Spice Jammer Restaurant
852 Fort St.
250-480-1055
Ahhh, the Spice Jammer… located on Fort just before Quadra St cross. This humble restaurant has been the centre of controversy, I’ve heard the service was shite but the food delicious, and the reverse. Tonight I got to test both as my friend L and I sauntered our way over to SJ.
First Impressions: Warm and luxurious fabrics, good smells, girls dressed in elaborate sari’s. The tables were quaint and had Himalayan rock salt lamps impregnated with tealights. The servers were pleasant, a little eager but helpful. We noticed how deathly quiet it was in the room, marshmallow feet!
Food: The menu is much like a scroll of familiar Indian delicacies, many tempting options making it hard to choose. We had a reasonably priced bottle of white while we nibbled on our poppadums(which packed a surprising amount of heat). The menu items
(except items from the Tandoor oven) are made for sharing, so prices exclude the cost for additional plates of rice, paratha, etc.
We landed on a Chicken Tikka Masala( with an enthusiastic sway from our server, $18.95) and in an attempt to be healthy, we got a potato and pea curry with paneer( $15.95). We opted for the pilau rice( saffron and aromatic basmati rice for $4.95) to go with our curries.
The Tikka was treated in the Tandoor first, then slowly simmered in the masala cream sauce. This stole the show for sure, amazingly tasty. The potato and pea curry had good flavour, but there wasn’t a whole lot of paneer or potatoes. The rice was beautifully cooked, fluffy and aromatic. The pictures don’t do the food justice, but believe me, the colours were vivid and enticing. We didn’t put the spoon down until all was eaten, this meal was certified delicious. L and I always seem to muster up the hunger for dessert so we shared a Kulfi( Indian Ice cream made in house, with saffron, cardamom and cinnamon, $4.95) and a Gulab Jamun( $4.95), which are like little doughnuts soaked in rose syrup, almost like a sweet halva that is packed into little spheres. The two desserts complemented each other very well, we found our spoons travelling back and forth between dishes.
Overall: The service was good. The ladies who helped us were informative, honest and friendly. They filled our waters and topped our wine in a respectable and timely way. The food was excellent and the ambiance, although quiet, provided a comfortable atmosphere. The prices are a bit steep, but it’s worth the extra couple of bucks.
Food: 4.25/5
Service: 4.25/5
Ambiance: 3.75/5
Cheers
