The first thing you notice about this little restaurant tucked along the busy Elandsgracht is its fire-engine red shopfront and awning—the few tables and chairs outside begging for rays of sunshine to welcome some pavement eating and people-watching. (Another reason to look forward to spring.) Step inside, and it’s an unassuming place—welcoming with its casualness and the warmth of its owners.
The sharing plates craze drives me a little nuts. What’s the use of arriving at a restaurant hungry and leaving hungry? On the other hand, the Indian kitchen has the sharing concept sorted; generous bowls of silky curries, baskets of garlic naan to rip apart and scoop, and raita to cool down the spice. Whereas most Indian restaurants have a tendency to have a menu as wide as the Ganges, 29 Spices manages to condense this cuisine into concise temptation. Hop up and down the vast Indian continent and dip into a few of the 29 states along the way, taste their house masala, freshly ground daily with, you guessed it, 29 spices. Rahul and Dipak, are also in the kitchen as chefs, which means you are being looked after with dishes made to order. If you arrive early enough, you’re bound to pick up a conversation with one of them and be offered some recommendations before your first sip of that ice-cold Kingfisher Lager.
Expect classic Indian riffs on Tikka Masala, Gosht, Kormas, and Jalfrezes, but sticking to the regular curry and bread combos would be a mistake when you can uncover lesser-known gems like Navratna Korma (nine different veg and nuts in a mild curry sauce), Chicken Kolhapuri, prawn Mango, and Bhuna Gosht (Gosht refers to tender meat, cooked for a long time, in this instance, lamb). We started our Indian journey with a chat with Rahul and then some Delhi-inspired chaat—in this case, samosas deconstructed, then smothered in a blanket of delicious tamarind and coriander chutney, yoghurt, and crunchy sev. When it comes to street foods in India, pani puri will definitely hit the spot—crispy orbs of semolina pastry, stuffed with a spicy potato mixture. You get to fill up these balls of deliciousness with tart tamarind juice and pop the whole thing in your mouth. It’s like the sound effects and flashing lights of a pinball machine going off in your mouth. A no-brainer order really. They’re as good as you think they’ll be… only better! The pani-puri arrive sprinkled with one of my favourite Indian spices, Chaat Masala with Amchoor (dried mango powder) which adds an additional tangy, sour zing! I’ll definitely be back for these! (Follow their gram for updates.)
Neil Roake
From founding a collective clothing brand to crafting boutique hotel experiences and game lodge menus, and with 8 cookbooks under his belt, Neil’s creativity knows few boundaries.
