Bombay plaza / Nation of Spices — Restaurant in Auburn

I finally got a chance to stop by today. The door was open, possibly the air conditioning was not working? That didn’t dissuade me, I needed to taste this food straight from the kitchen instead of doing a to-go order. Walked up to the reg to check out the menu and ordered my favorites that I would eat in a typical Indian selection.

Veggie Samosa- potatoes, pea, spices surrounded by a baked crust. It reminds me of an empanada. They bought out the tamarind (sweet) and raieta (minty) sauce. The tamarind one I eat with everything 🤪. Could be bigger. Thumbs up for taste.

Garlic Naan Bread- grilled, yep made in house not store bought , used to sop up the curry. Winner.

Butter Chicken- I know Basic b status but I just moved here from Hawaii and I’m still searching for all my favorites. Fam let me tell you .. 👩‍🍳💋 I was worried because the guy that took my order asked me how spicy I want this. I meekly said 2 because well I wanna taste my food 🤦🏻‍♀️. Now I know I can order spicier. Butter, yogurt, chicken, spices, sprinkle of cilantro for garnish. I could lick my spoon all day with this. The depth was definitely there.

Ahloo Ghoobi- potatoes, Cauliflower, spices. I would prolly like the cauliflower to be roasted before building the dish but.. this was beautiful and wonderful.

The entrees came with Briyani white Rice, enough to feed 2-3 people.

Of course I knew I couldn’t eat it all myself and asked to serve everything in a to-go container. Easier for me to pack. The guy working was very friendly and accommodating. The overhead played music videos and overall the place was very clean.

Next time I come through I will have to order the mango chutney and dessert. This place is legit. I would bring my family here for a lunch/dinner date. Hopefully the A/C gets fixed soon....

EDIT: SOLD TO NEW OWNERS AND IT'S NOT THE SAME AS THE OLD PLACE. WHAT ONCE WAS MY WIFE AND MY FAVORITE RESTAURANT HAS BEEN TURNED INTO ANOTHER MEDIOCRE AT BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT. WE HAVE MOURNED THE CLOSING OF THE REAL NOTION OF SPICE. WHERE HAVE YOU GONE?

I have had a hard time finding Indian food that could compare, or even come close, to the food I experienced while working with a gentleman who's grandmother used to send him with home cooked meals that he would share. I had learned to lower my expectations of Indian restaurant food so that I could try to enjoy the meal being served but was never truly satisfied. I have never returned to the same Indian restaurant once because I was always hoping for better. My wife and I are getting ready to go back to the notion of spice for the third time in less than two weeks because we have finally found a place that knows what they are doing and seem to really love what they do. We have tried the butter chicken, chicken Tikka masala, lamb curry, chicken curry pizza, and the tandoori shrimp and all of them were delicious. This is the Indian restaurant that we have been looking for for over 15 years. Please come out and support a local gem that deserves to be successful...

A tiny, casual little place, great for a meal while you run your errands. Service is quick, and the waitress was so sweet and super polite. They still had Christmas decor up, which was the only odd thing.

Lots of options on the menu. Prices may seem a little high at first glance, but these are big portions! Ideal for sharing with the table or taking home leftovers for a second meal later. The chicken saag is fantastic, and the naan is so flakey and comes to you piping hot. I also sampled my dads order of karahi goat, which was so tender and wonderfully spicy. The onion salad is thick sliced veg, rather than something chopped, but was a welcome and refreshing side.

They do takeout, and during lunch customers were in and out-- keep that in mind if you don't want any cool breezes sitting by the door. We didn't mind, and enjoyed the music videos on the nearby tv.

Will definitely be coming by again, and would recommend...