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Spice Xing, Rockville Town Square - A Second Restaurant From The Owners Of Passage To India


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The naan wasn't part of buffet, it was offered to everyone that ate lunch, regardless.

Do they offer food a la carte at lunch? If so, do they give people who order a la carte the naan too?

I use to go to Cafe Taj in McLean for their lunch buffet. They do give you naan as part of their buffet but it's not on the buffet table - that way you get fresh naan.

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What I LIKE about this place is that they bring you fresh, hot naan rather than putting stuff on the buffet line to get stiff and cold.

The Connaught Place, may it rest in peace, used to do that. :rolleyes:

I'm glad I talked MrP into giving SpiceXing one more try, because after a so-so carryout dinner and a blah lunch buffet, it was off his list. But our recent dinner there was really good. The lamb in the rogan josh was well trimmed, though the sauce was a bit lighter and less complex than I've had before. And I'd say the same about the paneer makhni. But the tadka spinach, though very salty, is one of the best spinach dishes I've ever had - smokey, and a little picante with cumin seed and hot pepper. I've never seen anything like it in other Indian restaurants.

Also, they have excellent rasmalai.

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The Connaught Place, may it rest in peace, used to do that. :rolleyes:

I'm glad I talked MrP into giving SpiceXing one more try, because after a so-so carryout dinner and a blah lunch buffet, it was off his list. But our recent dinner there was really good. The lamb in the rogan josh was well trimmed, though the sauce was a bit lighter and less complex than I've had before. And I'd say the same about the paneer makhni. But the tadka spinach, though very salty, is one of the best spinach dishes I've ever had - smokey, and a little picante with cumin seed and hot pepper. I've never seen anything like it in other Indian restaurants.

Also, they have excellent rasmalai.

Your experiences give me hope. I've only been for the lunch buffet and my assessment ranged from "meh" to "blah." Everything was so bright and colorful that visually I was intrigued by the dishes but everything tasted very one-note. Amazingly the only dish I did like was a steel-wool gray lamb dish that at least had some flavor that invoked the restaurant's name. We've gotten take-out from Passage to India twice in the last week so we know that part of the ownership can regularly satisfy our tastes, but I think I'll have to come back to SpiceXing to try the regular menu to truly assess what their kitchen can do.

Pax,

Brian

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So far I've only had Spice Xing for dinner a couple of times, but it's been really interesting. Unlike my other favorites, which tend to be somewhat more middle-of-the-road but consistent across the menu, the cooking at Spice Xing shows a lot of dynamic range. The highlights have been superb, but for us there have been a few duds. True to its name at least, the use of spices here are generally more intricate than the norm.

Hits:

Dal - I don't care which of his restaurants it is, but Chef Seth's kitchens consistently put out the richest black lentils in the area.

Saag Gosht - probably the best version of this I've encountered, with very tender chunks of lamb, and great depth of flavor.

Nariyal Shrimp Curry - probably enough cholesterol to do me in, but I'll die happy.

Baby Dosa - an excellent version of this (often Brobdingnagian) dish, in the perfect lunch size. (Contains no baby :angry: )

Almost hits but...:

Rasmalai - one of my benchmark desserts if a kitchen dares to offer it, and this one is incredibly fresh and tender, with the occasional saffron thread appearing in the sauce, but there's a bitter aftertaste to the piste sprinkled on top.

Naan - very fresh, but an order is only one piece, quartered.

Not to my taste:

Paneer Makhni - the sauce has a strong sweetness in what I'm used to encountering as a slightly savory dish.

Dahi Papri Chat - a rather mild interpretation, which could use a good bit more acid and a little bit more sweet.

Not to gubeen's taste:

Chicken Kathi Roll - we developed something of a kati roll habit in NYC - the trend having already taken off there - and these didn't compare.

There's a lot of menu left to explore...once we've figured out which items we like and which we don't, this will be a staple in our rotation. Because the likes are really, really good.

