MKS Spices’n Things

MKS Spices’n Things is a restaurant within a grocery store that specialises in uncommon produce from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and some Fijian specialties, too. Inside the store, the shelves are stacked with chutneys, pickles, ghee, curry pastes, spices and idli (South Indian rice cakes). There’s even an aisle dedicated to Bollywood DVDs.

The eatery is basically a bain-marie filled with a selection of aromatic, colourful curries that cater to a variety of spice tolerances. It’s a symphony of colours and textures: ochre dahl, creamy eggplant masala, dark goat curry and bright-red chicken tikka.

And it’s all ludicrously cheap. An enormous plate of rice (plain, paneer or chicken biryani) with a choice of three vegetable curries is only $8.95. Otherwise, you can have a plate of rice with a meat curry and two vegetable curries for $9.95, or rice with two meat curries and one vegetable for $11.95. Vegetable samosas are 2 for $2, and the mango lassi is only $3.

The atmosphere is bustling: expect the harsh lighting and background noise of a food court. If you’re after something a little more intimate, the best (and most popular) option is to take away.