Standard Sweets & Spices
My family loves flavorful food, and food from around the globe. Trying new dishes is one of our favorite pastimes and visiting locally owned businesses is another. Recently, I became aware of a restaurant that I hadn’t known about before. It is located in the back of an Indian Grocery store, Standard Sweets & Spices.
The store and restaurant are located in an unassuming strip mall on the northeast corner of Blackstone and Dakota. The food that awaits inside is sure to get your attention. When you walk inside, you’ll first notice one of two things: the smiling face of owner Raj Sanghera waiting to greet you or the many shelves of colorful snacks, desserts, spices and other delights, all from India. If you continue walking past the grocery area, you will find the restaurant’s ordering counter. There are multiple tables setup so you can dine in, if you like. The restaurant at Standard Sweets & Spices also offers delivery through Uber Eats, Door Dash & GrubHub.
I posted photos of some of the dishes that we tried on social media. My post was quickly flooded with comments such as, “I love this place! Best Indian food in Fresno!” and “Definitely a family fave!”.
Food Items
The menu items we tried were the Butter Chicken (chicken breast in a rich, creamy, spiced and savory sauce, served with rice) the Chicken Tikka (chicken breast in a sweet and spicy glaze with vegetables served with rice. Side note: I love spicy food, and this packed some serious heat! I also tried the Cheese Pakora (breaded, fried cheese appetizer that’s crispy on the outside, melty and mild inside) Veggie Pakora (spiced, battered and fried vegetables) and Garlic Naan (which were pillowy, tender, and perfectly chewy). This was a LOT of food for the three people in my family. When you order, note that the portions are quite generous. (Having leftovers is never a bad thing though!)
When we were in the store, while waiting for our food to be prepared, we got the pleasure of chatting with Raj, and learned that she’s very knowledgeable about spices, foods and vitamins that support health in natural ways. If this is something you’re interested in, I highly recommend visiting and talking with Raj. She’s a wealth of knowledge and wonderful to talk with! She also shared with us some of her favorite Indian snacks and sweets and we left with a bag of fried, hummus coated peanuts, a snack mix that was both spiced and sweet and featured puffed rice and dried peas, peanuts, and lentils and a dessert made with lots of butter, spun into airy, fine layers with crushed pistachios in between (similar to baklava, but much lighter and it melts in your mouth).
If you love Indian food, talking to wonderful people, and trying new things – I hope you’ll visit Standard Sweets & Spices soon!
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