Sizzlin spice. Indian — Restaurant in Puyallup

I decided to try this very highly rated Indian restaurant in the South Hill Mall I read about. Sizzlin Spice is set in the Mall's food court, and I thought it was an interesting place for such highly rated Indian cuisine. They have a ton of food options, many familiar dishes, and a wide variety of Indian street food you can try if you can't make it to Kolkata anytime soon.  I decided to try some basics; the Lamb Curry, which was full of flavor, deep and rich in spices and curry gravy, which it also came with turmeric basmati rice, light in aromatics but nicely cooked. The lamb was so tender that I was able to separate the chunks of lamb with the plastic spoon they had available, though I wish I had just brought rubber gloves so I could just use my hands. I also ordered the Pani Puri. I ordered it all "to-go" so the Puri came in a cardboard food container along with a small plastic container full of an aloo(potato) and onion mixture with light spices as well as a plastic cup full of spiced Puri water that was full of flavor, fresh tasting mint and other aromatics. It wasn't the "best" Pani Puri I've had, but it was one of the most affordable I've come across, at $6.99 or so.

All in all, the food was very good, which surprised me coming from a mall food court.  The only "downside" was it was in the middle of a mall, but that could also be viewed as an asset by some. I was getting a mix of looks from fellow mall-goers, which I found slightly uncomfortable, but those looks were mainly of curiosity rather than judgment. It sorta reminded me of being the only Igorot-Filipino/ American kid eating exotic food at lunchtime at an all white-American school during the early 80s, but the overall experience was fun and enjoyable. A strong recommendation, especially if you're looking for a casual setting or you are looking for convenient Indian cuisine and street food.

UPDATE I've been revisiting this restaurant and enjoying their dishes. The staff continues their friendliness and quality cooking. I just picked up some Lamb Saag and when asked if I wanted naan bread I declined. The server asked me again and when I declined he insisted I have some garlic naan for free. Again, they have wonderful service and hospitality and really make a wonderful visit...

As someone who's eaten a lot of Indian over the years I would say the price is about the same as most places. It seems the food portion they give during lunch seems to be smaller, which is not good considering the prices a customer will pay. I will have to come back during dinner time and see if they give bigger portions. The food taste is satisfactory. It could be spicier and have a little more salt and seasoning, but that is more personal preference. I'm impressed with the array of food they have on the menu and pathure (a type of fluffy bread) here is actually really fresh. You can eat it with chana (chick peas) and it's simply delicious.

Also very fast food service. I will say the food is usually hot and plated well.

Customer service is overall above satisfactory. I will catch the workers smiling. That really helps drive the atmosphere of the business and mall. On a side note, I was given a can of soda when I paid for a bottle of soda. I asked if I could have it swapped, but the staff didn't budge. I didn't make a fuss and decided to just enjoy my meal.

The atmosphere is pleasant because the restaurant is located in the food court area of the mall, which makes for a lot of available seating. Generally a quiet ambiance.

Overall, I would give Sizzlin Spice 3.5 out of 5 stars. Keep up the...

Well I am shocked!!! We’ve tried 4 Indian restaurants in the Puyallup area to try to satisfy that childhood taste for Indian food (especially butter chicken) and this mall food court had the best Indian food out of all the places we’ve tried! Every restaurant I have ordered butter chicken and saag paneer, garlic naan and mango lassi so that I could really compare—at Sizzlin Spice each and every single dish was perfect, delicious, flavorful and fresh! The only shame was that we had to eat such good food with plastic utensils—this should be a straight up restaurant. Next time we will do take-out so that we can enjoy with real plates and utensils at home. Also, the pani puri (street food) was a real treat, I haven’t seen that on many menus. We were also told that they make their food like in India with no food coloring and no added sugar. You could taste that difference....