Spice of America

Modern Indian restaurant · South of Market

Spice of America

Modern Indian restaurant · South of Market

2

1655 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103

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Highlights

Nepalese & Indian flavors, artworks, contemporary atmosphere  

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1655 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103 Get directions

spiceofamerica.wixsite.com
@spiceofamerica

$10–20 · Menu

Reserve

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1655 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103 Get directions

+1 415 872 7187
spiceofamerica.wixsite.com
@spiceofamerica
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@spiceofamerica

$10–20 · Menu

Reserve

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Aug 30, 2025

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The Best Indian Restaurants in San Francisco | Eater SF

"This quiet spot on Market was once dubbed the “most interesting Indian restaurant in San Francisco” by the Chronicle and serves a broad menu of Indian fare with a few Nepali specialties mixed in. Explore non-traditional entrees including grilled shrimp in Indo-Chinese Sichuan sauce and fish pakora, or salmon fried in spiced chickpea batter." - Paolo Bicchieri

https://sf.eater.com/maps/best-indian-restaurants-san-francisco
View Postcard for Spice of America
@postcardnews

This independent Indo-Nepalese spot was called the most interesting Indian restaurant in San Francisco by the San Francisco Chronicle. Creative thalis, house chaats, and seafood curries reward a sit-down visit near Van Ness Station.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/restaurants/article/Spice-of-America-the-most-interesting-Indian-14419338.php
Indian Cuisine in San Francisco (2025)
View Postcard for Spice of America

amd reshad

Google
Delicious Pakistani/Indian halal food with rich flavors and authentic spices. The biryani was perfectly cooked, and the kebabs were juicy and tender. Great service and clean environment — highly recommend for anyone craving real Pakistani/Indian taste!

Naim Adalat

Google
Highly recommend this place! They have the best Indian food in the bay! Everything tasted delicious. Also the meat is Halal as the ownership has changed recently.

Debby Tiner

Google
The food and service are amazing, but the wait time is a little slow. Sit back and enjoy the good food and some quality time! This is my second time eating here. Highly recommend

Peggy L.

Google
Amazing presentation and delicious food! The prices are also very affordable. Highly recommend this place! We loved our chicken momo, aloo tiki ragda, lamb curry, paneer tikka masala and garlic naan.

Swap

Google
I was craving Indian food since I’d not had it in more than a week. This place has some seriously delicious Indian food! 🤤 We’d their Aloo tiki ragda (yumm!), matar paneer with Green chili naan and garlic naan. We actually ordered the paneer tikka masala but the order got messed up. I didn’t have any complaints about the matar paneer though! And our favorite was the cauliflower roast with the khichdi - a must try! If you’re in SFO and looking for some seriously good Indian food - stop by here! Also a special mention of their service - really, sweet people! After ordering, I realized that I was out of lactaid in my wallet and my spouse needed to make a quick run to Walgreens. They accommodated our request to bring the food out when he was back. Thanks to that kindness, I enjoyed my lunch without having to deal with a tummy ache later!

Sarthak Wahal

Google
Pickup order, didnt even start preparing it until after I arrived. Their response when I was waiting more than 15 minutes for order that should have been ready more than 25 minutes ago - "life is full of disappointments" Updated to add review of the food itself: very average. Not bad, but nothing great. Definitely not worth waiting for.

Laura Peters

Google
Some friends and I ate at Spice of America on Market Street last week. We had read the great reviews and were not disappointed. The food was all tasty with complex flavors, although the two dishes with red sauce were supposed to be different, the sauces tasted very much the same. Still no complaints. Everything tasted fresh. I would go back here.

AHHSF

Google
Really sad experience tonight with takeout. The quality of the food here went off a cliff and into a dump. SOA had been a regular go-to place for delicious food for us for at least six years. The food came out 30 minutes late. The naan is dry and hard. The momos are dry and have no sauce. Paneer and Molai kofta are watery and bland. Chicken curry also flavorless. Szechuan chicken dry with no sauce (different and not as described). On and on. We ordered extra to have leftovers that will probably be tossed. They must have changed owners. Really sad to say, but a fav has disappeared.
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Irene C.

Yelp
We stopped in here for pre-theater dinner. The building is pretty non-descriptive at the moment since it's covered in scaffolding. Don't miss out on this restaurant because of it! We tried classic chicken momos, cauliflower roast and Dhaba Chicken Curry. Everything was great, and probably just a tad too much food for two, not pictured was a side of basmati rice and Mango Lassis. Service was very friendly, thank you for the recommendations!
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Michelle K.

