Edwardsville’s Mr. Currys Reviewed
Editor | Nov 13, 2009 | Comments Comments
by Jesse Gernigin
Every city has their hidden treasure, a tiny out of the way place that serves remarkable food at a sane price. It’s the kind of place that requires you to talk to the right people to find out about, but when you do it’s worth it. In Edwardsville, that place is Mr. Currys, an Indian restaurant on the edge of Edwardsville proper (map below). It serves an array of Indian dishes six nights a week (closed Mondays).
One of the things that colors my reviews is that I am a heat junky. I love hot food. I don’t seek to burn my taste buds senseless, but I love it when a well-spiced meal takes you right up to the edge of discomfort. Spicy food can be good food if done right. Of course you might not like spicy, that’s understandable, and that’s why I love Mr. Curry’s. Other Indian restaurants I’ve been to over the years all suffer from not being able to accurately gage their food’s hotness.
You think you are getting something mild and end up sweating like it’s 3 pm in August in Edwardsville and you’re in the middle of a treeless field, stuffed in a black garbage bag with a swarm of Africanized bees. Alternatively, you’re looking to branch out into spicier food, only to end up with a plate that’s bland like a grey, drizzly day in October.
Mr. Curry’s does not have this problem. Their heat scale works on a 1 to 5 rating, 1 being the mildest, 5 spiciest and 10 (a by request-only option) being absolutely ridiculous.
I managed to try all heat levels on my visits, sometimes trying the same heat level I had last to make sure there wouldn’t be a sudden increase or decrease in heat level. Everything stayed even, and for me four was best, giving me just the kick I wanted but not masking the food’s flavors.
But Mr. Curry’s gets more than just the heat right. The food is amazing. Every plate offered a different flavor and texture. The lamb biryani was aromatic, with just the right texture and density to the rice to make every bite enjoyable. The chicken tikka masala was creamy enough to give the plate a focus, without smothering the curry and chicken flavors. Even the vegetarian plates, something I often don’t enjoy because they often seem like chef’s afterthoughts, stood out. They were hearty and didn’t rely heavily on one vegetable to bear the brunt of the chef’s boredom with cooking such plates.
For me the standout item on the menu were the biryanis. Each offered a different flavor when paired with the meat of choice and each succeeded in evenly balancing the simple but powerful flavors present in the dish.
When ordering at Mr. Curry’s, meals come with a tiny vegetable soup starter along with naan bread and papadum, which is a plus. Unfortunately, none of the appetizers offered stood out to me. They weren’t bad, they just weren’t great. I suggest saving your money and ordering an extra serving of naan to wipe up all the sauce left over at the end of the meal.
There is usually (at least the four times I went) one server working the floor, and on a busy night they can be handling at least ten tables. The service itself is well thought out by the owner, so although it might take a little while to get a drink refill, the food comes out when it is ready, and I was never forced to wait for a check.
In the end I strongly suggest taking some time out for dinner and going to Mr. Curry’s. The food is exceptional and the prices are amazing when you consider both the quality you receive and the quantity you get. If you are still wary I suggest waiting until the weekend and taking advantage of their lunch buffet so you can sample a little bit of everything and figure out what you really like.
I give it three out of four stars. Mr. Curry’s loses one star for the small oddities such as weird table layout and only having one server on the floor, but otherwise it is absolutely worth trying out!
Related posts:
Filed Under: Restaurants
