Flatiron Lunch: For Giant Dosas Head to Curry in a Hurry
Now that Downtown has its very own section of the site, what are we going to post on Fridays at 10am? Answer… how about a new column devoted to those lunches just south of the ML boundaries. Please give a warm welcome to Jason Lam from the blog Me So Hungry. Every Friday at 10am he’ll post about lunches in Murray Hill south, Grammercy, Flatiron, and everything in between… or as we’ll call it from now on: Flatiron Lunch.
First off, I’d like to thank Zach for this opportunity to share my lunch eating experience with you guys. I hope to share some of my favorite spots, try new things, learn some stuff and eat good food. Enjoy and salivate. Recently I stopped in at Curry in a Hurry in Murray (Curry) Hill (that’s a mouthful.) Amongst the many other Indian restaurants in this area, this place has a wackier facade. Slanted blue wall and a neon sign with twisty Bauhaus-style font. On the inside, you’ll see a steam tray counter with a full array of curries. To the side, a tandoor oven and tava (griddle) in plain view where you can watch them cook naan and other breads to order. I was pretty confident I did the right thing by getting just a dosa, but I was dead wrong.
They asked me to wait for my Masala Dosa (Indian crepe filled with spiced potatoes) upstairs in the dining room. It’s kinda fancy up there, relatively speaking. It reminds me of the Golden Girls with the grandma carpeting and beige table cloths, but perhaps 1980’s Boca Raton casual dining is a better description. At least that’s my perception of it. The dining room overlooks the street and is good for people watching.
I walked past guys eating full trays of food by themselves. They must have gotten one of the combination platters with two curries (each in their own serving dish), big plate of rice, naan and use of the complimentary salad & chutney bar. So much food for one lonely person. You might wanna split it with a lunch buddy.
The Masala Dosa ($7.75) was huge and it looked like they gave me two. I was wondering if they made a mistake or maybe gave me the inside deal, like that commercial with the creep trying to get an 89cent burrito at the Taco Bell where only hot girls work. It was only until I got half-way through, I realized it was actually one super large dosa (that must’ve been about 2 feet long) cut in halves.
It was delicious. I think I like this more than the Dosa Guy in Washington Square Park. Bigger, fresher tasting, but not as spicy. Luckily the potato filling was only about 3/5 of the crepe, because did I already say this sucker is huge?
The vegetable soup had a sourness that I’m not used to. I didn’t like it at first, but it grew on me …just a bit. The complimentary salad and chutney bar is decent, if you can pick through the brown lettuce. I like coleslaw.
Follow-up: As I was writing this up, I got a craving for Indian and decided to go back to try the curries. Yeah, it was quick. I was watching them load up the dishes for the dine-in combo meals ahead of me. Then I was disappointed to see the smaller amount I got in my to-go tray, which I paid around $11 for. Perhaps it’s an illusion of the container and you do get same amount, but I wouldn’t bet on it. I say stick to dine-in. It appears to be so much more food. I don’t know why I’m bitchin’. I’m stuffed and couldn’t finish my to-go meal anyway. Curry dishes were decent. Not super-spicy. I liked the Saag Paneer and the Naan had a nice crisp burn on the bottom, soft and fluffy on top.
Curry in a Hurry is quick if you want the curries. However I’d suggest having them make you something fresh off the tandoor oven or tava, like Kulcha bread or Dosa. Those take time to cook, but I think they’re well worth the wait.
THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)
- I need my curry quick because I’m in a hurry
- I love fresh baked Indian breads
- I want to eat a lot of Indian food and all-you-can eat chutney bar
- I like to watch/spy on pedestrians from the 2nd floor while eating
THE – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)
- Food’s not spicy enough
- I want to know what curry dish I’m pointing at, but still confused after I asked the server what it is
- I want the same amount of food (or at least perceive to be) whether I to-stay or to-go
- I don’t like the Golden Girls, but I admit Blanche is sexy
Curry in a Hurry, 119 Lexington Ave (btw. 28+29th), 212-683-0900
Posted by Zach Brooks at 10:00 am, January 22nd, 2010 under Flatiron Lunch, Review.
24 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
24 Comments
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Nowhere near as broad as the gap between ears.
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This an area long neglected yet easily accessible to “southern” midtowners, glad to see it get some attention!
As reported on Jason’s Me So Hungry website, B&B African & Caribbean buffet is awesome. 26th St, closer to 7th Ave.
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hoo-ha! Thanks for reading. Now I’ll try to reply to the comments.
@streetmeas… Dang it. Now I remember what I did with the veggie stew stuff from the Washington Sq Park Dosa guy. I wish I tried dipping here. I thought the sambar was sour, but now I can see how it could work with the dosa.
@stevenp… yeah, always taking the suggestions. Thanks.
@susan… Great Burrito is on my list to share and write about. I think their tacos are awesome. Do I dare try the skating rink looking pizza? Perhaps I will for Flatiron lunch. Too bad Chester’s Fried Chicken is long gone across the street. That place looked interesting.
@kathryn… I believe we decided it would be below Midtownlunch’s 32nd street border and above 17th. No real boundaries East to West. I do work in the middle at 23rd and like to explore.
@famdoc …Thanks. I now use the relatively new Canon S90 point & shoot. It has the same sensor as the G11, but in a smaller form factor. I used to use a small cheaper Canon SD 1100IS Elph, which was comparable in great lighting. My new S90 can shoot in darker areas which is great for restaurants. It can go to f20 for greater shallow depth of field. I like the small camera because I can hide it in my pocket if I try to take photos at Shopsin’s. SD90 I can almost sit on, but I’m afraid it’ll rip my skinny jean’s back pocket. SD1100IS, used to sit on it all the time. My secret is to take a ton of photos, learn to use it on manual and do use some Photoshop tweaking.
@justin …yes! love suggestions. You guys put in your input. We can all share our favorite places.
I live in midtown and work in Flatiron. It is about time we get some rep here. I can make a few suggestions as well.