21 May 25th–May 31st, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | cONTeNTs | feeDBacK | OPiNiON | NeWs | feaTuRe | NighT+Day | culTuRe | film | cafe | music | Month XX–Month XX, 2014 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | NEWS | OPINION | FEEDBACK | CONTENTS | For those who prefer to micromanage, however, they’ll happily adjust the spice level. To a point. “I can make it as spicy as you want,” Uddin says. “I can make you cry. And you’re going to feel the thunder. But with dishes like chicken tikka masala, or butter chicken or chicken korma, when people say, ‘Extra, extra, extra spicy,’ I say ‘No, no, no.’ I don’t want to ruin the taste of my dish. You need to taste everything, not chile taking over every other spice.” Uddin has no such compunction when it comes to the green chile lamb. You want heat? You’ll get heat — along with what tastes like pounds of fresh herbs and garlic and the occasional whole cardamom pod, all woven together in a verdant amalgam of green chile fire. The vindaloo, no surprise, is likewise a worthy target for heat seekers, but this version is about so much more than the heat. It’s heavy with garlic and vinegar and the deep, developed flavor of intensified tomato. On the other end of the spectrum, the navratan korma is a gem. Characteristically mellow and sweet but with a deeper spiced complexity than you’ll typically find around town, this mixed vegetable dish with a luxu- rious, creamy base dotted with the pop of sweet raisins almost feels like a cheat — as though you’re getting away with something while eating your vegetables. Meanwhile, daal makhani is an equally tough dish to miss, a workmanlike blend of lentils and red kidney beans that starts off humbly but gets better and better the deeper you dive into its thick, buttery spice. You should probably try the biryani. A Hyderabadi specialty, a mound of fluffy, scented rice conceal within it tender meat whose juices and seasonings have saturated the layers below. And while food geeks might turn their noses up at overplayed favorites such as butter chicken, that would be a terrible mistake at City of Spice. This is a truly superlative version of the dish, its tandoor-roasted chicken and gentle tomato spice infused with the kind of butter content usually reserved for hollandaise. I don’t know how much is in there, and to be honest, I’d prefer not to, because I’m going to eat it either way. I want to keep going. The menu is one thumping banger after the next, I could recommend a couple dozen more that I love just as much, and I don’t want anybody to miss a thing. But perhaps the best advice I can give is to just go. Invite a crowd of friends. Talk to Azher, Syed and Bhoomi. Order anything they recommend and everything they don’t. There’s joy to be found in letting your- self discover it all. City of Spice 2945 East Bell Road 602-603-9457 cityofspice.com 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Vegetable appetizers $6-$12; Dosas $11-$14; Kababs and meat appetizers $11-$16; Mains $12-$17; Breads $2-$7; Desserts $5-$7. City of Spice from p 19