Yelp
My friend and I came here for lunch around noon, and we were the only ones, which means we got seated immediately! The restaurant is very big, and everything felt really clean. The servers were super attentive and would check in around every 15-30min. We got the masala chai (free if you check in on Yelp), saag paneer, and chicken momos. The food itself was delicious -- hot (temperature-wise) and filled with flavor + spices! We thought the masala wasn't very balanced and was too milk-heavy.
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Gary A.

Yelp
Amazingly good and well presented dishes. When here for lunch recently and found my go to Indian restaurant just a few blocks from my home. Right across from Zunni on Market. Reasonably priced dishes.
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Daniel R.

Yelp
Somehow it slightly missed the mark. I like Indian food but found that even ordering everthing mild, it was rather hot. The restaurant is nice and the food portions are large. Prices are reasonable and food quality was above average. They do offer something for everyone, vegetarian, vegan, or carnivore..it's all here. Be warned about the spice level. There were quite a bit of items that were not available or had run out on the menu which was rather surprising. Rice is an option, something that I'm normally not accustomed to here in Miami. Service when I went seemed a bit novice, judging by some other reviews, it might have been an off night. Right now they are remodeling but it is open.

Alyssa C.

Yelp
I go in a lot but last time I went I had to wait an extra 20 minutes for my pickup order. (I ordered through DoorDash, which I do maybe 3 times a month here). Feels like they just didn't make it in the first place. They kept telling me it would only be 5 minutes, then they would ignore me until I asked again. Not sure if I'll go back. Food is good! Just wish they'd been more clear about how long it would take.
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Lee S.

Yelp
Within a non-descript building, on a transitioning part of Market Street, lies this super comfie dining room turning out killer authentic Himalayan dinners. Don't miss the lamb vindaloo, the inventive flavored rice dishes, and the chile garlic naan. Our server from Nepal (Pabin?) was super sweet, helpful, and genuinely friendly. Go here!
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Angela F. W.

Yelp
4.5 stars. I've been to Spice of America a couple of times pre-pandemic and also picked up a MealPal lunch here recently. This restaurant is very clean and nicely decorated. Service is friendly and attentive. I absolutely love the food here. Everything I tried were so delicious. The presentation is on point. If you're looking for a nicer Indian restaurant with authentic food and great presentation and ambiance, this is the spot. For my recent MealPal lunch combo, I got the Chicken Tikka Masala with rice. The portion is more than enough. The lady working that day gave me water and complimentary chips while I waited. Their chips are so light and airy. It goes so well with the Indian dipping sauce. I only wish this place was a bit closer to my office. But it was definitely worth the extra walk for me. Highly recommend this restaurant to anyone!!
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Mae-Elisa S.

Yelp
My fiancé and I checked out this place for dinner while waiting for a symphony concert to start later in the evening. It isn't that far from Davies Symohony Hall - about a 10 minute walk. Food - Very delicious! My fiancé ordered the lamb Tikka Masala. I ordered the Baingan Bharta. We both shared some garlic Naan, samosas, and rice. We got a free mango Lassi from the check-in! The lamb tikka masala was amazing and flavorful. The baingan Bharta was really garlic-y. I didn't really taste much eggplant. There were a lot of peas in it but it was just okay. The garlic naan was delicious! The texture was amazing - I loved the initial crunch and the softness afterwards. The samosa was delicious too, it was not oily at all and it well-stuffed. Service - I think there was only one guy working because he seemed a little confused about the Yelp check in but he ended up giving us the mango lassi anyways! It was very nice and delicious. The food came pretty quickly. It became busy - it was just my fiancé and I for the first few minutes but more people came by and it was becoming lively! The guy was on top of getting all the orders in and making sure everyone was taken care of despite it being only him. He was super friendly and took care of all of us. Environment - Located on Market! I'm not sure where you can park because my fiancé and I walked. But the interior of the restaurant was very clean and modern-like. I loved the lights they had! The aesthetic of it all was really nice and relaxing. Overall - would recommend this place! It's a cool place thats not touristy at all so you avoid a crowd. I would definitely stop by here again if I wanted a nice evening dinner before a symphony show !
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Shane S.

