Indian Lunch Special Battle: 44 Curry House vs. Joy
With the wonderful lunch I ate at Joy Curry and Tandoor last week still fresh in my mind, I wanted to try 44 Curry House (on 44th btw. Lex+3rd) as well for a little compare contrast. I walk by this place every morning on my way to work and always notice during lunch time a good number of people eating there. Just like the lunch I got at Joy Curry and Tandoor, I went for the 2 veggie combo platter with rice and naan ($8.25). So, how did it compare?
I didn’t see any aloo gobi mutter (cauliflower and potatoes) in the steam table so I got the bhindi do pyaza (sauteed okra) along with chana masala (chickpeas cooked with tomatoes). 44 Curry House adds a complimentary scoop of dal over your rice, making it a 3 combo lunch (are you paying attention Joy!?). It was a good addition to the rather standard basmati rice. The okra was good and was cooked to just the right texture, soft but still with a little bite. As for the chickpeas they were a little harder than those served at Joy Curry and Tandoor but flavor wise tasted pretty much the same.
Even though I liked my lunch I was kind of disappointed with their naan. When I unwrapped the tinfoil, I got this sad looking thing. It looked old and was quite chewy (maybe I just got a bad one?)
44 Curry House is a decent spot to grab a quick lunch and I would not mind going back. The sad looking naan isn’t a deal breaker but for the same price, I think I’d rather walk that few extra blocks to Joy Curry and Tandoor. Though the awesome looking dosa Mamacita had (while 44 Curry House was still Grill 44) might just make me change my mind.
44 Curry House, 160 E 44th St (btw Lex Ave + 3rd Ave) 10017 (212) 949-0245
Posted by Donny T. at 11:30 am, January 11th, 2012 under 44 Curry House.
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3 Comments
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Hmm, I’ve been to 44 Curry House several times and they’ve never offered to put dal on my rice. Gonna ask for it next time.
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I have found that Joy is better if you are looking for the meat dishes but 44 Curry is good for their vegetarians dishes. I like both for lunch but am a bit more impressed by the meat portions at Joy and sometimes disappointed by the meat portioning at 44 Curry.
I preferred Grill 44 over Joy when I worked in the area, I had a couple of watery curry experiences at Joy, but maybe they were exceptions.
On a related note, a new Indian restaurant is opening up on Curry Hill, Anjappar. As a South Indian, I’m pretty excited because it’s a non-vegetarian restaurant (yes MLers, meat!). North Indian and South Indian food can be very different, and as far as I know, there are no South Indian restaurants in the city that serve up South Indian meat specialties. (There are a bunch in Queens, Jersey and Staten Island). I’ll keep a lookout on my walk to work to see when it opens.