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Hello DR comrades

It has been a while since I actively participated on this Forum. I thank you all for the support, encouragement and unabashed critique that we receive thru this Board. I will be able to take care of most, if not all that has been posted here in the past couple of weeks. However, I would just like to emphasize that the name Spice Xing (Crossing) in no way implies that the food is CHILI HOT SPICY as a lot of our patrons think. It is more a matter of marrying the right spices in harmony, an art which I profess I merely copy from our traditional recipes that I have gathered over the last 32+ years mostly from Grandmas and Moms (mine and of my friends).

Cheers

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Congrats to Sudhir, Harry, and the team - #52 on the Washingtonian Top 100 list is no small accomplishment for the first year.

Dinner tonight was outstanding. Chicken Tikka (perfectly blistered and moist), Tandoori Wings (probably my favorite appetizer - move over Buffalo), Lamb Chops (excellent flavor, but I'd like a little bit of char for texture), Pappadums with Mango Chutney (maybe the only miss - the chutney was too sweet), Spinach and Cottage Cheese Dip (far better than the ubiquitous spinach and artichoke dip on the menu in every chain restaurant), Vegetable Cutless (you need to get past the name and try this, though I wish the dipping sauce wasn't ketchup).

Luckily, there were 7 of us at the table, so those were just the starters!

Mains included Tandoori Chicken (NOT fire engine red, and the white meat was juicy), Salli Boti Jardaloo (Lamb and apricot stew; the menu gives a nod to Persian cuisine, but this has always reminded me of a Moroccan tagine), Paneer Makhni (cheese in tomato sauce; two orders, one because my daughter inhales this, and one for everyone else), Methi Chaman (Fenugreek and spinach with cheese; holy crap, this is like palak paneer on crack), Aloo Gobhi, Aloo Paratha, Onion Kulcha, and Khurmi Naan (not my favorite - I'm going back to the Garlic Naan).

Seven full and happy bellies, leftovers, and out the door for less than $20/person before tip.

With Spice Xing, Bobby's Crabcakes, La Canela, Oro Pomodoro, Taste of Saigon, and Sichuan Pavilion all in or adjacent to Rockville Town Square, it is easy to park in one of the plentiful garages (or walk from the Rockville Metro) and find an excellent meal a block away.

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Two thoughts:

If college students knew that Chef Seth's Chilli Cheese Toast existed, sales of Domino's cheesy bread in the DC Metro area would plummet immediately.

I could eat an unlimited number of Tandoori Wings, especially with the jalapeno/mint/cilantro sauce (a perfect accompaniment) that they are served with. And I could do so without pause, despite the fact that (or maybe because?) each bite fuels a gradually building heat in your mouth that packs the perfect punch, always present but never eclipsing all the other layers of flavor at work on those wings.

I'll definitely be back at SpiceXing soon to eat a full meal.

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<snip>

Not to my taste:

Paneer Makhni - the sauce has a strong sweetness in what I'm used to encountering as a slightly savory dish.

<snip>

There's a lot of menu left to explore...once we've figured out which items we like and which we don't, this will be a staple in our rotation. Because the likes are really, really good.

I'm in complete agreement with you on both of these points.

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As much as I love Spice Xing, like most Indian restaurants, they don't show their best at the buffet.

It's not bad, and it's better than a lot of other buffets out there, but you really need to order from the menu to discover why this place is special.

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As much as I love Spice Xing, like most Indian restaurants, they don't show their best at the buffet.

It's not bad, and it's better than a lot of other buffets out there, but you really need to order from the menu to discover why this place is special.

Oh, and I plan to, but I've dropped more than $7.95 on a regular basis for far worse meals at lunch.

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I finally got to Spice X-ing for the lunch buffet. Delicious, great variety of dishes, and a steal at $22 for 2 people (plus one iced tea). The standout was the mixed pickle. I could have eaten a big dish of it alone with just bread - it's that good.

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Thank you Chef Seth and everybody at Spice Xing for a wonderful meal. Despite a drop in the headcount, and an inconvenient fire alarm along the whole block just as the appetizers were about to reach our tables, I think this dinner was a huge success. Everybody seemed happy with the food (especially when it came time to lay down a mere $37 for all of it), and based on what people said about plans for return visits, I think Spice Xing has gained a few loyal fans.

Just about all of the dishes -- served in truly generous portions -- were either good or great, but a few were absolutely sensational...

