840 Beaufort Street, Inglewood
Ph: (08) 6155 3862
Traditional dishes from fresh new faces
Among the popular restaurants on offer in Inglewood’s Beaufort Street, this year’s addition of Spice Town gives patrons a fresh and edgy space to try classic Indian dishes infused with Nepalese nuances. Having been awarded Best New Asian Restaurant at this year’s Gold Plate Awards, owners Keshab KC, Vinay Kumar and Siddharth Karkee are already making a name for themselves as one of the best Indian restaurants in town.
Having all worked in the restaurant industry for several years, last year the three young friends decided to open their own restaurant.
Head chef, Keshab KC says Spice Town is a way for them to make their mark on the popularity of Indian food in Australia. “I have a huge passion for food and now for showing Australians the food they’ve been missing.”
We started our Spice Town tasting journey with two entrée dishes: the Mushroom Tikka and the steamed Chicken Momo.
The former’s button mushroom base was topped with cream cheese and tikka spices, served with a mint sauce. The creamy and velvety smooth cheese and the meaty mushroom were in complete harmony with the addition of the mint sauce cutting through the rich cheese. Paired with a glass of 2024 Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir, the much-loved union of wine and cheese worked extremely well to help highlight the wine’s notes of dark cherries and velvety spices.
The steamed Chicken Momo was served with a tomato based spicy dipping sauce in a vibrant display of colour and flavour. With perfectly succulent meat, this Nepalese style dumpling was packed with tasty spices and coated in the tangy dipping sauce, making for an extremely moreish dish.
Next, we were presented with Spice Town’s special Charcoal Goat Curry, a favourite among the restaurant’s three owners. It was served with a generous portion of steamed rice and garlic naan. Having never tried goat before, I was unaware of what to expect so was pleased to find the meat was rich and tender. The curry itself had a pleasantly warm spice to it that, mixed with the melt-in-your-mouth goat, made for a perfect bite each time. Although cooked over charcoal, there is not an overly disruptive smoky flavour from the dish. Everything blended beautifully.
Lastly, we tried the classic Indian dish of Butter Chicken, complemented by a glass of 2022 Vasse Felix Chardonnay. This creamy and sweet dish is a classic for a reason; it is comforting, it is warm, and it is great for those who are not a fan of too much spice. The perfectly cooked chicken cuts like soft butter and is very decadent to eat. It paired very nicely with the sweet Margaret River wine which has floral notes of jasmine, violet and vanilla. Overall, this was a contender as my favourite dish of the entire meal, maybe purely for its deep-seated nostalgia factor or simply because it is comfort incarnate; it is hard to say.
At Spice Town, it is clear that flavour and spice are prioritised above all else. There are no gimmicks or unusual focuses here, just amazing food that is well worth a try.
Spice Town is open 5-10pm daily.
By Ava Berryman
