5 Tables and a Plywood Wall

Spice'n'Hot (India) - Highly Recommended

Malden, MA 02148

Open Everyday

We used to go to a little Indian place when we lived in Connecticut: small, family-owned, amazing food, and prices so low I wondered how they paid the rent. It has been a while since we moved to Boston, and most of the Indian food we've had could not hold a candle to our (now closed) little favorite. 

Two years ago we moved to Malden, just North of Boston. We noticed a very small Indian store when we were following the moving truck... "huh, could buy spices there" we thought. It wasn't until we were unpacking our last box (2 weeks later!) and going out for a bite to eat, that we noticed that the door next to the Indian store was an oddly named restaurant: "Spice'n'Hot (India)." Very weird... why the heck is "India" in parentheses? We ordered some samosa and two dinners for $17 bucks and took it back to our new place. It was great on flavor, but the sauces were kind of thin; the samosa, however, were amazing, crispy-but-not-oily and with a deliciously-rich potato center that was not heavy. We weren't blown away.  It was OK, and we could walk to it. 

Flash forward two months: we stop in to get another few samosa and a bite to eat... whoa, he has gotten better. Sauces are rich but not fatty; they are smooth and layered with complex flavor. This is the kind of Indian food that I imagine fits the bill as "home cooking." The best part is that we are watching the training and development of this man's skill and ease in the kitchen. His demeanor is always warm, his unwavering dedication appreciated, and his specialty of the house, samosa chaat (2 samosa covered with a chickpea saute, sweet chutney, fresh onion, and cilantro), is a must order. 

One man, great food, 5 tables and a plywood wall.