Salli Boti Jardaloo (lamb stewed with apricots) was a revelation for me. It's the sort of dish that sets Spice Xing apart from your ordinary Indian restaurant. Far too often, curries and other Indian foods have one note flavor profiles. They lack depth and compexity; instead, they're simply bowls of spiciness, or sweetness, or cream. After a bite or two, you're completely familiar with what you're eating. Chef Seth's Salli Boti Jardaloo is the exact opposite of this -- a composed dish that brings together multiple flavors and textures to achieve balance: the natural richness of the lamb (which was cooked perfectly -- tender, and not chewy at all), just a little heat from the spicing, sweetness brought by the apricots, and crunch from crispy potato sticks sprinkled over top.

But Spice Xing excels at more common preparations as well, as exemplified by the Methi Chaman (mustard flavored spinach and cheese). All those in my area of the table looked at the cubes of cheese surrounded by dark green and assumed that we were faced with at least one familiar item: saag paneer. But we were then mystified by the complexity of the flavor that those greens had. Gubeen eventually suggested (without referring back to the posted menu) that it was a heightened mustard flavor that made them so unique, and she was totally correct. That flavor -- along with the unparalleled quality of the paneer itself -- makes it easy for me to say that I would gladly take this over the usual saag paneer any day.

I'll let others address the meal in its entirety.

Thanks again to the team at Spice Xing for having us, and to everybody who attended for being a part of this.

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Salli Boti Jardaloo lamb stewed with apricots was a revelation for me. It's the sort of dish that sets Spice Xing apart from your ordinary Indian restaurant. Far too often, curries and other Indian foods have one note flavor profiles. They lack depth and compexity; instead, they're simply bowls of spiciness, or sweetness, or cream. After a bite or two, you're completely familiar with what you're eating. Chef Seth's Salli Boti Jardaloo is the exact opposite of this -- a composed dish that brings together multiple flavors and textures to achieve balance: the natural richness of the lamb (which was cooked perfectly -- tender, and not chewy at all), just a little heat from the spicing, sweetness brought by the apricots, and crunch from crispy potato sticks sprinkled over top.

So I suppose I'll be the one to break the ice from the DR.com event tonight.

Three words: Salli. Boti. Jardaloo. I gave strong consideration to ordering this dish again to take back with me. Sitting here now at home without more Salli Boti Jardaloo, I'm somewhat regretting the decision.

Also, the fact that I can't get the chicken kathi roll very easily makes me sad.

Much thanks to Chef Seth for having us tonight, and thanks to Gennaro for organizing everything. Let's do it again sometime!

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But Spice Xing excels at more common preparations as well, as exemplified by the Methi Chaman mustard flavored spinach and cheese. All those in my area of the table looked at the cubes of cheese surrounded by dark green and assumed that we were faced with at least one familiar item: saag paneer. But we were then mystified by the complexity of the flavor that those greens had. Gubeen eventually suggested (without referring back to the posted menu) that it was a heightened mustard flavor that made them so unique, and she was totally correct. That flavor -- along with the unparalleled quality of the paneer itself -- makes it easy for me to say that I would gladly take this over the usual saag paneer any day.

Methi Chaman is probably my favorite dish at Spice Xing. We order it nearly every time, and we're in there at least once or twice a month.

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Fantastic!

As mentioned above the lamb and saag were excellent...I was also very happy with Indo-Chinese Chili Chicken. and the naan was some of the best I've ever had. I also enjoyed the chili cheese toast (I imagine that would be the perfect late night drunk snack!) and the lamb kebob off the appetizer platter. Also a shout out for the tandoori pineapple with ginger.

Thanks chef and Gennaro for organizing!

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Thanks Gennaro, the DR members and my staff for putting up with the Fire alarm disruption last evening during the dinner. I am sorry that I could not stay to say bye and thanks to all who attended since I had to rush to my Bethesda store where I had a crew working overnight and had to coordinate with them.

I would really appreciate if some of you folks were kind enough to take pictures and will be posting them soon. Also it would be helpful for me to get any feedback on how we can further enhance the taste / spicing / presentation of the dishes.

Once again THANKS to all.

