Vegetable Spring Rolls Added to Wishlist!
There is a very specific dilemma that happens when you walk through the doors of Spicey Chef on University Avenue. You sit down, the smell of sizzling onions and roasting spices hits you, and your stomach grows loudly. You open the menu, ready to eat, and suddenly you’re stuck.
Everything looks good.
Do you go for the spicy kick of Indo-Chinese Hakka noodles? Do you want a rich, creamy curry? Or are you craving the crispy texture of a sizzler? Browsing a menu of rich, authentic flavors is tough when you are already starving. You scroll up and down, unsure of where to commit.
If you are new to Spicey Chef Charlottetown, or if you are regularly looking to rediscover the classics, let us make it easy for you. We have looked at the numbers, and we have listened to your feedback. We’ve broken down the perfect three course meal based on our absolute best-sellers.
Here is a deep dive into the dishes that keep Charlottetown coming back for more.
The Opener: Steamed Mo:Mo (The Unofficial King of Appetizers)
If there is one dish that has taken the delicious food scene by storm, it is the Mo:Mo. If you haven’t tried them yet, you are missing out on what is arguably the best appetizer in PEI.
For those who might not know, Mo:Mo is the unofficial national dish of Nepal. To call it a “dumpling” feels like an understatement; it is a cultural obsession. At Spicey Chef, we treat our Mo:Mo with the reverence they deserve. This isn’t fast food but a craft.
Imagine a bright yellow plate arrives at your table. On it, freshly steamed, soft dumplings are arranged beautifully, steam still rising from their delicate wrappers. They look simple, but the flavor it carries is incredibly complex.
The magic is in the marinade. Inside that soft wrapper, the minced meat is mixed with a special blend of Himalayan spices like fresh garlic, ginger, coriander, and turmeric. When steamed, the meat releases its juices, creating a savory, soup like pocket inside the dough. It’s a juicy, savory bite that instantly feels like home.
But the real secret weapon? The sauce.
Every plate of our Mo:Mo comes with a small bowl of our signature tomato chutney, or achar, placed right in the center. This isn’t your average ketchup or soy sauce dip. It is made from roasted tomatoes blended with sesame, dried chilies, and timur (a type of Sichuan pepper found in the Himalayas). It has a smoky tang and a depth of flavor that wakes up your palate immediately.
Technically, Mo:Mo are perfect for sharing. They are the ideal table starter to get everyone’s appetite going. But to be completely honest, once you taste one dipped in that spicy, tangy achar, you might not want to share at all. You might find yourself subtly guarding your plate from your dinner companions.
Once you have polished off the Mo:Mos (and perhaps fought over the last one), it is time for the main course. For this, we stick to what we do best: authentic, rich comfort food.
Living in PEI, we all know those days. The weather turns grey, the wind howls off the water, and you just need a culinary hug. There is nothing quite like a bowl of our Butter Chicken to warm you up. It is the definition of comfort food, and it is easily one of the most popular Indian dishes in the world for a reason.
However, a word of caution: not all Butter Chicken is created equal.
At many places, this dish is treated as an afterthought often made too sweet, or with boiled chicken that ends up rubbery and bland. At Spicey Chef, we do it the traditional way, respecting the roots of the dish (known traditionally as Murgh Makhani).
The process begins long before you order. We take tender pieces of white meat chicken and marinate them in yogurt and spices for hours. Then, we grill them in a traditional tandoor oven. This step is crucial and often skipped by other restaurants. The high heat of the tandoor sears the meat, locking in moisture and adding a distinct, smoky char flavor.
Only after the chicken is grilled do we simmer it in the sauce. And the sauce is creamy, tomato-based gravy enriched with butter and our house blend of spices. The result is a deep, rich orange red dish that smells heavenly.
It’s creamy, rich, and it is incredibly satisfying without being overwhelmingly spicy. It strikes that perfect balance where the spice warms you, but the cream soothes you. It pairs perfectly with our hot, fluffy Garlic Naan bread which acts as the perfect edible spoon for scooping up every last drop of sauce or a side of fragrant steamed Basmati rice.
We believe in the full dining experience. You’ve had the savory punch of the dumpling, you’ve had the rich creaminess of the curry, and now your palate needs a soft place to land. No celebration and certainly no great meal is complete without a little sweetness.
If you haven’t tried our Gulab Jamun yet, you are in for a treat. For those new to Indian sweets, think of Gulab Jamun as the sophisticated, distant cousin of a donut hole, but far more decadent and soaked in luxury.
These are milk-solid-based sweets that are fried until they are a deep, golden brown. Here is what you can expect when you bite into one: they are firm on the outside, holding their round shape perfectly. However, they are incredibly tender and porous on the inside.
But the real magic happens in the soak. These spheres are drowned in a warm, rose-scented sugar syrup. This isn’t just sugar water; the rose scent adds a floral, aromatic dimension that elevates the dish.
When they arrive at your table, usually two to a bowl, they swim in this golden syrup. One bite, and they simply melt in your mouth, releasing that warm, floral sweetness. It washes away the heat of the spices from the main course and leaves you feeling completely content.
So there you have it, the blueprint for the perfect meal at Spicey Chef.
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Our menu is packed with other gems like our Hakka Noodles, Chili Chicken, and Vindaloo for the brave souls who love heat. But if you are paralyzed by choice, this trio never fails.
You can browse all these dishes and more on our new website, but we’d love to see you in person. Come visit us, bring your friends, and let us serve you the best flavors in Charlottetown.
See you at dinner.