The Grand Indian Restaurant & Bar serves Indian food from 26 Uxbridge Road in Howick, an East Auckland suburb, and keeps a website at thegrandindian.co.nz. As a rule, the measure of a good Indian restaurant is its spice work: whole spices toasted and ground in the kitchen, marinades given time to work, and sauces simmered slowly rather than rushed. Meals are usually ordered family-style, so it pays to balance a creamier dish against something hotter, with fresh breads and rice on the table to share. Heat varies a lot between kitchens even when the dish names don't, so asking how spicy a curry runs is never a silly question. Regulars often settle on a favourite, but the best nights include one dish nobody at the table has tried before. On Howick's Uxbridge Road, The Grand Indian puts a sit-down curry night within easy reach of the village.