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Methi Chaman is probably my favorite dish at Spice Xing. We order it nearly every time, and we're in there at least once or twice a month.

That was also one of my favorite dishes. There was an underlying flavour that reminded me of Indian pickles. When I asked Chef Seth about this, he said it was from the powdered fenugreek (methi) that they add to the spinach (which is also a prominent ingredient in pickles).

Looking back on it, I think my favorite dishes were the vegetarian ones. The Gobhi Simla Mirch (cauliflower with nigella and peppers) was truly outstanding. I'm a big fan of lentils so it's no surprise that the urad dal was also one of my favorites. There was an earthiness to it (possibly from roasting the dal prior to cooking) that really appealed to me.

I know that most people raved over the jardaloo but it was a little too sweet for my liking. But that's probably just a personal preference. The Nariyal Shrimp was my favorite non-veg item.

To be perfectly honest, this was probably the best Indian dinner I've had in the DC area. The space is beautifully done and the variety of food can't be matched by the majority of Indian restaurants. I'm definitely going to be a return customer.

Thanks to GennaroE and Chef Seth for organizing this fantastic dinner.

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The Gobhi Simla Mirch (cauliflower with nigella and peppers) was truly outstanding.

This was a noteworthy dish for me, as well. As I mentioned to the folks I was sitting with beforehand, this was the one dish that I was apprehensive about, just because I have such an aversion to cauliflower, but this was truly great.

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So sorry I couldn't be there, but I've drifted south....nearly 450 miles from Spice X-ing. But I just want to amplify what xcanuck wrote. I've had many "best Indian dinner ever" meals from Chef Seth....and believe me, I am doing some serious jonesing for Chef's food after reading the posts above. I am convinced that Chef Seth--in both his restaurants--sets the standard for Indian cooking in metro DC, Rasika notwithstanding. His spicing is so subtle and complex that his food always surprises in unexpected ways.

Carry on....I just wanted to chime in and say how much I miss Chef's cooking. Hoping to get up there soon!

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I, too would like to send out my thanks to Chef Seth and Gennaro for setting up such a great dinner.

My personal favorites were the Methi Chaman and the Kathi roll.

I posted up my pictures. (a little dark as I had no flash, so pardon the "touchups"). Included is xcanuck's beer break during the fire alarm.

Shango Mango, I was there after all!

I deeply regret missing this one, thanks for the pics and yearn-inducing recaps.

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Salli Boti Jardaloo (lamb stewed with apricots) was a revelation for me. It's the sort of dish that sets Spice Xing apart from your ordinary Indian restaurant. Far too often, curries and other Indian foods have one note flavor profiles. They lack depth and compexity; instead, they're simply bowls of spiciness, or sweetness, or cream. After a bite or two, you're completely familiar with what you're eating. Chef Seth's Salli Boti Jardaloo is the exact opposite of this -- a composed dish that brings together multiple flavors and textures to achieve balance: the natural richness of the lamb (which was cooked perfectly -- tender, and not chewy at all), just a little heat from the spicing, sweetness brought by the apricots, and crunch from crispy potato sticks sprinkled over top.

Chiming in belatedly -- I'll go with the majority opinion, this was the big winner of the night for me. The sweetness was a pleasant surprise and made the dish. Also, even though I was completely stuffed, the tandoori pineapple and the chili chicken were a close second. $37 seemed like a steal for what was essentially a 15-course tasting menu.

Thanks for organizing, and props to Chef and his staff!

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A shameless plug.......Spice Xing is very favorably reviewed in WaPo's weekly Going out Guide coming out this weekend. A link to their online page is here.

A big thanks to the DR gang and all our patrons who have stood by us and encouraged us by their continued patronage.

post-243-127803624773_thumb.jpg

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A shameless plug.......Spice Xing is very favorably reviewed in WaPo's weekly Going out Guide coming out this weekend. A link to their online page is here.

Whoa, it's a full-on, Sunday Magazine, Tom Sietsema 2.5 star review. Here's an excerpt that would be an apt caption for this James Thresher photo:

spicexing200.jpg

Both restaurants are owned by Sudhir Seth, a New Delhi native who has done a swell job of making us forget that his younger restaurant was once a Stonefish Grill. Sails of gold- and orange-colored fabric drape the high ceiling like a tent. Larger-than-life-size photographs of Indian ingredients and a sparkling "wishing" tree fashioned from amber beads grace walls painted in yellow or turquoise.