Yelp
I recently went to Spice of America with my friend. Good vegan options. We ordered family style getting chana masala and aloo gobi. We also ordered rice and chapati. The food took a bit of time to arrive yet everything was fresh and piping hot. The food was tasty with good flavor and not overly spicy. We requested some hot chutney to heat it up a bit yet wasn't too hot. Only caveat was could have been a touch spicier. Solid option in SoMa. We will be back!
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Pratibha S.

Yelp
Came here for a weeknight dinner with a friend, food was pretty decent but the restaurant was essentially empty except for us two (and was dead silent until music started playing about halfway through.) Ordered the chilli toasted veg momos which were really delicious, charred cauliflower which was ok but had a bit of a strange after-taste, and paneer tikka and garlic naan which were very tasty. Food/service were overall good, but probably would get takeout if coming again.
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Deepti N.

Yelp
Food was okay .. we had ordered chicken momo n schezwan chicken for the appetisers which was decent taste. Mains were garlic naan ( wasn't cooked well at all ) with paneer curry ( which was too sweet) !! and Dum Biryani(which didn't taste like biryani at all).. the service was unpleasant as we had a free beverage from yelp to collect after the dinner and the server was rude saying nobody asks for a free beverage here till I insisted on n got one ! Nothing to come back here again
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Anvita S.

Yelp
Had takeout several times since our last visit. The paneer tikka sandwich never fails - it hits the spot and is crispy even out of the takeout box. The butter chicken momos are my new favorite snack from here - super creamy and savory flavor bombs. It's the perfect mix of momos and my favorite buttery gravy. And of course the chili chicken, solid all around. Our favorite takeout comfort order!
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Adam B.

Yelp
Good quality Indian food, with a few scant Nepalese options. Currently only available for takeout. One really weird thing is that they wouldn't take my order and my cash in-person when I was at their front door, but told me to use the website. I acquiesced, but thought that was really weird and potentially illegal for a brick-and-mortar to not accept cash in San Francisco. Chili Chicken Momos: When a restaurant serves Nepalese, I have to get the momos. Obligatory. They had an option where they were tossed in a chili sauce with some bell peppers and onions, so decided to try it. Really tasty. A lot thicker sauce than when you get chili wontons at a Chinese restaurant. And I guess that sauce does a good job standing up to the thicker momo dough and hearty spiced chicken filling. Also, seems like the edges of the momo get seared a little in the pan, which was a nice texture bonus. They offered some dipping sauce on the side, but you definitely don't need that with all the delicious sauce already on the momos. Indo Chinese Tandoori Paneer Tikka: Similar chili sauce and bell peppers and onions as the chili momos, but with big blocks of paneer. And the paneer seemed lightly fried/seared, but without any coating. In retrospect, it was probably overkill to get two dishes with the same Indian/Chinese fusion sauce, but I'm a huge fan of Indo-Chinese food, so it was fine. Pahari Butter Chicken: A classic comfort dish. The chicken was definitely cooked on the tandoor since it had blackened pieces and a great smoky taste. The tomato cream sauce was very creamy and filled with spices; cardamom was especially noticeable. Despite charging you $16, there was no rice included, so good thing I had some leftover rice at home.
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Joe L.

Yelp
We've eaten here a couple of times before seeing shows nearby at SFJAZZ. We always go with friends, and everyone seems to really enjoy the delicious food. It's an easy short walk from the performing arts garage, the prices are very reasonable, and the service is prompt and friendly.
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Priyadharshini G.

Yelp
Good good. Good service and decent ambiance. Ordered the samosa sandwich and it was very cheesy and wholesome. Came with a side of Peri Peri like seasoned fries. Would definitely go back for their sandwich. Would love to try other dishes as well.
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Sabrina V.

Yelp
This place isn't open for dine-in. But they are open for take-out. You have to ring on the doorbell and someone will come outside to help. They make you wait outside while they get your order ready, but Market St. just isn't the safest street to be waiting around at sometimes so I wish they would atleast let us wait inside. I ordered the Masala and Cheese Omelet Curry- Lunch combo and the chicken momo ($24 total). The omelet was intriguing to me because I never had an indian style omelet. But this title is self explanatory, this really is just a cheese omelet with masala sauce. To be honest, nothing special, but their is a great cheese pull in the omelet. I think if you can add meat to this dish then that would bring it to the next level. This came with papad, which was like a crunchy flatbread cracker, so nice addition.. It was also my first time trying Momos, which remind of me like steamed dumplings.. I'm not really sure what the difference is between a momo and a dumpling, besides the sauce. I don't think the sauce that came with it is in my flavor palette, so I don't know if I'll get this again.. Overall, I would order from here again because I think they have a great value for their lunch specials, and it's not too far a walk from my work. Their lunch special is 11:30am-2:30pm, and the prices aren't so bad.
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Sylvia S.

