There’s something strangely reassuring about eating in a supermarket. It may be the sense that, well, you certainly do know where the food came from. But there’s also a world of smells, and the sight of people doing their shopping for the day or for the week, and the sounds of shoppers discussing possible dishes with the purveyors of vegetables and sundry proteins.
And sitting in Namaste Spiceland, just south of the freeway on Hill Avenue in Pasadena, I was reminded that I have a long history of dining in markets — everything from the sprawling Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, to the Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem, to the upscale Eataly Markets in New York and Century City. There’s a pattern here. If I had a therapist, I’d tell them all about it.
For those who don’t know, “namaste” is a Hindu word of greeting, almost always accompanied by a “namaskar,” the traditional meeting of hands in a devotional, prayer-like manner. If you’ve spent any time in the Hindu community, it’s pretty much ubiquitous, a word heard often. Like eating in a supermarket, it’s reassuring, even touching. Respect is the bottom line. It’s so much more satisfying than a sweaty handshake, which can be more about power than respect.
As is often the case with Market Cuisine, you order at Spiceland from a steamtable counter, with an abundance of dishes that both look good, and taste good. And which in some cases, taste better than they look; if you’ve gone to any of the many Indian lunch buffets around town, you know the food can get somewhat overcooked, at least texture wise. But in terms of taste, it can be argued that like most stews, it improves with additional cooking.
Now, it does need to be noted that this is not tandoori-chicken-and-curry cooking. The thrust of the food at Spiceland is Southern Indian, which leans strongly towards vegetables, and vegetarian cuisine. Very tasty, herbaceous, well-spiced vegetarian cuisine. Which brings us to the Southern Indian (and Northern Indian, and everywhere else in India as well) wonder called “chaat,” a much loved snack dish, with a name that can refer to any number of preparations; I guess it’s the equivalent of “sandwich” — it has many incarnations, all built around some manner of carbs, from potatoes to garbanzos to Indian style croutons.
It can be served hot or cold, spicy or sweet or both. And there are nine variations offered at Spiceland, including aloo chaat, made with potatoes fried till they’re the best hash browns you’ve ever had. It’s good, very good. here’s dahl puri, made with little crunchy shells, kind of like taco shells run amok. But my favorite is bhel puri, which is made with puffed rice, kind of like Rice Crispies done Indian style, that crunches with much joy and satisfaction, along with spice and sweet. Potato chips may never satisfy again, when you hop on the chaat bandwagon.
Actually, many of the dishes offered on the buffet at Spiceland are of the snacky, small eats persuasion. Paratha is a very groovy flatbread, looking a lot like Salvadoran pupusas, served four ways, including paneer paratha, which is filled with the dry Indian cottage cheese that’s both ubiquitous, and always comes as a surprise, for Indian cooking doesn’t seem like a cheese cuisine.
But paneer is everywhere, so I guess it is. And so are dosa, the South Indian crepes, oversized as a rule, and filled with just about anything and everything.
In this case, the defining dosa is Mysore masala, made with rice, chickpea flour, and fenugreek seeds. Rava masala is made with semolina wheat. And the cousin of the dosa, the Uttapam, is made of the same grains, but rather than being crisp is thick and pancake like. Or, perhaps I should say paratha like; for those of us who didn’t grow up with the various breads of India, and there are so many, the variants can be a tad confusing. But never anything less than so savory good.
More great eats: Where to find the best salads in San Gabriel Valley
You can live on snack food and small dishes at at Spiceland, no problem. But should you want a somewhat more substantial meal, try any of the lunch and dinner specials, three of time, combination plates priced at $7.39, $8.69 and $9.99.
At the top end, you get to choose two vegetables, a samosa and a pakoras, basmati rice, raita yogurt, chapati or puri, pickles and onions. That’s for $9.99.
Afterwards, you may want to do a little shopping. You can always take a little chaat home. It travels well. Though I’m betting it won’t last long — this is deeply addictive snack food.
Merrill Shindler is a Los Angeles-based freelance dining critic. Send him email at mreats@aol.com.
Namaste Spiceland
Rating: 2.5 stars
Address: 270 N. Hill Ave., Pasadena
Information: 626-345-5514
Cuisine: Indian
When: Breakfast, lunch and dinner, every day
Details: Tea and soft drinks; no reservations
Atmosphere: A restaurant in a supermarket, with an exhaustive menu of Indian favorites, allowing you to taste some very fine curries and breads, and then shop for the ingredients to make the dishes yourself. Though it’s easier to just order the food here.
Prices: About $12 per person
Suggested dishes: 9 Chaat Appetizers ($3.99-$5.35), 13 Hot Dishes ($1.15-$7.99), 9 South Indian Dishes ($5.35-$7.99), 3 Uttapam Dishes ($7.99-$9.33), 4 Daily Specials ($7.99-$9.33), 3 Lunch and Dinner Specials ($7.39-$9.99)
Cards: MC, V
What the stars mean: Ratings range from 4 stars to zero. 4 stars is world-class (worth a trip from anywhere). 3 stars is most excellent, even exceptional (worth a trip from anywhere in Southern California). 2 stars is a good place to go for a meal (visit if you’re in the neighborhood). 1 star is a place to go if you’re hungry and it’s nearby. Zero stars is not worth writing about.
