Soul & Spice as the name may suggest, stands for home style Indian cooking. We have been invited here to sample their winter special menu by Vishesh Manaktala, the owner. Vishesh tells us how he started this after his adjoining restaurant, Coffee & Chai because he wanted people to experience his family’s heirloom recipes. The interiors are spacious and interesting, somewhat Indian minimalistic (if there’s any such genre) with some quirky Indian utensils displayed on shelves and clean lines of furniture. The place does seem popular as it quickly fills up at lunchtime.

We start with some beverages, Nimbu pani,  Aam Panna and Jaljeera, they come in a cute terracotta jars, the Indian equivalent of the now ubiquitous Mason jar. All the drinks are pleasant and refreshing but I feel the Aam Panna could do with a little more flavouring.

Our first dish is a platter of Veg Galauti and Paneer Tikka (Rs 350). The Veg galauti was excellent, soft and perfectly spiced, one of the best I have had. Paneer tikka was also soft and juicy, but a bit bland, maybe a little stronger marination will make it perfect.

                    Veg Galauti and Paneer Tikka

Our next dish is a Non-veg platter (Rs 450) with Mutton Seekh Kebab , Fish Amritsari and Chicken tikka. The fish is nicely spiced and ‘chatpata’, the chicken tikka is flavoured & cooked well. The Mutton seekh kebab is not extraordinary, its the usual kebab one can expect in restaurants. We finish this and are presented with a special kebab called Chicken Banno Kebab (Rs 375), this one is succulent and nicely flavoured, marinated with egg and besan and spices.

                Non Veg Platter                                 Chicken Banno Kebab

We move to the mains and the first dish is a platter of Parathas (Rs 250) served with Chole. The Veg paratha is nice enough, but it’s the Keema paratha which we love. Though as per my lunch partner, Anshu, Keema paratha should be served with a mutton gravy and not chole. Well, never mind that, the chole are quite nice and I proceed to finish them off.

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                            Veg and Keema Paratha

Next we are served a Langarwali Dal (Rs 250) and some mixed tandoori rotis/parathas. The dal is rustic, home-style and delicious. The accompanying tandoori rotis and Lachcha parathas are interesting and I particularly like the Mirchi one.

                Langarwali Dal                                    Lachcha Parathas

Now its time for their pièce de résistance which we have been looking forward to, the Home style mutton curry (Rs 375). And we are not disappointed at all, its really homestyle, without any over-powering garam masala or any fiddly bits of whole masala. The gravy is delicious and the mutton is perfectly cooked. My lunch partners, Anshu and Shivendu want it to be more spicier but I find it perfect as is.

                           Home style mutton curry

No Indian meal can be complete without a dessert and here we are offered three of them. A Litchi Kheer (Rs 200) is cool and nice but the litchi bits & flavor do nothing to enhance the taste and I would rather have the original version. Gajar halwa (Rs 200) is good and I like that its not overloaded with sugar..

                   Litchi Phirni                                          Gajar Halwa

It’s the Prasad ka halwa (Atta halwa, Rs 200) which I find absolutely delicious.  I don’t have much of a sweet tooth but I just cant stop myself from digging my spoon again and again in this softest halwa, redolent with ghee, a true soul food.

                                Prasad ka Halwa

So if you are in the mood for some homestyle Indian food in a nice, quiet ambience, you know where to go. I will surely be back, especially for the Mutton curry, the dal and the Prasad ka halwa.

Please note: This review was done on an invitation from the restaurant to taste their food, and no bill was presented to the author. While the author assures you of objectivity, the review may be influenced by the personalized attention the author got.

Ratings (Out of 5)                                         

Food: 4.0 | Ambience: 4.0 | Service: 4.0 | Value: 3.5

Meal for two: Rs.1000-1200 | Alcohol: No | Credit Card: Yes | Wheel chair friendly: Yes

Address:

Tel: 9953956543, 9899097873