Yelp
Got takeout for their 5 course butter chicken meal for 2 people. There was so much variety-a super fun and tasty experience. The best thing for me was their potato pancake. My bf, who is indian, said it was overall very authentic. The only downside was the butter chicken was a little watery. Will definitely return to try other items.
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Thu N.

Yelp
Great spot for large groups! We made a reservation for seven people ahead of time, but they were able to accommodate us when I called asking if we could arrive earlier. I got the chicken tikka masala with cumin rice. I had eaten before coming here and was convinced I'd leave the restaurant with leftovers, but the food was so good that I just ended up finishing it there. Just note that it's a little pricey with the rice being an extra $5. I received a coupon with my Yelp check-in for a free beverage with purchase of an entree -- we learned that this is only applicable to delivery/takeout orders.
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Savannah L.

Yelp
Wow, our new favorite go-to Indian restaurant! Fresh and wonderfully-flavored food -- especially the momos, a rare find. I'm only sorry we didn't stop by sooner.

August B.

Yelp
Awesome food. The Lamb Korma was absolutely amazing, possibly the best indian/himalayan food dish I've ever had. Must try!
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Ash J.

Yelp
Underrated spot for Nepalese / Indian food in SF! You can go for the traditional indian curries like paneer tikka masala, and apps like paneer pakoras, but there's also great Nepalese options like momos and some indo / chinese fusion options. I really liked their appetizers, especially the indo chinese tandoor paneer tikka which is glazed with a perfect schezwan sauce. The veg biryani was on the less spicy side but still tasted good (and comes woth a bowl of cucumber raita), and the garlic naan waa excellent - soft and chewy. Great service too!

Andrew G.

Yelp
Excellent lamb curry! I ordered it extra spicy and it was just right. Another hit with my wife and I was the chole bhature.

Pallavi J.

Yelp
It took 30 minutes to order and an hour and 20 minutes to receive food as the waiter hadn't actually put our order in, which we only discovered after we checked in with him after waiting 40 minutes for starters to come out. There were 4 other occupied tables and another table that arrived after us received their food before us. Didn't comp the bill as they said they would. Did not provide utensils, napkins, or plates until we asked for them. Ordered vegetarian momos and received chicken. Didn't even figure that out until we saw the bill. What should've been a 1 hour dinner became a 2 hour ordeal. This place used to be good before the pandemic. I'll be avoiding it from now on.
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Elizabeth J.

Yelp
Came here on sunday night, during the storm of all storms. The photos make the food look amazing, and the presentation was very nice, with that said, I'm really sad this place wasn't better. Wine: wholly god do not order the wine, I think it was open for 3 weeks. Beer: nice selection of Indian beers Food: Carrot samosas - very good, huge size, nice filling, great flavors Lamb curry - awesome sauce but WAY overcooked meat Chicken tikka masala - very tasty sauce but the chicken was wayyy overcooked, not sure how they could cook it for so long Cheese nann - WOW that is super good Service - very sweet waitress, food came out fast Atmosphere - cute inside, but market these days is a VERY scary place to walk down, so i would recommend being careful.

P J.

Yelp
Paneer tikka sandwich here was awesome! Would definitely recommend. Chole bhatura was just so-so. Removed one star because spent money on a Lyft to go all the way to the restaurant to eat, only to be told they were only doing take out that night. Could've just saved the rideshare money to/from and ordered delivery. I guess the lesson is to call them before going there

Rushina S.

Yelp
Absolutely love their grilled sandwiches, great place for Mumbai-style snacks. Decent service and ambiance, it's usually pretty empty but I think sees a lot of take out.
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Siddhartha G.

