Neil Littman returns to Chennai Spice in Hertford Road, Edmonton, to try their South Indian menu

A recent trend has seen some enterprising restaurant owners trying to capture a wider range of diners by offering several kinds of cuisine under one roof.

One of the first of these ‘food courts’ was Oriental City in Colindale, conveniently situated between a Chinese supermarket and a Japanese shopping centre. Others, like The Market Hall in Victoria, are in areas full of office workers but also appeal to foodies, tourists, and residents.

The downside to them is they are not places to linger for longer than it takes to gulp down a bowl of noodles but, increasingly (and conveniently for Enfield), there are restaurants that offer various cuisines often linked under the pan-Asian banner.

It’s a logical development as there are shared ingredients and cooking styles. Some places that have tried this approach include Red Bamboo in Winchmore Hill, which is equally adept at Thai and Chinese dishes, with a few Malaysian favourites thrown in, as well as Tonnbo in Southgate, which skilfully fuses Japanese, Thai, and Malaysian food.

I had also been looking for somewhere nearby to eat South Indian vegetarian food without having to venture outside Enfield and remembered that Chennai Spice (previously reviewed in 2022) has both extensive Sri Lankan and South Indian menus. Having previously tried their Sri Lankan dishes, I wanted to try their South Indian offering.

During a Friday evening visit I found the restaurant extremely busy, with their banqueting room hosting a private party resulting in fewer tables available, but they kindly managed to squeeze an extra table into a space by the front entrance.

There is a great atmosphere at Chennai Spice, with many family gatherings and other large groups. The staff are also friendly and efficient despite the large numbers of diners.

South Indian cuisine is predominantly vegan with its use of rice, lentils and stews. It’s a diverse culinary tradition encompassing the cuisines of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala.

During my two visits, I ordered a sweet lassi (yoghurt drink) which passed the straw test by standing on its own; masala papad, a poppadom with a salad of chopped onion, tomato and chillies; aloo papri papdi chaat, a typical South Indian street food dish consisting of crisp fried dough wafers known as papri, along with boiled chickpeas, boiled potatoes, dahi (yogurt) and tamarind chutney, topped with chat masala and sev.

I also found room for one of my favourite dishes, masala dosa. These are made from a batter of ground rice and lentils, most commonly urad dal (black lentils), which is fermented before being cooked on a hot griddle called a tava. It’s basically a thin, savoury crepe, often served with chutneys and sambar (a hot stew of lentils and vegetables flavoured with tamarind).

The dosa at Chennai Spice was so large it was a challenge to photograph it without standing several feet away! It was so filling I ended up taking half of it home. The dosas are available in 15 varieties with a range of fillings – including some non-vegetarian.

Traditional Indian desserts are also available for those with a very sweet tooth.

Chennai Spice is good value for money, whichever menu you are eating from. Each meal I ate cost just over £20, plus service.

For more information about Chennai Spice including opening times:
Visit chennaispice.com

Do you have any suggestions for restaurants in Enfield to review or feedback on the places Neil has already reviewed? He’d love to hear from Dispatch readers:
Email [email protected]

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