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Curry Dream Indian Buffet
Ever since the $8.99 Rangole Indian Buffet closed, I’ve been searching for a replacement in Midtown. Sure, I could spend $12.95 and up for a fancy Indian Buffet (there are plenty of them)- but I really wanted to find something under $10. Sukhadia, the vegetarian Indian buffet is really good, but it’s $10.95, and there’s no meat- so it doesn’t really qualify as a full fledged replacement. When I posted about that place, a few people recommended Curry Dream.
Curry Dream is a middle of the road Indian restaurant on 39th btw. 5th & 6th with a lunchtime buffet that costs $9.95. (Anything under $10 is very exciting to me!!!) Overall the food was better than Rangole (not too difficult), and for the price it is easily the best Indian buffet deal in Midtown.
What’s on the buffet, pictures and a +/- after the jump…
Here’s what my first plate looked like:
All the standards were there…
Tandoori Chicken & Chicken Tikka Masala
Saag Paneer (Spinach w/ Cubes of Cheese)
For a second I thought we were getting Indian fried chicken… but it was just Pakuras w/ a Chick Pea salad
Goat Curry
The tandoori chicken was pretty standard, and the Chicken Tikka Masala was good, and not as watery tasting as a lot of cheap Indian buffets. The Saag Paneer was also better than average, and the chickpea salad inside the pakoras was really good (better than the Chana Masala/Chickpea curry they had). The pakoras were good if you got a fresh one (some of them were duds), and the Goat Curry was fall off the bone tender- which means that you needed to scoop from the bottom of the pan to get the good meat. If you just take from the top, you get mostly bones (I discovered that the hard way).
All in all Curry Dream is a great find if you like buffets, but don’t want to spend more than $10 (and it’s better than Rangole used to be). I’ve only been once so I’m not sure if they change up the dishes every day. Sure there are better Indian Buffets in Midtown (Utsav, Bombay Palace, etc.) but they all cost over $13.00- too much to spend, even for a buffet addict like me.
THE + (what people who like this place would say)
THE - (what people who don’t like this place would say)
- Buffets aren’t really my thing.
- I don’t like sacrificing quality for quantity
- I can get a better meal for cheaper at a place like Minar, or Hurry & Tasty Curry
- I’d rather spend an extra few bucks and eat at an Indian buffet with better quality food
- Naan isn’t on the buffet. They bring you a basket at the beginning of your meal, and then you have to ask for more (I love naan and like to have access to it at all times during my buffet experience!!!)
Curry Dream, 66 West 39th St. (btw. 5+6th), 212-810-4125
Posted: March 1st, 2007 under 39th btw. 5+6th, Buffet, All You Can Eat, Curry Dream, Indian.
Comments: 19
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Comments
Comment from Yvo
Time: March 1, 2007, 10:48 am
But then isn’t the naan freshly hot??? just wondering…
how come korma is never on buffets. I love korma!
Comment from Dennis
Time: March 1, 2007, 1:40 pm
If you’re thinking takeout from Minar and you’re not too picky, I’d try Utsav’s downstairs. Veggie, meat, rice and naan, dal, salad, $8. It’s not all you can eat and there are few choices (two for veggie, two for meat), but it’s higher quality and there’s never a line.
Comment from Ben
Time: March 2, 2007, 1:00 pm
There’s one called Kashmir 1 block below port authority that I like that I think is under 10 bucks. If you don’t mind eating in that neighborhood.
I’ve actually walked into that place, and I’m pretty sure it’s over $10. Bastards! -zach
Comment from That Tall Asian Kid
Time: March 5, 2007, 7:49 pm
Nice short walk from 50th but worth it.
Comment from Jake
Time: March 9, 2007, 9:04 am
Ate here tuesday, and I am going again. I thought it was pretty good for $10. The goat meat was still on the bone though which was really tough to eat and they had chickpea saag. I love saag, an easy favorite of mine, but I am not into chickpeas in saag… saag paneer is the best.
They had the desert pudding stuff (rice pudding ish) that indian buffets have, I really enjoyed that.
Comment from Blair
Time: March 16, 2007, 10:58 am
I went there with a girlfriend yesterday. We arrived just in time, as many large groups came in shortly after 12:30pm. Chicken Masala was a bit sweet but the rice and raita was great and also the chickpeas. Green beans at the end were crispy and would definitely return.
