Born and raised in India, Daniel Hsiung (熊懌騰) originally came to Taiwan to study Chinese cooking. After finishing cooking school and a few stints in various pub kitchens, Hsiung abandoned Chinese cuisine in favor of his native fare and opened The Spice Shop.
A fourth-generation Indo-Chinese, Hsiung is not the only member of his family to find success in the Indian restaurant business. In fact this is the sixth Spice Shop to open in Taiwan, as two cousins own and operate a total of five restaurants in Kaoshiung, Taichung and Hsinchu.
PHOTO: DIANA FREUNDL, TAIPEI TIMES:
Offering a large selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, The Spice Shop serves up curry favorites such as beef madras (beef in coconut sauce), chicken tikka masala, mutton bhuna (mutton with onion and pepper) and others priced under NT$300 each. The most popular and highly recommended dish is the chicken tandoori (NT$300), served with a small side of kuchember (spicy Indian salad).
The vegetarian selection is equally plentiful and tasty. Made with seasonal vegetables the jhalfraizie (NT$180) is a refreshing change from the frozen veggies often used in mixed curry. Channa masala (chickpea curry), palak paneer (made with spinach and homemade cheese) and the daal all come highly recommended at NT$180.
Diners looking to satisfy a sweet craving after their curry will have to settle on a lassi, as there are no desserts on the menu. The mango lassi, made with fresh mango and yogurt, however, should not be overlooked.
The restaurant's decor remains debatable with a limited (yet eye-catching) selection of Indian tapestries hanging on exceptionally bright orange walls, with spindly chip board tables and plastic chairs.
A trained chef, Hsiung says he still prefers to be in the kitchen and still does most of the cooking. Apart from using less oil and chili, which can be increased on request, Hsiung claims he doesn't cater to Chinese or Western tastes, and instead prepares the food exactly as he would in India.
In less than two years since opening, The Spice Shop has acquired a substantial number of regulars who fill the tiny establishment nightly. With a maximum seating capacity of 40 persons, the restaurant fills up early, so reservations are not a bad idea, especially on the weekends.
Even at full capacity the wait for food is not intolerable and rather enjoyable with a selection of beers that includes India's own, King Fisher. Alternatively, patrons can bring their own bottle of wine, but are required to pay a NT$200 corkage charge.
Next week, candidates will officially register to run for chair of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). By the end of Friday, we will know who has registered for the Oct. 18 election. The number of declared candidates has been fluctuating daily. Some candidates registering may be disqualified, so the final list may be in flux for weeks. The list of likely candidates ranges from deep blue to deeper blue to deepest blue, bordering on red (pro-Chinese Communist Party, CCP). Unless current Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) can be convinced to run for re-election, the party looks likely to shift towards more hardline
Sept. 15 to Sept. 21 A Bhutanese princess caught at Taoyuan Airport with 22 rhino horns — worth about NT$31 million today — might have been just another curious front-page story. But the Sept. 17, 1993 incident came at a sensitive moment. Taiwan, dubbed “Die-wan” by the British conservationist group Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), was under international fire for being a major hub for rhino horn. Just 10 days earlier, US secretary of the interior Bruce Babbitt had recommended sanctions against Taiwan for its “failure to end its participation in rhinoceros horn trade.” Even though Taiwan had restricted imports since 1985 and enacted
Enter the Dragon 13 will bring Taiwan’s first taste of Dirty Boxing Sunday at Taipei Gymnasium, one highlight of a mixed-rules card blending new formats with traditional MMA. The undercard starts at 10:30am, with the main card beginning at 4pm. Tickets are NT$1,200. Dirty Boxing is a US-born ruleset popularized by fighters Mike Perry and Jon Jones as an alternative to boxing. The format has gained traction overseas, with its inaugural championship streamed free to millions on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Taiwan’s version allows punches and elbows with clinch striking, but bans kicks, knees and takedowns. The rules are stricter than the
Nearly three decades of archaeological finds in Gaza were hurriedly evacuated Thursday from a Gaza City building threatened by an Israeli strike, said an official in charge of the antiquities. “This was a high-risk operation, carried out in an extremely dangerous context for everyone involved — a real last-minute rescue,” said Olivier Poquillon, director of the French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem (EBAF), whose storehouse housed the relics. On Wednesday morning, Israeli authorities ordered EBAF — one of the oldest academic institutions in the region — to evacuate its archaeological storehouse located on the ground floor of a residential tower in
RSS