According to Zabihah.com, the most comprehensive and reliable listing I’ve found for halal restaurants, there are 220 eateries in Fairfax and Loudoun counties serving halal food. What is halal? When referring to food, it means foods that Muslims are free to eat, according to the prescriptions of the Koran. Most often, this concerns meat, which must be slaughtered according to Islamic law, with pigs and all carnivorous animals banned. Alcohol is also haram, the opposite of halal.
Dining out and maintaining a scripture-based diet isn’t easy, though it’s getting easier. You might be surprised to see restaurants like Silver Diner and Cava among the options on Zabihah. But the fact remains that families and individuals keeping a halal diet have to watch out every time someone else prepares their food unless the restaurant is fully halal. Places like food halls, with their international eclecticism, are bound to be especially pitfall-ridden.
Spice Village in Herndon isn’t exactly a food hall. Diners are seated at comfortable but chic couches where they can scour the massive menu. The restaurant’s motto, “Thousand flavors under one roof,” may be hyperbole, but not by much. That’s because four concepts, each with a substantial bill of fare, are part of the global village on Centreville Road. It’s impossible to do full justice to the options after a dozen visits, let alone just a few. But I suspect that no matter what I ordered at Spice Village, my impression would be more or less the same. The mostly casual food is well prepared but marred by an experience best described as “chaotic.”
Because each concept has its own chef, dishes from different vendors come out whenever they’re ready, not in sync, which can be difficult for a party that’s looking for variety. While there are plenty of cooks in the kitchen, it’s front of house that can suffer from the syndrome of “too many,” such as when one server removed the place setting for my dining companion before they even arrived without consulting with the primary person helping me. More often, though, the problem is not enough service. While the gentleman who staffed my table on more than one occasion was cheerful and welcoming, he was also mostly hands-off, twice remembering to bring us a pitcher of water but no glasses with which to drink it. On another occasion, we had to ask for someone to remove the dishes that amply filled the table so we could fit dessert onto the crowded space.
The standout among the dishes I tried took up most of that real estate. But this was merely in tune with the outsized flavors of the Village Special Mutton Makhnit Karahi from Khyber Shinwari. According to Spice Village owner Zayan Abbasi, Khyber Shinwari serves karahis “in the typical tribal way.” He’s referring to the Pashtun people of Pakistan and Afghanistan, among whom the Shinwari are a sub-group. How does a Shinwari karahi differ from others I’ve had? At Spice Village, at least, the stew is filled with fork-tender chunks of bone-in baby goat that are flavored with something more like an oily paste than the creamy sauces I’ve experienced at other Pakistani restaurants. A liberal hand with matchsticks of ginger and a few rounds of jalapeno add to the already mighty burn. It helps to pick up the cubes of meat with a bite of the heat-pocked naan bread that comes with it.
Middle Eastern tribal cuisine is an exciting addition to our dining scene, but for many Muslim diners, the most appealing of the four kitchens at Spice Village is Kallisto Steakhouse. When I spoke to Abbasi in advance of opening the restaurant, he stated that it would be the first fully halal steakhouse in the region. I haven’t been able to find information to refute the claim, though there are mainstream places to get halal steak, including Fogo de Chao and Chima Steakhouse in Tysons. That does little to diminish the novelty of a place with no alcohol or pork products that turns out a well-charred piece of cow.
The charcoal-grilled ribeye that I ordered was cooked to an expert medium rare, but was still tough in some places. Its presentation, on a stump with a plastic pineapple, left me and my dining partner bemused. But we certainly won’t forget it anytime soon. The same goes for the spicy house steak sauce, which tastes a bit like A1 aflame. The lightly seasoned peri peri fries are a good accompaniment for dipping in the sauces (I also received a less memorable cream sauce), but when given the option of just one side, I say to pick either the sweet grilled corn or sunny-tasting herbed rice. Either way, there will be ideally al dente broccoli with a splash of heat of its own.
Not surprisingly given the restaurant’s name, this is a theme at Spice Village. One server, who, unlike the majority of my fellow diners, is not Desi, told me that most of the menu is too hot for him to handle. But no matter what your 23 and Me report says, if you crave heat, you’re likely to be satisfied here. Even Mandarin Halal Chinese, whose offerings lie somewhere between American and Indo-Chinese with dishes like General Tso’s chicken served alongside Hakka noodles and Manchurian chicken, brings the fire. I tried the Chili Chicken, which falls into the latter category with its spicy, savory collection of chicken chunks, onions, and, yes, a healthy helping of chiles. For a $1.50 upcharge, I recommend getting the egg-filled side of fried rice instead of white.
Both those looking for heat and those avoiding it will find something to love on the Peri Peri Original menu. I was equally fond of chicken tossed in hot-and-tangy peri peri (the South African sauce pictured below) and in satisfyingly acidic lime-and-herb sauce. The chicken itself was a tad dry when I ordered the mini platter, which includes a quarter chicken, two strips, and two wings, a great meal to share. For one, the quarter chicken I tried is $5.99 on its own or $8.49 with a side, the best bet for a quick solo lunch.
There are both American and Desi-style sweets. I recommend sticking to the latter. The blondie sundae I tried was forbiddingly dry, but kheer (rice pudding) topped with sultanas was a delight. Or satisfy your sweet tooth with a drink. There are mango lassis, but also shakes in flavors like Kit Kat, Snickers, and Twix.
So Spice Village isn’t exactly a food hall. Both its varied offerings and rough-and-tumble spirit walk the same line. For those keeping halal, it offers a world of flavors in one place. For those who don’t, it’s still a worthwhile spot for a karahi cooled with a shake.
Spice Village
See this
Comfy couches line the restaurant, but so do televisions showing soccer games.
Eat this
Village Special Mutton Makhni Karahi (Khyber Shinwari), peri peri chicken (Peri Peri Original), ribeye (Kallisto Steakhouse), Chili Chicken (Mandarin Halal Express)
2501 Centreville Rd., Herndon
Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner
Appetizers: $2.49-$9.99 Entrées: $5.99-$54 Desserts: $2.99-$6.99
Rating: ★★
★ Fair ★★ Good ★★★ Great ★★★★ Excellent ★★★★★ Superior
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