Curried Lakeview

lakeview location has closed.

When Curried first opened up in the loop I had high hopes for it.. well I wouldn't even say "high", I was genuinely excited to have a fast food Indian place nearby for lunch cuz Chutney Joe's was a bit of a hike away and the food really left much to be desired.
Unfortunately the food sucked and I never went back. A few months down the road they opened up a location by my apartment and I figured okay.. maybe they fixed their mistakes and the foods gotten a little better.. So I tried a variety of menu items again and it was worse than the last time around!

I'll start with the good just to help them out : The samosas and tamarind chutney is by far one of the best this side of town. Samosas are just as easy to screw up as they are to make, so it's always a hit or miss. For Curried I'd say it's definitely a hit. The chutney is the right flavor and consistency and the samosas are flaky and well seasoned.

The mango lassi is the same as you would find anywhere, but I like that they serve it chilled in a large cup- definitely a plus for a quick cooling drink on the go.

Here are a few of the problems Chutney faces:
Lack of Indian pallets in the kitchen- It's simple rule of thumb, if no one cooking the food knows what the food is supposed to taste like it will never taste right. What they sell as "Chicken Tikka" is a mix of tomato sauce and butter chicken in all the wrong flavor profiles. Chicken tikka is very easy to cook, find a good recipe and sell it as what you're advertising it as.

The "paratha" they use for their Katti Rolls (said Cut-tea not Cat-ty) is the wrong bread to use with any "wet" dish because it's very buttery and flaky and absorbs the "curry/wet" portion of the meat very quickly making it difficult to eat. Katti rolls should be made with either Naans (which is an option on the menu) or Chapati /Roti (the indian tortilla) It's lighter, drier and holds its own when filled with curries and chutneys.

The biryani is over seasoned, again biryani is a one pot dish that's very easy to make or screw up... try out a few different recipes until you get it right. the curry portion of the Biryani that is steamed between the rice shouldn't be overly seasoned or over saturated... Curried's biryani missed the mark.

Desserts: Please try to spell the dish correctly at least.. It's Kheer not Kherr (said Kheer like Cheese, feel not Care or Cure)

And it's Gulab jamun is a dried milk dumpling soaked in syrup, GULAM JAMUN is nothing.. it literally translates to Slave dumpling. Gulam - slave.. see the problem there?

Given the fact that there are atleast 3-4 other indian restaurants in a 3 mile radius from Curried , 1 just up the street on belmont with a buffett I'd expect Curried to be a little more aggressive about their research but it's fallen flat with their lack of  appreciation for authenticity or fusion...i could appreciate either. But if you're going to sell yourself for your authentic Indian food then get it right.

For what it is -- quick Indian cuisine at a good price -- it's a great option. I love the fact they do combo plates; for me the best part of Indian food is trying a bunch of different dishes at one meal :) The Curried food truck often stops downtown for lunch and I'm happy to have a way to satisfy my random Vindaloo cravings!