Urban Curry is a notable new Indian/Pakistani restaurant on Broadway that is just a short walking distance away from the financial district and offers the three G's: Good food, good service and good value. This 130+ seat establishment has been serving lunch and dinner - the menu is the same for both - since it opened on October 18, 2009 and offers complimentary chai tea with every meal.
Lamb Boti (photo: Dina Brooks)
Last week, this Examiner was invited by co-owner Sanjay Kapoor (his business partner owns the House of Curries eateries in the East Bay) for dinner in his new digs. He and his team were attentive and gracious hosts, and we appreciated the fact that the staff was quite knowledgeable about the menu. The place is casual - unfrilly and not trendy - but that is fine, because the food, prices and service are the focus. And, you've got to love a guy who looks out for you - Kumar earned bonus points for warning us not to park our car out front, since meter maids start issuing tickets on that stretch of Broadway at 8:00 p.m.
We tried numerous dishes, some better than others which is often the case anywhere you go, but we will definitely return for the Lamb Daal ($8.99) which was unquestionably the winning dish of the evening. Tender cubes of lamb were prepared with lentils in a delightfully spiced sauce that was perfection. The Garlic and Onion Naan ($2.99) were stellar accompaniments - pillowy, warm, and flavorful. Another favorite, Lamb Boti ($9.99), came from the Tandoories section of the menu and consisted of sizzling hot boneless lamb cubes marinated in yogurt, herbs and spices and baked in a clay oven. It had a nice kiss of citrus and came with thinly sliced red peppers and onions.
Our starters included Papadum ($1.99), traditional lentil wafers baked in a clay oven, which tasted a bit charred and Vegetable Samosa ($3.99), two crisp turnovers filled with potatoes, peas, herbs and spices. The crust was very thick and hard to break into but the filling was delicious - with some carrots and ground lamb you would have an awesome Shepherd's Pie, Indian style.
The Chicken Karahi ($9.99), boneless chicken with tomatoes, herbs and spices prepared in a traditional karahi pan akin to an Indian wok, was filled with a myriad of flavors from ingredients such as jalapeno and tamarind, as well as fresh slices of ginger which really made the dish. The chicken was done right, juicy and tender. By the time we got to the bottom of the pan, however, the whole thing tasted a smidge salty. The vegetarian Aloo Palak ($6.99), creamed spinach cooked with potatoes in an onion based sauce, was enjoyable as a side dish but is probably not substantial enough to be an entree. The Fish Curry ($9.99), cooked with ginger, garlic and spices, was fairly ordinary and the least favorite of the things we tried. The Chicken Tikka Masala ($6.99) was very creamy, to please the palate of Westerners, they explained. While very popular as is, my personal opinion is it would be better prepared the way they would eat it at home, for a truly authentic experience.
In lieu of dessert, we shared a glass of sweet, creamy Mango Lassi ($2.99) with chunks of mango and yogurt which cut the residual heat in our mouths - we had asked for medium heat in our dishes, just enough to make the nose run a little which, of course, was a good thing.
Other beverages on the menu include a Sweet/Salty Lassi, sodas, iced tea, mango juice, hot tea and of course the complimentary chai tea. Kumar expects to serve wine and beer beginning in January of 2010.
There are several options for dessert each priced at $3.99: Almond Kheer, Indian rice pudding with almond and cardamom; Russ Malai, modified milk, wheat flour and pistacchio nuts; and Gulab Jamun, dry milk balls in syrup.
For those of you doing the math, we had all of this food, plus a large platter of Basmati Rice ($1.99) - a meal which could have easily fed four hungry people, for just under $70 - that's only $17.50/person, excluding tax and gratuity. And don't forget the free bottomless chai tea.
Until they get their liquor license, maybe next time we will grab a glass of wine from the Vin Club next door before heading over to Urban Curry to indulge in other dishes like: Navrattan Korma ($8.99), vegetables and cheese cooked in an onion based sauce with dry fruits, herbs and spices; Achari Ghosht ($8.99), goat meat with pickles, herbs and spices; and Bainghan Bartha ($7.99), baked eggplant with onions, peas, tomatoes, bell peppers, herbs and spices.
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