Chef Balram Yadav is poised for success with his first independent restaurant venture, Indian eatery Spice Bazaar in Tsim Sha Tsui. With over 30 years of culinary experience, chef Balram’s career started particularly strong, serving as the chef for the Dubai royal family for nearly half a decade.
The chef’s move to Hong Kong 18 years ago saw him work his way up the ranks of many acclaimed Indian restaurants around town, including Chutney Tandoor House and New Punjab Club. Most recently, Balram was the sous-chef at Leela, chef Manav Tuli’s Michelin-recommended Indian stunner.
Chef Balram has taken all of his passion, experience, and knowledge to open Spice Bazaar with co-founder Imran Khaleel, a Hong Kong hospitality veteran who opened another popular Tsim Sha Tsui diner, Lebanese restaurant Rue Du Liban, in late 2023. Joining Balram and Imran at Spice Bazaar is the chef’s daughter, Roshni, who co-manages the restaurant and makes diners feel like they’re part of the family.
As Imran is from Hyderabad, a selection of Hyderabadi dishes is showcased, most notably the starter of chicken 65 (HK108). This popular South Indian snack sees chicken breast marinated in a savoury spice blend that’s heavy on the Kashmiri chilli and garlic, then deep-fried with curry leaves. Though we feel the chicken could have been a bit crispier, the vibrant flavours are sensational, encapsulating all that we love about Indian cuisine.
Samosa chaat (HKD88) was up next in the starter section, and boy, does this North Indian street-food dish deliver on texture and flavour. We particularly enjoyed the textural contrast between the warm, crunchy smashed samosas and the cool toppings of yoghurt and homemade mint and tamarind chutneys. This dish is lip-smackingly spicy, sweet, and tangy all at once.
It would be a crime to dine at Spice Bazaar and not order one of the dishes featuring the chef’s made-from-scratch paneer. We opted for the tandoor-cooked chutney paneer tikka (HKD148), and it turned out to be our favourite plate of the evening. Chef Balram’s paneer has an unbeatable fresh flavour and soft, creamy texture that allow the marinade ingredients to fully penetrate this mild Indian cow’s milk cheese.
The Hyderabadi lamb shank biryani (HKD218) certainly wows when it’s presented at the table, covered with a thin, glistening layer of roti naan that helps to preserve the moisture within. Once cut open, the enticing aromas of cardamon, cinnamon, clove, and caramelised onion made our mouth water. Surprisingly, however, that incredible fragrance doesn’t quite translate to the rice and lamb shank. The traditional biryani ingredients are accounted for and the textures are spot on (the lamb shank itself cut like butter), but the whole dish is crying out for more salt and seasoning to lift the flavours.
The same can be said of the butter chicken (HKD158), which lacks depth. The flavour of the velvety sauce is one note; all we could taste was an overwhelming tomatoey sweetness, without a hint of smokiness or heat.
Spice Bazaar redeems itself with its bread offerings. Our garlic butter naan (HKD58) was flawless – light, fluffy, garlicky, buttery perfection.
Our verdict of Spice Bazaar
Chel Balram has a certified hit on his hands with Spice Bazaar. Even just a few weeks after its opening, the restaurant was packed with satisfied diners digging into the chef’s authentic and moreish Indian dishes. Though we weren’t as enamoured with the biryani and butter chicken as we had expected, the starters, paneer, and naan made up for any disappointment. We can’t wait to come back to try out more of the menu.
This month, Spice Bazaar is set to open its outdoor terrace, with seating for 20 diners, giving us yet another reason to return very soon.
Spice Bazaar, 4/F, 10 PRAT, 10 Prat Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui, 3422 8588, book here
| Order this: samosa chaat, chicken 65, keema anda pav, chole bhature, paneer tikka, palak paneer, garlic butter naan Menu: Spice Bazaar menus Price for two: HKD600–800 | Atmosphere: lively and colourful, belting out a clubby DJ-driven playlist come sundown Perfect for: diners craving elevated yet approachable Indian cuisine at prices that won’t break the bank |
This review is intended to offer an individual perspective on the dining experience and should not be considered as a definitive judgement of the restaurant’s overall quality or reputation. The views expressed in this review are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions of Foodie.
