Address:
Spice Melange
419 Main Street
Metuchen, NJ 08840
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Spice Melange
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Reviewer's Summary: Manna in Metuchen (NJ)
Amidst the endless Sahara of bad Indian restaurants in New Jersey, we stumble once in a rare while upon an oasis of fine Indian cuisine.
Spice Melange on Main Street in Metuchen, NJ is one such welcome oasis for weary travelers in desperate search of a good Indian meal.
What a refreshing change from the host of crappy Indian restaurants littering the New Jersey landscape, particularly in Edison and Iselin.
Fine Curries
During our frequent drives through Metuchen, we had noticed Spice Melange on the busy Main Street but never had a chance to stop by until the other day.
As we quietly walked into the restaurant, we were a little taken aback to see it totally deserted except for two employees (a Sikh chef and a Hindu (?) waiter) blissfully chatting away. As they espied us, the turbaned Sikh ran into the kitchen while the dark Hindu rushed toward us.
Famished as we were, we fell upon our food like lions after a wildebeest kill.
There was little at Spice Melange that did not met with our approval.
The hot and Tomato Soup soothed our inner chill while Brocolli Pakoras were crisp, spicy and tasty. Pakoras are seldom edible at New Jersey Indian restaurants and it was nice to encounter tasty Pakoras.
Baingan Bartha (medium thick) was rightly spiced and was great with both Naan Bread and White Rice.
Mutter Paneer was one of the so-so dishes we encountered. Although better than what we're accustomed to eating elsewhere, it was a bit too sour to win our hearty approbation.
What a surprise to encounter French Beans with Coconut at Spice Melange. We rarely see it at Indian restaurants in New Jersey. We were happier still after a spoon of this mildly spiced dish.
Naan Bread was hot, soft and so good that we couldn't resist asking for a second basket.
Tandoori Chicken was moist, well marinated and extremely flavorful.
Sadly, Tandoori Chicken at most New Jersey Indian restaurants is often a dry, horrid travesty. We were glad to savor the Spice Melange version.
Chicken Makani in a thick creamy heavenly tomato sauce was so delicious that we fell under its spell.
Good Desserts
Gajar Halwa was a nice finale to our lunch.
Hot and with an enticing cardamom flavor, we were swept off by the superb taste and quickly gobbled up a second cup.
Fine Service
Our waiter was cheerful, promptly got the Naan Bread and removed the finished plates.
Besides the Mutter Paneer, our only other disappointment at Spice Melange was to discover that it doesn't serve Indian style Masala Chai.
Bottom Line - Decent Indian Restaurant
As we walked out into the November chill after a hearty meal, we couldn't but help look up and throw a thanks to the almighty for our good fortune. - © NJIndia.us
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