Spice9 – Spiciest Dish in Columbus Series

Spice9 sits in the Sancus area of Polaris, reallll close to the already high on our list Hyderabad House.

We’d heard good things from some of my colleagues so after a day of delivering to our retailers around Columbus we decided to stop by and see what all the hubbub was about.

Everything we tried was flavorful with a kick and had the Lady of the Farms undereyes sweating. A large menu featuring desi dishes, you can get dosas, idli, and a lot of the other Indian dishes you’re used to seeing on a menu. Best of all, if you can’t decide on what to take out, they have a lunch buffet on Saturday and Sunday! Now, how does Spice9 do on heat?

Sometimes you get that whole mouth heat that leaves you sitting there wondering what you’re doing with your life. Spice9 and their “Hot” level are willing to make you ponder your entire existence. Not just in one dish, but in all that I tried that were labeled “Hot.” For the Chicken 999 and the Goat Lunch Box I ticked the “Hot” box (the highest level of their three levels), and was ready to be let down.

I gazed into the deep reds and oranges, debating where to begin, and chose the lunch box. Curry, chicken, and goat biryani, the curry was the first thing to tickle my tonsils with a slowly building heat. As it continued to increase I could feel my undereyes beginning to sweat a bit and I began sniffling. Not uncontrollable, but not easily kept at bay, those sniffles would stick around for the remainder of the dishes. Dipping in the bullet naan was like adding a heat multiplier, triggering different waves of slight pain in my mouth. Layered in diced chilis, this is probably the most well-balanced bullet naan I’ve had in Columbus.

The flavorful curry gone, I moved into the white bed of biryani. Some biryanis hold heat and spices throughout all bites of rice, but this biryani in particular was focused on the main ingredient, the goat. Still sniffling from the curry, the goat came in with a kick, bumping the heat up with a dry spiciness that triggered some open mouth breathing. It’s a sneaky heat because from looks alone you don’t expect much from it, but then a bite or two in you realize your bravado will be your undoing and there is only pain left.

Saving half of the biryani for later (next day biryani is even spicier), I moved to the Chicken 999 (also “Hot”), a scary red dish of chicken and spices. Once again, the Chicken 999 provided a different brand of pain. A thicker sauce, but not overly so, each chicken chunk brings with it the heat of chilis and a full face warmth. Nose uncontrollably dripping at this point, I packed up the leftovers for a spicy day two and thought about the experience.

I’ve not encountered such different versions of spiciness from one restaurant before and was super impressed at the different ways Spice9 is willing to hurt you when you select “Hot.” All things considered, we’re placing Spice9 at #29, just after Slurping Turtle’s Ramen with Volcano Paste. Would definitely eat any of these dishes again to ride the peppery lightning.

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