Only complaint: it was EXTREMELY warm inside the restaurant, very uncomfortable.
Comment from EG
Time: March 17, 2007, 11:18 pm
I’ve eaten at Curry Dreams a few times, and I always feel that their naan is the high point of the meal. It’s pillowy and light, the bottom is a little crisp, and it’s visibly buttery on top (a good thing). I kind of appreciate that it’s fresh, rather than languishing on a buffet line.
Comment from The Two Short Girls
Time: March 28, 2007, 4:09 pm
It wasn’t as great as we thought it was. We went in and we had a bad feeling about it because it was quite deserted. They were really nice, but the food was… we literally got sick afterwards. I doubt we’ll go again!
Comment from The Two Short Girls
Time: March 28, 2007, 4:10 pm
btw… it was deserted on a Friday night (7-9pm)
Comment from zw
Time: April 24, 2007, 12:50 pm
Had lunch there today and it was good, run-of-the-mill Indian buffet. The goat curry was good. The tandori chicken and the tikka masala were pretty dry. Nan was delicious. I’d go again if I were in the neighborhood in search of a filling meal.
Comment from christopher
Time: May 18, 2007, 1:06 pm
I just got back from Curry Dream buffet. It was crazy busy. The tikka masala was good but the chicken tikka was way undercooked and the goat “meat” was a tray full of bones, hardly any meat on them. No spinach to be found, which is just wrong! Pretty disappointed overall, but really, it’s sorta hard to complain if you find a few things that you like, (which I did) and get all you want for $10.
Comment from katrina
Time: June 13, 2007, 9:15 am
I would strongly advise avoiding this place. For seven months or so (September 06 - April 07) I worked in the same building. The place I was working at was on the 2nd floor, literally directly above Curry Dream, and I was sooned warned off from it by my coworkers — apparently they have HUGE roach problems. So bad in fact that the roaches would crawl upstairs through the walls, and became a problem in my office as well. Every month we had a new pest control guy come in, and every month we were told that he couldn’t really get rid of them because they were coming from downstairs, and of course he wasn’t allowed to spray there without their permission.
Be wary.
Comment from DDR
Time: June 13, 2007, 10:35 am
I think I just threw up in my mouth A LOT.
Pingback from Midtown Lunch » Best Use of Midtown Lunch in an Ad…
Time: June 28, 2007, 10:52 pm
[...] That’s awesome. I’ve never been quoted before. I feel Roger Ebert (he’s the fat one right?). Although I’m still not sure why they would want to publicize a website where someone posted a comment about the building’s roach problems. [...]
Comment from Sujan
Time: July 23, 2007, 9:37 pm
I am not sure why second floor people wanted to pulicize about the roach problems for Ist floor. I think some cold war going on between them. Also I feel rosches crawling upstairs from down because they wanted to meet their children and other family members those who are live in upstairs.
Comment from KeiraJ
Time: July 25, 2007, 3:08 pm
Gee, somebody saw a roach in Manhattan. Holy cow- I have never heard of that! I’ve been eating at this restaurant on and off for the last 6 months. Their food is always fresh, the restaurant is relatively clean. They serve Halal meat, folks. Look it up. I have no idea who the guy upstairs was that flamed the place but he has little understanding of what a true meal value means to the lunch crowd. Hey guy- go to Mickey D’s – it sounds more like your speed.
Comment from Julia Halperin
Time: December 11, 2007, 2:52 pm
I didn’t think this place was that good. I didn’t have the buffet, I ordered the vegetable platter (2 curries & rice & bread & chutnies & dessert for $6.95). Sounds like a good deal, but the dal was really salty, the saag was bland and mushy, and the chutneys weren’t that great either. My advice, eat at excellent Kati Roll across the street, and then go ahead and head down to Curry Hill for something better when time allows.
Comment from Fausto
Time: February 4, 2008, 4:43 pm
Hi
Curry Dream menu needs a price update. I have clients complaining about the prices. Please vist currydream.com for an updated menu. If you would like a pdf of the menu please send me a e-mail address.
Thank you.
Comment from mohammed
Time: September 24, 2008, 1:48 pm
Hi
Curry Dream menu needs a price update. I have clients complaining about the prices. Please vist currydream.com for an updated menu. If you would like a pdf of the menu please send me a e-mail address.
Thank you.
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