Secret spice hot

WE USE about 30 spices,” the restaurant owner/cook replied when asked what goes into their bowls of curry.

Perhaps those would be: say, chili pepper, onion, garlic—the average dining man tries for a quick mental browse—though still 27 short. But, whatever the common diner would miss, a hot dish here would make up for it with taste.

This hole-in-the-wall food place that’s been operating for a little over a year now, prides itself as one of the few places in Metro Cebu that serves up authentic Indian food. But if a person isn’t the type to take shortcuts during his daily travels, chances are he may never have seen this place.

Indian Curry House, as the restaurant is simply called, is located on P. Almendres St., Cebu City. Where is this exactly? Coming from Salinas Drive, take the left before the intersection where people usually take a right going to Cebu Business Park or left to Sarrosa International Hotel and Residential Suites. Most cab drivers usually take this route as a shortcut, avoiding the traffic.

“I love cooking and what I share are my own personal recipes,” shared proprietor Soni Bhagwandass. For him, a simple secret to his place’s success is the authenticity of the taste they offer. And from the looks of how many British (research reveals their knack for curry, even to the point of having Chicken Tikka Masala in the running for their national dish) and Indian visitors the restaurant gets on a regular basis, the “authenticity claim” may not be too farfetched.

“The favorites here would be our samosas, mutton and pork curries, and our sheekh kababs,” Soni mentioned. Of course, the roti will always be a mainstay in Indian cuisine. And just like everything here in their menu, orders are served hot and fresh off the kitchen.

Authenticity can be something so hard to get these days. Things are easily fabricated, and a product’s quality has now become some sort of luxury.

But then will one’s local taste preference be ready for what is to be prepared in this little curry house? Open from 6 p.m. to 12 midnight all week except Sundays, the food here at Indian Curry House might hit that right note for all those who seek a little spice in their quest of what’s cooking in Cebu’s “underground” international cuisine scene.