Upon recommendation by my collegue, i went there for a little high-tea with my friend, at the same time trying to find out their service and food quality, cause i am looking for an italian food caterer for the upcoming christmas/ chinese new year.

I was astonished by the service the restaurant provided. The great service they provided was recognised by my friend as well.

When we first stepped into the restaurant, the service staff came and open up the door for us. The smile they provide to us was utterly radiant. Regretfully, due to my friend afraid of cold, we chose to sit outside the restaurant. At that time i was thinking: " will we be left out by the service staff due to the reason of us sitting outside?" However, my worries was uncalled for. The service speed was still very fast and steady.

The dishes we ordered came up to us very fast and little did i expect, though they are fast, the quality of the food is still very good. However, one minor glitch. They serve my expresso together with my first dish (salmon salad). I was abit disappointed at that time, but, i did not ask or reprimanded them and demanding a change. To my surprise, a couple of minutes later, they came up to me and told me they will replace the expresso for me, saying that the expresso will not taste nice when it is cold.

For myself, I am rather particular about the service provided at dining restaurants. Honestly speaking, the service provided at this restaurant is one of the best that i went to.

Daniel
281108

Before my chocolate overdose @ Cheeky Chocolates. CG and I had our dinner @ Herbs and Spices. I was very intrigued by the whole Italian food together with Indian food concept and wanted to try it out for myself.

I was intrested in both the Italian and Indian menu so decided to order a carb dish from the Italian choices and a appetizer from the Indian choices.

We got the
Fish cutlet - $1.50
this was like the mala begedil. think its fish and some other items like potato mashed together then fried. not bad and quite spicy.
Fish tikka- $6.00
this was goood. the fish was done just right. not too dry and very well marinated with delicious spices. both of us enjoyed this dish

From the Italian Menu i got the
Potato Gnocchi - $16 which was ravioli stuffed with potato and had a cream sauce. I found it nice at first. but Eventually found it very doughy and too creamy. felt very jerlak towards the end.

CG got a spinach pasta thingy - $22.
Cant remember much about it tho but the sauce was pretty alright.

All in all the Pastas i felt were quite rich and good but of course can get a bit too rich. The indian stuff is really quite good and not forgetting affordable too. Even the set menu for lunch has a big variety and seems very value for money.

Service was attentive and helpful. And i found the place quite charming and very easy on the eyes. It was a very pleasant experience and I will definitely return for the Fish tikka and try out the other dishes on their menu.

I have heard a lot about Herbs and Spices for a long time but I have not had the chance to go down until recently. After a long day at the office, I made my way down to Upper Thomson, which is growing with a bunch of very affordable eateries, with Herbs and Spices being one of them.

I must admit that I was a little worried when I walked in to realised that they served both Italian and Indian as the only similarities between both cuisines is the letter "i". Moreover, my bad experiences with restaurants that serve multiple cuisines also did not help. I was however, in for a surprise.

I decided to go Indian for this review and this is what I had:

The Fried Fish Roe ($4) got me exited as I have not had this for a long time. It was served in small fried balls but I felt that it was a little too over-fried and I would have prefered it in larger portions where I could taste the roe better.

The omelette ($4) was ordinary, a little on the dry side.

The cabbage ($4) was done crunchy and light in oil. Quite plesant.

The Chicken Tikka Masala ($8) had nice tender bits of chicken but I felt that it lacks in taste.

The one dish that is a must try though is the Curry Fish Head ($18) which came in a huge head. The fish was fresh and the fish curry thick and spicy.

With these five dishes I ate myself silly, yet the bill only added up to less than $25 a person. That's a good deal anywhere. Service was generally quite good and so I added a tip since there was not service charge. I wished though that the waitress had told me that five dishes including the Curry Fish Head was too excessive for two people instead of just trying to keep upselling the dishes.

We went to Herbs and Spices for the 4th time yesterday. It's an excellent lace for both North Indian and Italian food - 2 cuisines that I love. And the location being at Upper Thomson Road helps too.

We were a group of 6 adults and a small child - giving a treat to my visiting in-laws. We started with 2 pizzas - the Pizza Margerita and Pizza Tonno i.e Tuna. Both came rather quickly (within 15 mins) and were excellent. They had thin crusts and heavier on the sauces and less on the cheese - just how a pizza should be. Then we went for the 'usual' Indian fare - Plain Naans, Butter Naans and Garlic Naans along with Tandoori Chicken, Fish Tikka, Paneer Kadai and Aloo Gobi. As in our previous trips here, all the dishes were consistent. The Fish was well done and soft. The Paneer Kadai was a little sweet though, and the potatoes and cauliflower in the Aloo Gobi were cooked just right - not too soft and not too hard.

We finished off with an excellent latte. How godd? So good that my brother-in-law's 2 1/2 year old daughter finished a third of a cup and wanted more! We skipped the desserts this time as we felt if we had to take any more this evening, we would have to probably roll over to the car, as we'd be too full to stand up!

The service here is excellent and that's what makes us return here often. It's family run and very friendly. Furthermore it's in the Upper Thomson Area which provides a relaxed feel for patrons to enjoy the food.

Note: Went there a week earlier and had an excellent Spaghetti Marinara and a mouthwatering Tiramisu.

The exterior decor of Herbs & Spices is popularly misunderstood. It sends off quirky vibes to passers-by who promptly decide not to afford their meal a risk of strange-tasting cuisine. Moreover, the word 'Euradian' does not so much as tease tastebuds than weird them out. Point is, ignore the fancy colours. We are here for some serious, authentic, Indian cuisine.

I have been to this restaurant time & time again. My first being an adventurous whim that I have never regretted. Try the Special 7 Mixed Veg, $6, which is this thick vermillion curry with cauliflower, potatoes & peas in it. It is smacking tasty & goes excellently with the Naans, at $2 a serve in a basket. The Naans, garlic, cheese, or plain, are thick, fluffy, & chewy. They are good to eat & fill you up before you know it. Hence, order neatly - a group of 4 friends could do with 2 baskets to share.

If you are a curry person, as I am, try the Butter Chicken, which is a carnivorous version of the Special 7 Mixed Veg. The sauce base is that same yummy goodness. But if you want something less gravy-like in your get-up, you should try the Fish Tikka, & also the Fried Fish Roe, the former is a dry-fried dish but I like it because it provides a good balance in the meal. The fish is not outstanding but its got a lovely smoked taste which I occasionally still think about. The fried fish roe is crispy, a little salty, & is therefore a suitable side for a large group to share.

For a refreshing beverage, try the Mango Lassi, which washes down the curries really well. I never fail to order it when I visit H&S.

The price here is extremely affordable & having been here with up to 3 friends before, my bill has always been kind & never required The Blue Note. Delicious, humble fare in a flattering & comfortable ambience made better with a couple only wanting to make your meal as enjoyable as they can. Are you there yet?