Spice Indian Thai Bistro

It is an odd but fitting detail that a giant thermometer is affixed to the roof of this Newtown Square strip mall where, ordinarily, most buildings would have a clock. The architect, of course, had no idea that a future tenant - located directly beneath the device - would be serving a menu designed to stoke some heat.

But with a name like Spice Indian Thai Bistro, you can bet that a well-curried meal in this stylish suburban newcomer will take the edge off a chilly Pennsylvania winter.

The prickly tang of a good lamb vindaloo should do the trick for heat-seekers. The tender meat in gingery, vinegar-flared chile gravy lit a perspiration halo that could detect the slightest breeze. But Spice's kitchen, in fact, which ranges to Thailand as well as India, is less about blazing pure hellfire than showing how the subtle complexities of a well-layered curry can weave their magic.

This is especially striking in a lesser-known specialty like chicken coondapur. Inspired by the south Indian port of Mangalore, the pique of red chiles in its sauce is softened by coconut milk infused with cumin, coriander, mustard seed, and the herbal lift of curry leaves. It's a seductive brew for anyone whose Indian experiences have been limited to the more familiar northern Moghul flavors - tandoori-roasted meats and cream-enriched sauces - more typical in U.S. Indian restaurants.

Of course, Spice (unrelated to Old City's Cafe Spice) cooks most of those northern classics fairly well, too. Its Thai repertoire is slightly less successful. But the bi-menu concept is a natural reflection of the partnership behind this six-month-old project, opened by Bangkok-born Navarat Ratanakanaka and Rajesh Ishwar, who hails from near Delhi.

As first-time restaurateurs (they've been partners in a computer-related business), they have accomplished a fair amount here despite some obstacles. The location, in the middle of a hard-to-spot strip mall beside the Regal Cinemas, isn't ideal. The fast-food karma of the space wasn't hot, either, as the previous tenant, a Moe's Southwest Grill, was short-lived.