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In last week’s newsletter, I mentioned I wanted to swing by Flamin’ Curry, so this week, that’s exactly what I did. 

As usual, I roped in Visuals Editor Thomas Cordova to grab some beauty shots of the food, and we headed to Bluff Park. 

We were welcomed by two staff members who could see I was indecisive about what to get, so they offered us samples to try. But ultimately, I just asked them what they would recommend. We ordered a two item combo which included chicken tikka masala and veggie korma, rice and garlic naan ($11.50).

I don’t really consider myself a person of habit, but one thing I do at every new Indian restaurant I try is get their vegetable biryani. When I lived in New York, I ate an excessive amount of Indian food and that particular dish became my litmus test for if the restaurant would have food I’d enjoy. 

So, I got the veggie biryani ($10) as well and Thomas picked out a can of Thums Up ($3). Upon research, I learned that Thums Up emerged after Coca-Cola left the Indian market in the late ‘70s, but was later bought by Coca-Cola to compete with Pepsi. Hopefully, you can use that as a fun-fact at your next dinner party. 

The food was delicious. The chicken chunks, which if I had to guess were mainly dark meat, were tender and juicy in the spicy, thick, creamy sauce. Some chicken pieces had a delicious char on them because they were seared before being added to the sauce. 

I usually order chicken korma, but I was glad I tried the veggie korma which came with carrots, peas, broccoli and more in the yogurt-based curry. Both items, and the fluffy white basmati rice were piping hot. 

The veggie biryani was the only item that had some heat to it. Nothing extreme, but by the end of the meal I found myself sniffling more than usual. It was so freshly made I actually couldn’t eat it immediately for fear of burning my tongue. 

The rice came with cauliflower, thin slices of green bell pepper, chopped coriander, potato and more. It was topped with crispy onions. 

I don’t think I’ve ever had bad garlic naan, this one was pretty subtle in its garlic flavor. But the crisp, chewy, fluffy gluten of a well cooked naan is so hard to pass up; thankfully, with the combo order, I didn’t have to. 

As I already said, the food was delicious, but what impressed me the most was the price. I wanted to be able to try multiple things for the sake of sharing my experience with you all, but if I had just gotten the two item combo I would have been satisfied and only paid $15 after tip and tax. 

It’s difficult to find meals around that price these days. Everything, from ingredients to labor, is getting more expensive for restaurants which means it’s getting more expensive for customers. They may not always be able to sustain this pricing, but for now, this is one of the best and affordable eats around.  

Flamin’ Curry is at 3344 E. Broadway. Directions | Website

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Dishes on my to-try list

One of my co-workers, breaking news reporter Fernando Haro, asked me for croissant breakfast sandwich recommendations. So naturally that’s all I’ve been thinking about. I plan to head to Colossus to grab a breakfast sandwich ($12).

New eats around town

East Village Cafe has re-launched with a new menu focused on fresh-baked bagels. Read more about it in my story about a recent pop-up owner Emelia Garcia hosted with MasterChef alum Chef Richie Jones-Muhammad to celebrate the re-launch here. 

Have you been to any new restaurants or have some recommendations for me? I would love to hear your thoughts. Make sure to reply to this email or reach me here: [email protected].