A Bite in Brief: Satya Spice and Chai Shop

We came here because we were checking out the Sandringham Street Festival, and came across the intriguing little entranceway next to Satya Restaurant while hunting for chai.

Alleyway entrance to the chai lounge.

The menu was mainly taken up by drinks of various forms (including chai, craft beer and cocktails), but also had a selection of Indian, Indo-Chinese and non-Indian street food.

Part of the menu - there were also 30+ types of craft beer.

The setting was cozy and casual, with a natural look from the upcycled furniture made from coffee sacks, pallet boxes and tree trunks. Edison bulbs and plants on planks hung overhead. From other people's pictures, it appears quite magical at night with fairy lights too.

A hidden hideaway in Sandringham village.

The service was engaging and informative - the person who looked after us not only told us about the specials and provided details about the menu items, but shared interesting things like:

• his parents own the four Satya restaurants
• the chai lounge has been around for about 6 months (the spice shop somewhat longer, and the restaurant next door has been there for 16 years), but it had a quiet start as it didn't have all the signage out the front
• he decorated the place over the space of a month while his parents were on holiday, with help from his friends (one of whom works at a landscaping business and another at Allpress coffee)
• the reason there are Chinese-sounding items such as fried rice is because India and China are close to each other, and Chinese immigrants have influenced Indian cuisine
• idli and dosas are traditionally eaten for breakfast

We were also invited to take a look at the spice shop in the next room, a corner of which was being used to cook our food. Apart from spices and teas, you could also buy idli and dosa batter from the fridge!

Spice shop area.

What we had included:

• Spiced buttermilk ($2) - this was a savoury and refreshing drink, seasoned with coriander leaves and spices

Spiced buttermilk.

• Masala chai ($1 small, $2 larger) - we ended up ordering another one of these because we loved the blend of flavours in this milky tea

Masala chai.

• Vegetable manchurian ($12) - these freshly fried balls were delicious! The sweet soy flavour of the brown sauce went well with the spicy and gingery bites.

Vege manchurian.

Overall, we were stoked to have stumbled upon our first chai lounge in Auckland, where you can relax, snack on tasty food, and choose from a wide selection of drinks. Others have even apparently played a game of carrom there, but we don't need entertainment to entice us back for another visit!

Store Details

Satya Spice and Chai Shop
515a Sandringham Road, Sandringham
(09) 845 8451

A Meal in Brief: Paradise Indian Food

We came here because we had heard lots of good things about Paradise, including from blogger Easy Food Hacks. While Chinese eateries upped their game in the Dominion Road Dumpling Wars by switching to neon signs and more recently renovating, over in Sandringham, Paradise Takeaway was quietly expanding, gaining enough space from neighbouring shops to have separate restaurant and takeaway areas. I noticed they were building a live kitchen back in 2013, but somehow never managed to try the food till now!

Live kitchen nearly open in December 2013.

The menu was large, and featured "moghlai" food. The restaurant took particular pride in their Hyderabadi biryani and tandoor-cooked dishes, but you can also order Indian Chinese, more familiar curries and other dishes.

The setting was simple and modern. You walk down a corridor, then past the ordering area to get to the seating. The dining area did not have a view of the live kitchen (which faced onto the street), but one side of the walls were adorned with framed cricket bats, while the other had pictures and TV screens.

Live kitchen in action: view from the footpath outside.

The service was friendly and people were happy to explain things, but this place still felt a bit like a takeaway because you have to order and pay at the counter next to the dining room. We asked for rice to go with the specialty stew called harleem after the dish came out, but it wasn't until the main curries came out that we were given some.

What we ate included:

• Paneer tikka ($12) - this entree arrived on a sizzling hot plate and was served with a mint yoghurt. The fresh cheese cubes were hot and fragrant, easily one of our favourite dishes here.

Paneer tikka.

• Haleem ($12) - available as a weekend special, this Hyderabadi delicacy had a porridgey consistency, a wedge of lemon on the side, and the flavour of chicken and spices. It was pretty filling, even without the boiled egg it came with. The person who cleared our table explained it was like brown rice, which we took to mean wholemeal, since the menu said it combined "wheat and tender meat". Although nothing alike and not at all sweet, it reminded me of a Turkish dessert containing chicken. We were less keen on this dish, though it probably didn't help that it didn't arrive particularly hot, and we had no rice or naan to eat it with until later.