Yelp
Market St isn't the most welcoming spot to wander around on, less even to grab a meal at, but Spice of America had made its way to us via word of mouth so we gave it a shot. Initial impressions were meh, since it was empty for some reason. They must've been busy earlier though, coz they were out of momos. We managed to snag a bowl of excellent spicy, chili momos. Daal makhani was fairly routine, the kofta though was fabulous and creamy, so were the chapatis (they could go easy on the ghee though). Kadi curry was tangy, but went well with the rice. Cauliflower pakodas were rather dry. Golgappas with chana were large and delicious. All sandwiches were on point.
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Sophia L.

Yelp
A great place to try out if you're in the area! We came at around 7 PM on a Saturday and were able to grab a table for a large group without any wait (though they do take reservations). I tried the chicken momos, the saag paneer, and the garlic naan (2 servings pictured). Although I wish there were a few more momos (6 dumplings for $12), they were delicious with the chili tomato sauce. The rest of the dishes were also tasty and filling for a reasonable value. The restaurant was very clean and the service was friendly and quick. I'd definitely come visit again!
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Armen Z.

Yelp
This place has amazing food. Their momos are some of the best I've had. Divine butter chicken. Appetizers I haven't found elsewhere. Few dine in customers so if you want a low key experience with amazing food, eat here. I've been here about a half dozen times and they are still making some of the best Indian food I've had.
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Vira P.

Yelp
So glad to dine here again! I went here for a Yelp event nearly 2 years ago, and I've been wanting to come back. Finally got to today. My friend and I had samosas to share, and they were yummy! And the presentation was beautiful. I guess the only downfall is that you can't control the amount of chutney because they already added it (which makes the presentation beautiful). But I didn't mind. My entree was the Dum Biryani, which comes with chicken tikka, and it was delicious! It looks small, but it's really filling! The creaminess from the tikka and the slight crispiness from the biryani was a good contrast in textures. The garlic naan was so good too! It was fluffy and garlicky. They have mocktails, and the Nepalese Sunrise caught my eye. It was basically a mango soda, but still yummy. But what I should've done was shown them my check-in deal when I ordered. For some reason, I thought that any of their beverages (like soda or tea), would be eligible. You actually get a mango lassi. And it was really delicious! I'm glad I got that at the end of my meal because it was a sweet way to end the meal. I really wanted the carrot halwa, which I loved at first bite at the Yelp event. It's a dessert I'll never forget. But I was so full, I couldn't. I'll have to order it to go soon. The decor warm, and the atmosphere was quiet. There weren't a lot of people, but they definitely have enough room for a large party. I think it might be the location since it's not a very walkable part of Market. But you'd be missing out if you pass it by for that reason. The food is as delicious as it looks pretty. And the service is superb. I definitely recommend this place for a Indian and Nepalese food.
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Jon E.

Yelp
If you're ordering from here, don't trust they put everything from your order in the bag. Take it all out, at the restaurant, and verify it. Because they WILL NOT REFUND any of their mistakes. For me, I ordered $85 worth of stuff. I ordered it through their own website, and I picked it up myself. And they forgot some naan. It's okay, we had enough food. But they won't repay for the missing naan. Apparently this is part of a general policy to not refund partial omissions. OK, so just make sure you check everything before you leave. Super easy. [edit] originally just complaining to Doordash and directly to the restaurant yielded no results. now that I have started posting on Yelp, they have now refunded me for the missing items.
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Chirag M.

Yelp
Food. Was. AMAZING! Stopped by for a quick meal and thus place did no disappoint at all. I got the Cauliflower roast and the Paneer tikka. Both were delicious. Will definitely be back here!
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Kristin M.

Yelp
I've ordered twice from here and both times were good! I don't live too close (about 30min away) and by the time I get home the naan and curries are still warm! I've tried the butter and garlic naan, garlic is my fav. The first time I tried butter curry and this time a seafood coconut curry, both are delicious!
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Brendan m.

Yelp
I have had so many dishes from here during the pandemic because I could pick it up. Today I actually went inside and the atmosphere is so nice! The customer service is amazing and I could not recommend them more. Get. Cheese. Naan. Get the paneer. Get it all and please support this wonderful business!

Vijay K.

Yelp
Service could be slower. Large serving sizes. Desserts were not good. Nice ambiance.
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Lena J.

