Curry 'n Spice

 

Located at 2140 North Main Street in High Point, Curry ‘n Spice serves Indian cuisine for lunch and dinner daily (with closures between 2:30 and 4:30 on weekdays). Lunch specials are offered on weekdays, and online ordering is available.

Housed in the former Lulu & Blu location, the recently-opened Curry ‘n Spice is, so far, very nice. The menu is appreciably huge, offering not only the greatest hits (breads, kababs, curries, etc.) but also a few dishes with Southern Indian, Indo-Chinese, Nepalese, and Afghani roots. Alas, there are no thalis, but there are plenty of options to satisfy vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

Sometimes, variety comes at the expense of quality, but not so here. The kitchen put out consistently good food, and they will match your desired spice level. Vegetable samosas were fragrant and larger than those you might find elsewhere. A lamb rogan josh boasted tender meat and a spice-forward sauce. I’ve encountered versions of this dish where the heat overwhelmed the flavors, but Curry ‘n Spice’s rendition let the cardamom through. Even the rice (soft basmati with very long grains) was above par. One of our favorites ended up being an item we received by mistake (they let us keep it and still brought what we ordered): cheese naan. It was addictively chewy, cheesy, and buttery on its own and also worked well to mop up sauces.

Service at Curry ‘n Spice was attentive: the owner (we think) stopped by to make sure we were enjoying everything. As with the building’s previous tenant, the interior is classy and comfortable. Admittedly, the Latin jazz in the background seemed incongruous for an Indian restaurant, but that’s a very small nit to pick. For the amount and quality of the food, pricing proved pretty reasonable.

High Point has other Indian eateries capable of putting out tasty food, but consistency can be hit-or-miss. For Curry ‘n Spice to be firing on all cylinders early on is, hopefully, a sign of more delicious meals to come.

Oh' Calcutta

 

Located at 310A West Fourth Street in Downtown Winston-Salem, Oh’ Calcutta offers modern Indian cuisine. It is open for dinner (4:30-9) Tuesday-Thursday, lunch and dinner Friday-Sunday, and closed Monday. There is a full-service bar, and food specials change daily. Online reservations and online ordering are available.

 

I really wanted to like this place. Oh’ Calcutta boasted strong reviews and an appealing menu. Unfortunately, it’s a classic case of style over substance as eating here made for an underwhelming experience, more Eh than Oh.

 

Oh’ Calcutta brands itself as modern Indian, which helps it stand out in a few ways. Though a smallish space, it offers a chic, intimate atmosphere that would be quite comfortable if it wasn’t also loud enough to make conversation a struggle. The menu contains both Indian classics and fusionist Badhi plates (think Masala-braised pork belly, lobster shorba, or tandoor surf n turf). There was enough here that looked good to make decisions difficult.

 

My wife and I opted to split a gunpowder chicken starter and a garlic naan with saag paneer and lamb biryani as our mains. While the food offered a few bright spots, there is definite need for improvement. Indian establishments defaulting to mild unless you say otherwise is something I’ve come to expect, but even by those standards, Oh’ Calcutta is pretty bland. The gunpowder chicken (chili, ginger, garlic) actually had a good amount of flavor as did the biryani (which was also distinguished by the welcome additions of potato and a boiled egg). However, neither offered much spiciness, and the meats were overcooked. Both the saag paneer and its accompanying rice definitely needed more seasoning: they were practically flavorless.

 

While not surprising given its Downtown Winston location, Oh’ Calcutta’s pricing added insult to injury. At $19 and $22 respectively, the saag paneer and the lamb biryani were each a couple of bucks more than I’ve found (better) elsewhere.

 

To Oh’ Calcutta’s credit, the service was great. Nicole (?) and her team were prompt, polite, and attentive.

 

It’s possible that Oh’ Calcutta’s fusion/modern dishes are its true strength, and it’s possible that we caught the kitchen on an off-night, but unless the food takes a leap forward, I don’t think I’ll be back.

Peppers Indian Grill and Bar

 

Located at 727 West Main Street in Jamestown, Peppers Indian Bar and Grill offers Indian cuisine for lunch and dinner. It is open from 11:30 to 3 daily and from 4:30 to 9:30 (or 10 on Fridays and Saturdays). There is a full bar, and a lunch buffet is offered on the weekends. Online ordering is available as are catering and private dining/an event space.