Hyderabadi haleem.

• Paradise special chicken masala ($16) - when you've got your restaurant name on a dish, it's got to be good. This lived up to expectations completely, with a beautiful cashew and saffron sauce enveloping the boneless chicken.

Paradise special chicken masala.

• Bagarey baigan ($14) - the "Spicy aubergines in tamarind gravy in an irresistible vegetarian Mughlai delight" was indeed delicious. This was the only dish we managed to polish off, rather than ending up in (polystyrene) takeaway containers.

Bagarey baigan.

• Mutton dum biryani ($12) - we found this rice dish to be not particularly interesting, despite being what the restaurant is supposedly famous for. Perhaps our tastebuds were skewed by the flavourful curries which arrived first.

Mutton dum biryani.

• Butter Naan ($2.50) - the freshly made naan bread was unlike any we have had elsewhere, relatively sweet and soft. Different in a good way.

Naan (and biryani).

Overall, Paradise is a pretty apt name for this restaurant. The tikka and sauced based dishes we tried were amazing, even though we were less enthusiastic about the biryani and harleem. Prices were reasonable and portions were huge. We would definitely come back to try some more dishes from here.

Restaurant Details

Paradise
591 - 595 Sandringham Road, Sandringham, Auckland
(09) 845 1144

Review: Ras Vatika

We first discovered Ras Vatika several years ago, after passing by the brightly lit window and having a spontaneous curiosity about Indian vegetarian food. Fortunately there were not many other customers, as we were faced with a vast array of options from the wall menu and needed the hostess to explain nearly everything.  After asking vague questions about what to eat, we chose the Special Thali (selection of different dishes served in small bowls on a round tray) which she suggested we order, as we could then have a little bit of everything.  The Faluda (a delicious drink with icecream and vermicelli available in three different flavours back then: rose, pistachio and saffron), which we also sampled, was a visual feast as well as a great taste sensation, and made sure we returned with friends in tow, even the self-professed carnivores.

Wall menu that had us at a loss as to what to order

Special Thali - 5 roti, 3 curries, rice, dhal (lentil soup; could also have chosen khadi, or yoghurt soup), salad, poppadom, pickle, gulab jamun (milky balls in syrup) - too much food even for two people

Rose Flavoured Faluda

While the curries have great flavour without the heavy creaminess offered by many other restaurants (though sometimes a little too salty), we have decided that this little restaurant particularly excels at dishes made to order, settling on the dosa (fermented rice and lentil crepe), uttapam (Indian pizza) and a couple of other dishes as firm favourites.

Dosa served with coconut chutney and sambhar

Chole Bhature - bread puffs served with chickpea curry, yoghurt, onion salad, poppadom and pickle

Pullav and side salad.  The slab of butter and fresh coriander made it even more delicious.

A couple of months ago, the restaurant introduced printed menus, which came with descriptions of each dish, helping with the decision making process without making the items any less exotic.  Perhaps we will choose new favourites as we try more dishes, or perhaps not.  Service can be slow in this homely eatery, but in any case, we will be coming back for more.

Panda Recommends

Mains: Chole Bhature ($10.00); any of the Dosa and Uttapam variations ($7.00 - $13.50), especially Mysore Masala Dosa ($12.00) and Tomato and Onion Uttapam ($10.50)
Sides: Dhai Poori ($7.50), Chili Pakoda ($1.50)
Drink: Rose Faluda ($7.00), if you are very hungry
Avoid the thalis - they aren't bad, but the curries from the warming drawers are definitely not as good as the freshly made dishes!

[Added 26 July 2015: I am still recommending this restaurant after all these years!]

Vegie Pandas
You are in vegie heaven!  Everything in the store is vegetarian, and there is just so much to choose from!

Menu Flyer - Page 1

Menu Flyer - Page 2

Restaurant Details

Ras Vatika
596 Dominion Road, Balmoral, Auckland
(09) 623 2145

Opening hours:
Mondays closed.
Tuesdays to Sundays 11:30am - 10pm

Ras Vatika: cheap and cheerful, and absolutely delicious

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