Yelp
I don't recommend eating here if you have allergies. Many items on the menu contain nuts, and all the meat dishes use a cashew-based sauce, which isn't indicated on the menu or online. I think it would be helpful to have clearer allergy information indicated for people to check beforehand. My friend has nut allergies, and we were told that there were only a few dishes that we could order (saag paneer, dal makhani, yellow dal tadka, and baingan bharta). I believe that their other dishes could be very good, as other reviewers have written, but we were not happy with what we tried, especially for the price. Again, maybe some of their other dishes are better, but our experience was a solid "Meh. I've experienced better." We tried: -Mango lassi ($5) - fresh, pretty good, our favorite item we tried. You can definitely taste the mango. We got this with the Yelp check-in offer. -Saag paneer ($13) - fresh, with a strong spinach taste. The texture is more like a thick soup. Our server asked if we wanted it spicy and we said yes, but it had absolutely no spiciness. -Yellow dal tadka ($10) - it's fine. Fresh but not memorable or very flavorful (and only just slightly spicy). -Garlic naan ($5) - pretty normal and not very garlicky.
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Ed U.

Yelp
No, it's not the name of the Spice Girls' US reunion tour. Just tell me what you want, what you really, really want. If you wanna be my go-to, you gotta get with my diet. To be perfectly honest, I had pretty low expectations about this isolated middle-of-Market spot. Turnover has been high since the space doesn't seem convenient to anyone without a broken shopping cart. It was Chris Daly's Buck Tavern for a couple of years and then a Japanese restaurant called Shido for the previous three years. When I saw the familiar generic banner highlighting familiar generic Indian dishes and the inevitable lunch buffet, I just dismissed it until I developed a severe hankering for something spicy and Indian one evening after a workout. When I walked in, the server didn't sing the opening lyrics to "Wannabe". He was more Posh than Scary if you know what I mean. I did a quick perusal of the menu and had my eye on the $14 Cauliflower Roast, which sounded like the healthiest of a varied lot. It was an intriguing dish of lightly roasted cauliflower florets mixed with a creamy, spicy sauce called lababdar masala and a soft blend of rice and lentils called khichdi (photo: http://bit.ly/2SUcc9Y). It was definitely comforting with a bit of a kick. It was also just ranked #55 on 7x7's 100 Best Dishes in San Francisco. A deeper look at their menu reveals some novel techniques like charring yogurt, using Meyer lemons on their tandoori shrimp, and making curry with a cheese omelet. Yep, I should come back again. FOOD - 4 stars...creative take on cauliflower with a South Asian twang AMBIANCE - 3 stars...still looks like Shido to me SERVICE - 3 stars...a bit too quiet, would have liked more of an orientation on the culinary approach here TOTAL - 4 stars...tell me what you want, what you really, really want RELATED - Looking for other South Asian options? Here's a collection of places I've tried and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2v4hsdd
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Shell J.

Yelp
Although the place has a name with no correlation to India, I was impressed by its Indian food. I gave it 4 star as I was skeptical and it turns out a worthy experience and I will come back. The food quality is great and price is modest. I can tell the owner tried hard and worked hard, but the marketing wasn't done right, otherwise more people would show up. Let's give it a try.

K Z.

Yelp
I've been coming to SOA since they opened . In the past , not only has the food been delicious , but the service was attentive and courteous . Today , in marked contrast , was likely the worst service I've experienced anywhere in at least twenty years . The restaurant was not crowded and there were several waiters . Inexplicably, the table next to us remained laden with dirty dishes. When our food eventually arrived , forty five minutes after placing our order , I asked the waiter to remove the unappetizing array that still adorned the next table . The server walked away without clearing the table or giving us a napkin or silverware . (And yes : he spoke English.) I had to interrupt his small talk with the other water in order to obtain a fork and a spoon . Some 15 minutes into our meal , the aforementioned table was eventually cleared . We were never asked if we wanted more water or anything else to drink . Even something as simple to execute as bringing a to-go container seemed to flummox the waiters , and required multiple requests many minutes apart in order to achieve this simple goal. The food is still tasty , but there are other tasty Himalayan , Nepalese , and Indian restaurants in town that value the customer .
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Sarah K.

Yelp
I went here a while back when I was on a challenge to be vegetarian for a month. It was amazing! So yummy and the host was super nice and explained all the menu items that we were not familiar with. I always think of this place, hoping to return when I go to the city.
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Sid G.

