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The Indian takeaway on Chesterton High Street has changed hands more times than I can count. It doesn’t feel that long ago that it was Cam Spice Express and I may even be mistaken in thinking there was another one in between. It almost feels like the venue is cursed.

It is great to see it now open again, as ‘The Chef & Spices’ as there is nothing I hate more than an unutilised Indian takeaway.

Will it break the curse?

Let’s hope so!

We brought back a selection of three dishes, a biryani, bhuna, and the vindaloo. Looking at the menu, there is all your classic dishes you would expect from an Indian takeaway but I also noticed a few other dishes that aren’t as common, most notably the naga donner kebab. Burgers and chips are also available, making it a great all-in-one takeaway for all.

Hyderabadi style Dum Biryani

I started with one of my favourites – the dum biryani. This is a dish I have been enjoying all over Cambridge and only seems to be gaining in popularity.

For those of you who have never heard of this dish before, the Dum Biryani is a multi-layered rice dish with on-the-bone chicken. It is then slow-cooked together under pressure in a single container to trap in all the flavour.

By eye, the dish looks bland and dry but nothing could be further from the truth. Each bite had a real depth of flavour and a moistness that didn’t leave you wishing for sauce. The chicken fell to pieces with minimal effort. Beautiful!

Chicken vindaloo

Obviously, I had the vindaloo. I thought it was a worthy take on the iconic dish, with a healthy brown colour and a fiery kick. It was a medium heat, so it isn’t going to blow your head off, making it more accessible but will also be a challenge for newbies to the spice game. The chicken was cut into thick chunks and was nice and tender. Lovely!

Lamb bhuna

The lamb bhuna was another good take on the classic dish. It was a  little oily for my liking but it was also full of flavour with some nice tender lamb chunks. It had a generous amount of sauce that accompanied the rice perfectly.

Conclusion

I would be very happy to have The Chef & Spices close by, especially servicing a Hyderabadi dum biryani. The vindaloo and bhuna were both good quality with no signs of colourings. It was great to see a few other interesting dishes that you don’t always find on the menu in other Indian takeaways.

Let’s hope the team manage to break the curse!

Give them a try and let us know what you think on the Cambridge Curry Community!