OK, this photo, by James Thresher, of their Lychee Mojito needs no caption and will dance in my head all weekend:

spicexing176.jpg

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It was nice to see the holiday crowds trickling into Spice Xing last night, post-Post review, and pre-fireworks.

After a Bloody Harry ($7.95 (or two)), we were debating whether or not to go all-out Raj - the Chilli Cheese Toast ($5.25) would be the deciding factor. It was very good cheese toast, with a pimento-like flavor, but the ramekin of ketchup tilted the meal toward more traditional fare.

Vegetarians, listen up: Get the Gobhi Paratha ($2.95) with an order of Eggplant Raita ($3.95). The two define the word synergy, and must be experienced together for this comment to be taken seriously. (Really now, what's the big deal about cauliflower bread dipped into yogurt?) Try it and see for yourselves, then write me at donrocks-at-donrockwell-dot-com to thank me.

Lamb Ishtoo "Stew" ($13.95) had better lamb meat (the meat itself) than I remember ever having at Passage To India - the sibling restaurant which I feel is superior (albeit vastly different) due to the complexity of its saucing. If there was a miss in the meal, it was the accompanying Methi Chaman ($11.95) which I initially thought had overwhelming flavors from the fenugreek, but I've had fenugreek plenty of times that hasn't been this strong - my guess is that there's an unwieldy mustard component in the dish that's masquerading as horseradish. It seemed like a natural counterbalance to the lamb, but was ultimately the dominant dish.

Both Sudhir and Harry were there, undoubtedly not knowing what to expect from 'the right review on the wrong weekend.'

Cheers,

Rocks

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Congrats. You and your staff totally deserve the strong review.

When my dad visited a month or two ago, I brought him to Spice Xing. He is a huge fan of Indian cuisine and visited the country back in the late 60s. After eating at Xing, he swore that their food was as good as any Indian food that he has eaten in America.

Rob

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Just to pile on the praise, the weekend before last we did a post-bar-mitzvah luncheon for my son at Spice Xing.

Sudhir worked with us to create a great menu, the staff was absolutely fantastic, they were able to adjust quickly when guests arrived early, and we got rave reviews from all of the attendees.

We had about 80 people, so we closed the place down, and it was absolutely perfect. And far more reasonable than if I'd rented a space and hired a caterer, or done something in a hotel.

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Congrats, Sudhir, for the terrific review.

A few weeks ago, while on a short visit to MD, I came by for lunch--dog in tow--and had lunch out front. I ordered one of my standards--murg tikka masala--and it was sublime. This dish is on every non-veg menu in the country, but the Spice X-ing version is a revelation--layers of flavor, subtly spiced, just magnificent....it was a warm early summer day and I had nowhere to go, so I took my time and savored every bite. (Murphy got a bite as well...she approved!) Chef's food is for savoring....if you eat it too fast or just pound it down, you miss so much....

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Our waitress tonight made out like a bandit.

Harry was at the door when we came in, and showed us to a table. The waitress took our drink order and brought those. Then Sudhir stopped by to say hi, and took our order "since I'm already here". A backwaiter brought the food, and one of the bussers refilled water. Blessing stopped by (twice!) to say hi and see how we were doing. Harry stopped by again at some point to check on the food.

So, I think we only saw her at drinks and again at check time. But she still got the full 20%. Easy night for her.

Oh, right, the food. Samosa with chana masala, tandoori chicken, curry shrimp, paneer makhni, all excellent. What a treat to have this place in our neighborhood.

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My wife and I went last Saturday night and had a less then satisfying experience.

1-Our Tandoor wings came to us undercooked.  Pink, raw chicken inside.

2-Could not really enjoy our mains as we were seated close to bar and a party suddenly appeared and started taking over the area.  As we were eating, our trying to, they started buffet service next to us.  It would have been nice to have been informed this was going to happen and give us a choice of sitting on the other side away from the bar.

We may return but there are other close by options.

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