Island Spice

*Restaurant is now closed*

Let's see... What do we have here along Scott Road. Okay... Northern Indian, Southern Indian, Indian Chinese and ah yes... more Northern Indian. Alright, the lack of diversity along 120th is pretty apparent. Yes, there is the occasional Chinese joint mixed in with various other places, but really, it is all about the curries (or dosas). Whilst dining at one of the 3 Thai restaurants in the area (Thai-by-Thai), I noticed a really small place across the street. Island Spice eh? Fijian food? Okay, I've seen a few of those around the neighbourhood, however, most of them never seem open. Well, they're probably closed for good anyways.

So I decided to give it a shot. With less than 8 tables, the place is a small family-run operation. On my first visit, I tried their Fish Curry made with salmon. I asked for spicy and it did come as advertised. The curry had quite the kick with lots of salmon, onions and peppers. Honestly, it was to the point where I didn't really taste much other than the heat. I didn't mind it because I do like spicy. But for those who want more diverse flavours, I'd stick with medium. As for the fish, it was pretty well-done. I wouldn't classify it as dry, however, I wouldn't say it was moist either. On my second visit, I dragged Pops with me, for a little more diversity. Oh and yes, he is good company as well. This time around, I went for one of their thalis, specifically the Goat Curry. As you can clearly see in the picture, the meat was quite dry and chewy. It needed to be stewed longer. Flavourwise, it was spicy once again. The accompanying roti was nice though. It had good colour and was soft and chewy.

Pops had the Chicken Curry and yes, the meat was tough and chewy. Maybe if there was more "sauce", the meat might be less dry? Or possibly either cook it less or cook it more. Anyways, as with the other 2 curries, there was a definite kick. So much so, the other flavours were quite muted. In conclusion, Island Spice offers up something slightly different from the other spots along Scott Road, however, the meats are chewy and tough. Flavours are good though, especially the spice level. Love the friendly owners too.

The Good:
- Friendly people
- Good spice level

The Bad:
- Meats are dry and chewy