Yelp
We were in the city and wanted to find an Indian place as my son is a picky eater and knew Indian food would be a good option for him. One of our friends had mentioned about this place so we decided to try it... This place pleasantly surprised us... The ambiance to the food and service was all outstanding. Lets start with the chicken momos... It was cooked to perfection... The filling was not the standard minced chicken that looks like frozen wontons ... It had flavored filling that was juicy and delicious.. Then came the aalo tikki dish....it was just A M A Z I N G. The tikki itself was surprisingly crisp and the dish was filled with amazing textures... The garlic naan was light and flakey and the pahari butter chicken was great too... Apart from all this, the hostess Roma was very considerate and helped my kid with a great looking custom dish which he enjoyed... She also played good attention to it table to make sure we had everything we needed...
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Ski D.

Yelp
Wow-- such little portions. ridiculously so. Maybe it's a take out issue. We ordered online and picked it up. Food was "fine". Value was a ripoff for the quality and the quantity.
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Kayan L.

Yelp
Take out during Covid-19 Overall: 6.5/10 The food was not bad but the portion size was ridiculously tiny! I ordered a butter chicken meal set for 4 and but there is no way I can convince myself the food were for 4. There were 2 spoonful of rice and 1 slice of bread for each person; 1/1.5 piece of chicken and 2 spoons of each of the 4 other vegetable dishes for each person. The portion was even smaller than those in the Michelin Star restaurants... Also, the whole lane in front of the restaurant is a bicycle lane so I can only got off a block away and walked there...but there were a few people hanging around in the streets so I would prefer not to come to this location. *Dahi Pakodi Curry (Vegetable fritters in curry): 7.5/10 My favourite dish out of the meal! *Dessert - Gulab Jamun: 7.5/10 These dough balls were really sweet but pretty nice! *Mix Vegetable: 7.5/10 *Dal Makhani (Lentils): 7.5/10 Spicy alert! *Butter Chicken: 7/10 Did I really get my meal? The chicken dish I had here was not like any butter chicken I had before. It was kinda spicy and and more like a chicken tikka masala to me... *Aaloo tikki chat (Potato Patties): 7/10
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Cherylynn N.

Yelp
4.5 STARS Goodbye, Shido. Hello, Spice of America! It's hard to keep up with all the restaurants closing and opening in San Francisco so it boggles me how some people can go on multiple dates in one night. Remember dude who scheduled a date with 6 different women in one night in the SAME place: http://dailym.ai/2BhUQd4? This guy *SMH* and I'm over here like, what's that one guy's name from last night/this morning? Hi, Dad...totally kidding! Opening last week, Spice of America took over the old Shido/Buck Tavern space serving Contemporary Indian and Nepalese cuisine. It seems like they're still figuring things out because their intial opening lunch menu had very luxe items: caviar service, foie gras, lobster, and black truffle ravioli. I'm glad they decided to take it down several notches and stick with Indian and Nepalese food using local, Californian ingredients (similar concept to August 1 Five and Rooh) because San Francisco doesn't need another overpriced restaurant catered to techbros. They're open for lunch and dinner with similar menus but reduced prices for lunch ($14-$18 for entrees). An Express [Combo] Lunch is available for $19 and during dinner a 4-Course Tasting Menu is available for $45 pp. It doesn't seem like they currently have a beer & wine/liquor license. My co-worker and I both ordered the Express Lunch ($19) which is basically a tasting menu but you get everything at once, hence "Express". For the quality and execution of the food, it was a good value. As we were waiting for our meal, we were brought a complimentary amuse bouche, an Indian gazpacho made with green apple, avocado, melon, tomato chutney: http://bit.ly/2FXZPhW. Light, tangy, and refreshing. We were then brought a palate cleanser, a Buttermilk Digestif w/ herbs and ginger: http://bit.ly/2BjtBi9. I never had anything like this and I can best describe it as tasting like a savory yogurt drink with a hint of spice from the ginger. Soon after, our Express Lunch arrived - Biryani Rice w/ tandoori hen, shrimp roast, saffron & basmati rice kheer: http://bit.ly/2GZfaAi. --Tandoori Hen: http://bit.ly/2EeoxOS My co-worker and I agreed, this was hella bomb! The hen was uber tender and the sauce was like gravy crack. It was like a hybrid of a korma and masala - thick, velvety, and deliciously flavorful. The cashew paste gave it that extra richness without the heaviness that ghee or butter would. --Shrimp Roast: http://bit.ly/2EfXGSC The texture was a bit off (soft and mushy) but they said, it was suppose to be that way. I enjoyed the salty sweetness of the pineapple anchovy relish. --Biryani Rice: Nicely spiced and fragrant grains of tender basmati rice. I thought the addition of pickled onions and raita gave it a great freshness. --Saffron & basmati rice kheer: I'm not a fan of rice pudding so I didn't care for it. A dessert on the menu caught our eye so we also ordered the Pistachio Rasmalai w/ nut crumble, mango ice, cardamom milk ($7): http://bit.ly/2ExPmwC. I'm big on textures and this totally delivered. The fluffy, crust-less cheesecake (rasmalai) with the ice cream and nut crumble was satisfyingly light and delicious. It was the perfect ending to our meal. Service was ultra-polite, courteous, and attentive. They even changed out the ice in our water glass to ensure our water was nice and cold! As a new business, it's great to see how receptive they are to feedback. They wanted us to try a little something else, and brought us a Papadum w/ yogurt curd, tamarind chutney, tomatoes, green onions, cilantro: http://bit.ly/2BOeX3C. I love Indian chaat (street snacks with great textures and layer of salty, savory, tangy, sweet flavors) so this would be a great complimentary starter course for every table. The space seems a little unfinished, sterile, and bare but they're only one week young. Some art and music can make the space as inviting as the food and service. Overall, solid grand opening! Compared to August 1 Five and Rooh, I favor the food at Spice of America. They're the underdog because of little press coverage and this location isn't the best (it's between two sketchy residential hotels). I work a block away and have never had issues walking around by myself so don't be scurred - spice up your life with Spice of America!
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Alok S.

