Last fall, my photographer Abby and I went to Spice of India for Restaurant Week and tried what is arguably the best Indian food in Binghamton. In a bit of a full-circle moment, we once again found ourselves at the South Side establishment on Tuesday, ready to enjoy what we knew would be a delicious lunch.

Founded by Manish Verma as a pop-up shop run out of the Cornell Cooperative Extension, Spice of India saw major local success and has operated as a brick-and-mortar location for over two years. For fall 2026 Restaurant Week, they are offering a three-course lunch for just $15, and a three-course dinner for $25 — a bargain for the substantial portions of food that they offer.

Upon walking into the restaurant, Abby and I were greeted by familiar, vibrant decorations, with walls painted bright yellow and translucent orange, green and pink drapery. Framed paintings, some of which include iconic locations in India, adorned the walls. Because we arrived at a particularly sunny moment of the day, we decided to sit right by the windows and soak up the multi-colored sunbeams as we enjoyed our meal.

For appetizers, I chose a mango lassi, while Abby opted for the mixed vegetable pakora. There was also a choice of samosa for this course. The lassi was just as delicious as I’d remembered from last year’s Restaurant Week, with a refreshingly sweet taste. Abby described her vegetable pakora as “tasty and crispy” with a crunchy, golden-brown crust and a tender center.

The main course was the most anticipated part of our lunch, and it’s safe to say that both our expectations were exceeded. Spice of India offers three street bowl options — including a chicken tikka masala bowl, a saag paneer bowl and an aloo gobhi bowl with a base of basmati rice and a side of chickpea or potato curry. While Abby and I both went for the saag paneer bowl, I chose a side of chickpeas, and Abby chose potatoes.

I’d never tried saag before, but found it to be absolutely delicious on top of the paneer. The spinach curry sauce was rich and creamy, while the chickpea curry was slightly spicy. Abby and I ate much of this course in silence, rendered speechless by the exceptional flavors of our dishes. Abby did, however, admit over her saag paneer bowl that, while she doesn’t usually like to order Indian food out because she has it at home, Spice of India has a special hold on her.

The portions of our bowls were so generous that neither of us was able to finish, so we packed them away in their takeout boxes so that we could take home leftovers to enjoy. Afterward, we moved on to the third course, which included a choice of ras malai, a paneer-based dessert, gulab jamun, deep-fried dumplings with rose sugar syrup or moong dal halwa, a sweet yellow lentil pudding. We both decided on the gulab jamun, which melted in our mouths and delivered a sweet end to the meal.

After just two years, Spice of India has established itself as a go-to restaurant for fresh, quality Indian food in the Binghamton area. While ordering out all the time can often be pricey, especially for college students, Restaurant Week offers the perfect opportunity to take advantage of some of the best establishments in the area and support local businesses. If you’re ever craving consistently great food, take a trip to this local gem as soon as you can.