City of Spice — Restaurant in Phoenix

Popped in on July 4th around 4:30ish and practically had the place to ourselves. Score! There is a large lot which means parking was not a problem (of course it was a holiday, too), plus the restaurant was well lit and nicely decorated. As we entered we were greeted with a loud welcoming "Hello! Sit anywhere you like." by a young boy. That same boy (11-years-old) came to our table to take our order -- damn, he his stuff! Hell, he was better than other servers twice his age, no exaggeration. All three of us were impressed by him.

During conversation he told us he had been doing this since he was nine, to which I replied jokingly, "what are you now, ten?" That's when we learned he was 11. He was extremely polite and very well spoken, using phrases like "for full disclosure your dessert is made fresh and will take longer than normal" as well as "I regret to inform you we do not have the saffron kheer". I sure as heck didn't speak like that when I was 11 years old. LOL!

He was knowledgeable about the food, I'm guessing his parents own the place; he was not shy about offering suggestions; and was very attentive, returning to our table many times asking how our meals were and if we needed anything.

The mango lassi was already made, sitting in the fridge - it was bright orange & thick in consistency. The garlic naan was hearty, hot, and oh so tasty. The meals came out steaming & spicy, with plenty of rice to boot. The kheer was not bad but seemed a bit runny compared to other restaurants' kheer desserts.

If it wasn't for the pre-made lassi (I couldn't help but wonder how fresh it was) and the runnier than expected kheer I would have given this place five stars. But I still would not hesitate to visit City of...

Update after 6 months: they have never gave me a chance to complaint and in fact I have been very happy with how their bhaturas (and of course other cuisines too) come out so nice. Once in 10 times it wasn't very good but they immediately replaced. They are indeed the best and I don't think any other place comes anywhere close to the City of Spice. Original review: This restaurant used to be fairly good but last few months the food quality has degraded considerably. You can see that they give you Papad in place of Bhatura. Everytime I would request them to prepare Bhatura like Bhatura, but they would always make it thin and crispy which would crumble as you start to eat. Of course with Bhature that crumbly, overcooked in oil, they taste horrible. On my previous 4-5 orders, some parts of Bhatura would be crumbly/bad and rest would be soft/nice/taste good, but today it crossed all heights. All 4 Bhaturas (we ordered 2 pairs) were crumbly, every square inch of them. I wonder, how can Chef even serve/pack them. Talk about audacity!!

With hardly any restaurants in the valley which make Chhole Bhature, it is plain unfortunate that one restaurant which used to be good, is no longer good anymore.

In the Photo, you can see what happened to Bhature when I held them in my hands and pressed a little, they crumbled into pieces. We ended up throwing them away because they also tasted horrible.

1 star for food. 2 stars for service, because they have audacity to serve/pack non edible food, the extra star just because they talk nicely otherwise. 4 stars for atmosphere, even though I rarely dine in but they got nice and clean...

A Hidden Gem with Unforgettable Indian Cuisine!

I can't say enough good things about this amazing family-owned Indian restaurant! From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with such warmth and hospitality that we felt like honored guests in their home. The owner is an incredibly kind and welcoming man, always making sure we were comfortable and happy with our meal. His son, who served us, was so attentive and checked in on us throughout the night, and his daughter even shared some laughs with us when my husband declared the tandoori chicken a 10/10 the best he's ever had!

Speaking of the food...wow! Every single dish was bursting with flavor and made with so much love. The baghaar-e-baingan was hands down the best I’ve ever had, and I had my first taste of dal 😩 I don’t know how I’ve gone this long without it because it was absolutely to die for. The chole bhatura was delicious, the paneer tikka masala was rich and flavorful, and the garlic naan dipped in the daal and baingan? Omg, I can’t even describe how amazing it was!

To top it all off, they even treated us to some samples of other dishes, which we’ll definitely be ordering next time. The hospitality here is unmatched, the atmosphere is bright and welcoming, and the place is spotless. Truly a hidden gem that I’m so happy to have found. They’ve gained a loyal customer for life, and I can’t wait to come back for more!

If you’re looking for authentic, mouthwatering Indian food served with genuine warmth and care, this is the place to go. Highly, highly...