Do you sometimes feel like you would really like to eat some nice food, but you just do not want to go out?
That is how I felt last Saturday night, so I decided to check out one of Ipswich’s Indian takeaways.
What is more, I did not want to try just any takeaway; I went for the best, or at least aimed for it.
Eastern Spice on Woodbridge Road was recently shortlisted for Britain's Top Asian Restaurant and Takeaway Awards 2023.
I decided to check out what the fuss is all about.
My partner Michael and I made quite a big order, which included the restaurant’s bestseller chicken tikka masala, lamb madras, lamb korma, chicken razzala, chicken spicy eastern special, saag aloo, cheesy chicken tikka naga chips, egg rice, garlic naan, papadams and mango chutney.
We paid a total of £69.71.
The first thing that stood out for me was the fast delivery.
It took Eastern Spice exactly 39 minutes to deliver the order, including about 11 minutes drive from the place to my home located more than three miles away - on a Saturday night! Well done!
I received a phone call and a message that my food was almost there, which made me feel that the restaurant cares for its customers.
The food was delivered nice and warm, however, the mango chutney was missing from the order.
First of all, I have to say that I am not a big fan of papadams, but those from Eastern Spice made me change my mind.
The egg rice was also delicious — not overcooked, just perfect.
For those who like their naan bread chewy, that one was very good and had a nice garlic taste to it.
I really enjoyed the chicken tikka masala. It was very sweet, just how I like it, and the mint sauce complimented it perfectly as well.
Some people could say it was too sweet, but I loved every bite of it.
It was my first time trying the chicken razzala, and it surprised me with its delicious thick sauce, which included mushrooms, fried onions, and tomatoes.
I can recommend this dish!
Michael pointed out that the hot curry was not very spicy for him.
I am not a fan of spicy food and, personally, lamb madras was too hot for me to fully enjoy its taste.
We both agreed that the dishes are made to be suitable for British taste - which is absolutely not a bad thing.
Chicken tikka naga chips were our least favourite dish. They did not have much cheese on top and were quite soggy. We also found the chicken was dry.
I am aware that it could be due to them being closed in a bag for the time of delivery, but still, we expected them to taste a bit better.
The best dish we received that night was saag aloo.
It was the first time I saw new potatoes being used in this Indian side dish.
The half-cut potatoes were complemented with spinach and a mixture of spices. Delicious!
I was really excited to be able to try a number of dishes from the Eastern Spice menu.
At first, it seemed like a lot of food, but we ate about 85% of it.
Overall, I can recommend the place; it was not excellent but very good.
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