Midtown Lunch

On 33rd street between 3rd ave and Lexington, there’s almost nothing. It was on that nondescript block that I found Curry & Curry. They had a sign on the window proudly displaying that they got into a cheap eats issue of some magazine a few years back. The chalk board outside mentioned chicken/lamb curry for $8. That got my interest a bit, after all who couldn’t use more lamb curry in life? A look inside showed that the minuscule dining room was empty. I went ahead with it anyway because that what you do in the name of science, plus I was hungry.

Tikka masala was also among one of their lunch specials. But I figured at a place called Curry & Curry, it probably makes more sense to try curry. I jumped at the chance for the lamb curry because chicken is boring. Unless it’s some of that awesome stuff that clay had in the flatiron. Back to the curry though. The lunch spread is set atop a steam table and you can pick your vegetables once you settle on the protein. I opted for some chickpeas and potato and green peas.

When I first sat down to feast on my lunch, I was disappointed with the ratio of lamb to chickpeas and green peas and potatoes. To me, it was like a pie chart, and only 20% of the surface area of the rice was covered with lamb, where as the chickpeas took 40% and the potatoes and green peas took the remaining 40%. That’s not a pie chart that instills confidence in my hungry belly. Plus I’m trying to store up excess weight to firmly push my weight into the “overweight” category (as defined by my government health agencies…). More = more better.

Once I began my meal though, all was well with the world. Even though the meat ratio could be higher, I had no complaints about the overall amount of food Curry & Curry piled onto my take-out container. The first forkful brought with it well-cooked rice and a healthy dose of spiciness. There was nothing mild about either the chickpeas or the potatoes. Every bit packed heat and it was welcomed. The lamb wasn’t too lamby, which is good because even though chicken is boring, I was raised on boring chicken. Too lamby would have been a turnoff, but with this I couldn’t stop shoveling more and more into my mouth.

Curry & Curry offers a nice tasting curry to those who work in the lower east quadrant of the Midtown Lunch coverage area. Your options are fairly limited if you’re in that area, so if you’re down for well-cooked rice (which is harder to find than one might believe), and curry that packs a punch, you could do far worse than this place. While $8.70 (after taxes) is a bit on the high side, you’re guaranteed to be pretty full after cleaning your plate. I think it’s a place to try for those of you working in the area who want to try something you might not have walked by before.

THE +

• I can always use more curry that packs a punch
• Working in the southern pits of the ML coverage area, Imma take all I can get!
• The vegetables here (chickpeas and potatoes) are pretty awesome

THE –

• Give me a better value please! I’m used to dollar slices!
• More meat please.
• Ha! Sucks to be you for working in that crappy area of ML with no food!

Curry & Curry. 153 E. 33rd st. (btwn 3rd ave and Lex) 212-779-8115