As someone who has lived and worked in downtown Bend for over 15 years, I can’t tell you how excited I get when a new restaurant opens that reaches beyond the comfort zone of brewery/pub food, steak houses, wine shops, and fine dining. Don’t get me wrong, there is some amazing food downtown that falls into those categories, but an expansion of our palate is only a good thing. With Korean, Thai, Japanese, Mexican, Italian, Moroccan, Portuguese and Peruvian food already spread throughout Downtown, we’ve now finally gotten some Northern and Southern Indian cuisine with Spiceland.
Nestled in the spot recently occupied by Chomp Chomp, Spiceland is still in the process of their soft open, so not a huge amount has changed inside yet, but they have artwork and decor coming from India that should be here by the time they have their grand opening. I’ve been spending time inside that space ever since it was Cafe Paradiso 25 years ago, so I’m happy inside no matter what, but I like the vibe they’re going for: it’s brighter but also mellow.
I have to say, I’m impressed with the food I’ve tried so far from Spiceland and look forward to trying more from their extensive menu. As I always try to bury myself in a mountain of food and beverages while doing a restaurant review, I started with the mixed vegetable pakora and a mango lassi. The pakora was lightly breaded with chickpea flour that enhanced the stuffing beautifully. With a sampling of mushroom, onion, spinach, potato, eggplant and hot chili pakora, the mixed platter has a wide variety of pakoras to taste (each with a subtly different preparation) that gives you an idea of how much effort they’re putting into the menu.
The lamb samosa was one of the highlights of the entire meal with a crispy, flaky, fresh pastry stuffed to bursting with tender spiced lamb. I tasted notes of coriander, garam masala and cardamom, which combined for a genuinely delectable app. Two massive samosas come with the order, which almost filled me up before I got into the entrees.
All of Spiceland’s entrees are available à la carte or, for a few bucks more, thali, meaning with a sampling of the curry of the day, Dal, Sambar (lentil soup), Raita (yogurt with onions, tomatoes and cucumber), naan and a dessert of the day (I had the rice kheer). Tasting several of their other classic staples is worth the extra few dollars, for sure. I was really impressed with their Sambar, which had a nice heat to it that didn’t overpower the richness of the tamarind broth. The Raita is also a perfect palate cleanser for those trying multiple dishes with contrasting flavor profiles.
Next came the Spiceland Mixed Grill, which comes steaming to the table and is filled with different Tandoori approaches to chicken, lamb and paneer. The plate was massive, easily shareable for two, with the chicken and lamb being incredibly tender and delicately cooked. The balance of the smoky heat from the Tandoori spices and the citrus tang from the herbs and yogurt was mouthwatering.
Because I’m nothing if not thorough, I was also able to sample the Spiceland Chicken Special (boneless chicken breast with coconut in a spiced cream sauce), the chicken Korma and the Tikka Masala, all of which tasted very robust and complicated. The chicken was always very tender, and I was impressed by how light and non-acidic the tomato sauce in the Tikka Masala was. All of the flavors at Spiceland I found to be different than what I was expecting, mostly in a good way.
I could go on and on describing menu items like the insanely delicious, melted cheese-stuffed naan or the experimental cocktail and mocktail program, but I’ll end here, saying Spiceland has set its sights on being a comforting staple for downtown Bend. While they’re still ironing out a few bugs in service, there were no issues I saw that can’t easily be fixed by their grand opening. I’m already looking forward to going back and trying their Biryani, their goat curry and their saag paneer to get a fuller idea of their menu. Regardless, I’ve been missing Indian food from downtown for years now and I’m so happy to have the option again.
This article appears in Source Weekly May 22, 2025.
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At Khan Gi Restaurant, our Mutton Seekh Kebab is hand-minced mutton blended with ginger, garlic, green chilli, fresh coriander, and a house mix of cumin, coriander seed, and garam masala. Shaped onto skewers and charcoal-grilled, it turns irresistibly smoky with a juicy, tender bite. We finish it with a sprinkle of chaat masala and herbs, and serve it alongside mint-yogurt chutney, sliced onions, and lemon. Spice level can be customized on request, making it perfect for every palate.