I’ve been hearing good things about Flavors ‘n’ Spices, a new Indian restaurant located in the former Haru Korean spot on Vine Street. Since the closing of Akash India earlier this year, there haven’t been any Indian options downtown, so I wanted to show my appreciation by having lunch there last week.
The menu skews North Indian, but there’s one West Indian dish called konkani I highly recommend trying. Konkani is also the native language of the Western Indian state of Goa. Located on the Arabian Sea, the food there often blends the flavors of West India and Portugal, which ruled Goa from 1510 to 1961 and introduced tomatoes, potatoes and chili peppers to the region, as well as the rest of India.
The konkani at Flavors ‘n’ Spices is a thick tomato-based curry simmered with coconut milk and seasoned with ginger, mild mustard seeds, earthy turmeric, cumin and smoky chili peppers. It arrives in a small steaming-hot bowl, the chili peppers bobbing to the surface like small fish. Take a bite and experience a comforting wallop of warm spices, spicy ginger and smoky, perfectly balanced heat.
You can order the konkani with a variety of proteins, including lobster, prawns, shrimp or fish. Not yet understanding the coastal origins of the dish, I chose turf over surf and went with chicken (lamb is also available), but I’ll be sure to try seafood on my next visit. Co-owner and chef Jayaram “Jay” Chirra specifically recommends the prawns, though that lobster version sounds good, too, since I imagine it tasting like a West Indian lobster bisque. Either way, I look forward to seeing what else Flavors ‘n’ Spices has to offer.
628 Vine St., Downtown, 513-381-6000
Highly Recommended is a weekly spotlight on some of food writer Keith Pandolfi’s favorite finds as he eats his way across Greater Cincinnati. Come back every Tuesday for more. Still hungry? Sign up for Keith’s At the Table newsletter at bit.ly/atthetablesignup.
Dining and Cooking