Yelp
Tried the chilli chicken momos and the tandoori gravy momos. Both were really good, a bit more liquid than I expected. The chicken biryani was alright. I expected it to have chicken within the rice but the biryani rice is accompanied with a chicken curry as a side ‍ The paneer tikka masala was pretty good, would recommend.
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Jessica C.

Yelp
Not bad! It's hard to find Indian food in the city imo so its a good pick me up if you're ever craving it :) Service might be a little slow cause they only had one waiter working :/
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Sumit G.

Yelp
Ordered Aloo Tikki and Ragda and Dal Makhani with Basmati Rice, Chai and Moong Dal Halwa and was so happy with the taste! I am new San Francisco resident and have not been very pleased with Indian food scene in the city yet! But this comes as a breath of fresh air! Aloo Tikki was amazing and make sure you ask for extra green/sweet chutney combination to add more flavor! Dal Makhni was so buttery, which is what you want your Dal Makhni Moong Dal Halwa had the perfect balance of sweetness! So glad I found this restro!
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Andreas G.

Yelp
Had a great dinner here before attending a concert in Davies symphony hall. We came in pretty early, had a reservation and were seated right away. We got started with some water and some nice papadum. We ordered the seafood curry the Himalayan lamb curry, steamed rice and a naan bread. Everything was great. The lamb was very tender, the sauce very smooth. It was spicier than I expected, but still amazing. Seafood curry was good as well. The naan was great, right amount of crisp, not soggy or anything. The mango lassis were very smooth and tasty. Prices are fair for this area, staff was friendly and food arrived quickly.
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Tejashree M.

Yelp
They had reservations but we could have walked in too. It was not super crowded. Their papad was absolutely amazing and they provided a mix of mint chutney and the sweeter date/tamarind chutney. The papada were thin, light and crispy. For main course, the thali was decent. The potato cauliflower was nicely cooked but was lacking in salt. The aloo tikki was really good but it came with sauces already poured on it. I would have preferred them to be on the side so I could choose which one I want on it. Naan was really good - soft and crisp. A couple of curries were slightly bland and lacking in flavor. The chicken tikka masala in the thali was good. So overall it was a mix if good and okay items. The chicken biryani was a little disappointing to me. It was more like a chicken curry with a little bit of rice. There was yoghurt already poured all around it. Generally, the yoghurt is provided on the side. So it would have been good to have a heads up about it, especially if somebody is lactose intolerant. I also expected more rice in the dish too. For the sweet, the shrikhand and mango ice cream was amazing !! It was smooth and I had never considered having the two things together but they really tasted good together. The chai was a bit too milky for me. The lassi was very thick and nice. The service was decent. I would go here again to try some other items as it seems the place can be hit or miss depending the items you try.