with egg ($15), hen ($18) and shrimp ($20), amongst others.
Naan, like bread in lots of eating places, is further. Plain is $3; loaded (latch paratha) is $6.
Crowd-pleaser hen tikka masala, in a light tomato and cream sauce, is $19, hen vindaloo with pickled red-chili sauce is $18. There are lamb and goat specials, seafood specials, and vegetarian and vegan mains.
Amy and I have been seated alongside the banquette after the restaurant simply opened and it was a bit chilly inside. A server welcomed us. One other introduced us menus. A 3rd individual introduced crispy pappadam and attractive dips: a candy onion chutney that tasted pickled and a vibrant inexperienced, cilantro-forward cool dip that packed a bit of warmth.
Meantime we’d put in our order. It didn’t take lengthy for our appetizers to reach. We had fancy vegetable samosas fantastically offered ($6) and ragada ($10), mashed potato patties on a mattress of chickpeas.
I’d anticipated plain turnovers for samosas; these have been far more elegant and flavorful, deep-fried and crispy shells full of peas, potato and chickpeas. “It’s like an Indian knish,” I mentioned to Amy, munching one. With added warmth.
The presentation set the tone for the remainder of the meal. The samosas have been crisp molded pyramids set in a mattress of salad greens, garnished with shredded carrot and a flower created from a crimson pepper. The sauce reminded Amy of applesauce, although it was no such factor, nevertheless it was heat from cinnamon and candy. It was pretty.
The ragada arrived subsequent, one other elaborate dish fantastically offered and garnished. Right here, the delicate breaded mashed-potato desserts have been topped with vibrant inexperienced pea sauce, toasted coconut, chopped cilantro and crimson onion, served over seasoned chickpeas. There was quite a bit happening.
The chickpeas have been so scrumptious they made me rethink chickpeas fully. Cooked into absolute silkiness, and together with the sauce and chopped herbs and greens, they simply went to a different stage. I had no concept.
“We may have made a meal of those,” mentioned Amy, gesturing towards the plates.
My hen tandoori ($18, half order) introduced itself by scorching loudly and sending up waves of aromatic steam, however the plump hen items have been what received my consideration. There have been 4 items, three minimize from a big, bone-in half breast and an ideal drumstick, pink from seasoning and so, so juicy.
That is probably the most American tandoori hen I’ve ever had and I don’t imply that in a nasty approach. The plump items have been exceptionally juicy, tender and moist. That’s how Spice Malabar expects its clients need the favored dish.
And factors to them: They’ve tandoori hen wings on their menu as effectively. When in Rome …
The hen retained its moisture and taste fantastically. Somewhat little bit of pores and skin and fats crisped up across the edges — scrumptious. I wouldn’t be stunned to search out meat this moist underneath a layer of breading and pulled from a deep fryer, however that this was cooked with out the pores and skin is wonderful.
The leftovers have been wonderful, even higher as a result of I may eat them with my fingers, which turned a bit yellow from the scrumptious spices. The moist meat and charred ends made it among the best issues I’ve eaten.
We’d ordered onion naan ($4) to go along with our meal. The dough was patted in a circle and baked, minimize into 4 items and tucked right into a paper-lined basket. It was puffed and blistered across the edges, buttered within the center, and topped with flecks of inexperienced onion and different greens. “I like the way it’s stretchy and gentle inside, and crispy on the surface,” mentioned Amy. I discovered it pillowy, just like the softest pizza crust ever. Consolation meals.
It additionally reheated fantastically and was simply pretty much as good the subsequent day.
Amy ordered Chana Masala ($15), a chickpea dish in a creamy spiced sauce with ginger, onions, tomato, garlic and spices. “The chickpeas are spiced completely. The sauce has just a bit warmth,” she mentioned.
It got here with a dish of blindingly white rice accented with contemporary inexperienced peas. “I like that they put peas in right here for colour,” mentioned Amy as she scooped some onto her plate.
After a couple of bites she mentioned, “I’d positively come again right here.” She has loved many good meals at Karavalli in Latham, the household’s different location.
The following day I acquired a photograph of Amy’s lunch, served fantastically over greens. She recommended it might be even higher the subsequent day. All informed, it made 4 servings.
The workers checked in on us to ensure we have been having fun with our meal and topping off our water glasses with out being annoying. There was a short look forward to the primary course and simply the correct interval till the meals got here out.
At this level, Spice Malabar received the one demerit of the evening: When the gorgeous entrees got here out, we needed to shift plates of samosa and ragada and baskets of pappadam and condiments. Fortunately the desk was a beneficiant measurement, nevertheless it was all confusion.
I’m not sleek or coordinated when transferring leftovers from giant plates into small containers. “Can we now have these wrapped?” I requested the server. And right here precisely is the road between positive and informal eating: “I’ll deliver you packing containers,” he replied.
He was pretty much as good as his phrase, promptly delivering pint plastic containers and brown luggage, including much more chaos to the already crowded desk. We pushed away what wanted wrapping and moved the brand new plates round to {photograph}, and eat.
We slopped our leftover appetizers into the containers. On the finish of the subsequent course, we repeated our request, and somebody arrived with many extra pint containers and a few aluminum thermal wrap.
As soon as we’d packed every part, Amy identified that her brown bag was exhibiting a darkish spot on the backside, “And I understand how you’re feeling about your automobile,” she mentioned, considerately.
We have been in a position to procure plastic luggage, which solved the issue.
This isn’t to criticize Spice Malabar, simply to say they exist in that house the place the meals and environment are upscale nevertheless it’s not fairly positive eating. And factors to them once more, they exceeded expectations and fooled us.
Once I was small and my mother and father got here dwelling from dinner at a elaborate restaurant they typically introduced leftovers wrapped in foil by the workers, made into numerous shapes, the swan being probably the most memorable.
I don’t want a swan, I simply want somebody with higher abilities and implements to pack away the leftovers for me typically. “The one demerit,” mentioned Amy.
Apart from that, we liked our meal and the nice and cozy and gracious workers. “I’ll positively come again,” Amy mentioned, as she tucked her three-plus-days’ price of leftovers fastidiously into the house behind the entrance passenger seat of my automobile — in its plastic bag.
Caroline Lee is a contract author who lives in Troy. Attain her at [email protected].
Spice Malabar
WHERE: 7 Southside Drive, Clifton Park (The Retailers at Village Plaza); (518) 478-8087; spicemalabar.com
WHEN: Open for lunch from midday to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday by way of Thursday and till 3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday;
for dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; and till 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Closed Monday.
HOW MUCH: $67.61 for dinner, with tax and tip
MORE INFO: ADA compliant. Parking in lot. Bank cards: Mastercard, Visa, American Categorical, Uncover. Apple Pay.
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