I was sad to see the frequently excellent and just as frequently understaffed Namaste Lumbini close its doors. Thankfully, Peppers, which opened in the same spot, retains some of the Nepalese offerings. Add to that some experienced hands in both the front and back of house as well as a buffet, and there’s a lot of potential here.

 

My wife and I stopped by on a Sunday to try the aforementioned buffet, and we were impressed with the variety of offerings. There were multiple soups and chicken dishes, a paneer, a lamb, a biryani, a fish, several apps, salads, desserts, and even multiple beverage options, all of which were conveniently labelled. At $17ish per person, it was a good value. Though the buffet side of the restaurant was fairly busy, the hard-working staff did a good job of keeping up with the demand: none of the buffet stations stayed empty for long. 

As with Namaste Lumbini before it, the food at Peppers is better than you’d expect. The succulent tandoori chicken was among the best versions I’ve had, and the watermelon drink was very refreshing. Certain dishes (i.e. the fish) had a lot of tiny bones, but blame nature rather than Peppers for that one.

I don’t know if Peppers will have staying power, but given what their kitchen is capable of, one can hope. In the meantime, I look forward to returning for chicken 65, jhol momo, and other favorites while I can.

Namaste Lumbini Restaurant and Bar

 

Located at 727 West Main Street in Jamestown, Namaste Lumbini serves Indian, Nepalese, and Tibetan cuisine. It is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 11-9:30 Fridays and Saturdays, and closed Tuesday. Online ordering is available.

 

The latest eatery to occupy the former Penny’s and El Agavero location, Namaste Lumbini brings something different to the Jamestown area. Time will tell if it has staying power, but service and food quality are strong right out of the gate.

 

My wife and I arrived before 6 p.m. on a Saturday to find Namaste Lumbini mostly empty, not a good sign. By the time we left, however, business had picked up considerably. The restaurant has the space to accommodate groups should anyone need a place for a get-together. While the building is old, the interior has been touched up nicely.

 

Namaste Lumbini’s menu is impressively deep. It boasts many familiar Indian dishes – tandooris and tikkas masalas and biryanis – but it also offers Indo-Chinese selections as well as momo (Nepalese dumplings). There are plenty of vegetarian options, and there are also thalis for the indecisive/those who want to try a little bit of everything.

 

My wife and I opted to split a vegetable samosa, a chicken 65, and a vegetarian thali. Our food came out promptly, and it was preceded by a complementary papadam with tamarind and mint chutneys. I will offer a caveat in that if you want your food spicy, you will have to request it as such. Only the billed-as-spicy chicken 65 brought any heat, and it was about medium. That said, while spiciness may have been subdued, flavors were not. The chicken 65 was nice and tangy, and the thali’s saag paneer, aloo gobi, and dal were tasty and comforting. Naan was included, and it performed sauce mop-up commendably.

 

Namaste Lumbini’s service is attentive and polite. We were greeted upon entry and checked on throughout the meal. Prices here are moderate with entrees in the teens.

 

Given the food and service quality and the vast swaths of menu left to explore, we will almost certainly be back. If its execution remains consistent, Namaste Lumbini could easily become the go-to for Indian eats in the Jamestown/east High Point area. 

68 Indian Bistro

Located at 3928 Sedgebrook Street off of 68 North in High Point, 68 Indian Bistro offers Indian and Indo-Chinese cuisine for lunch and dinner seven days per week. Delivery is available through Grubhub.

 

Taking over the former BBQ Nation spot, 68 Indian Bistro dispenses with some of that establishment’s novelty (alas, no watermelon skewers grilled tableside), but, by virtue of halal and Indo-Chinese dishes (think hakka noodles), still fills a distinct niche. Should you go the more traditionally Indian route, however, you’ll find food that satisfies far more than it disappoints.

 

I arrived on a Thursday evening to place a takeout order and found the restaurant nearly empty, not a good omen. That said, it’s a clean (if plain) space, and the sole front-of-house employee was very helpful. She answered the few questions I threw her way and brought my order curbside with less wait time than anticipated.

 

Seeking to get several meals out of this order, I picked up a vegetarian thali, a nonvegetarian thali, samosas, and keer. At under $50, this proved to be a good value though if you opt for a few different entrees (mid-teens each) rather than the thali samplers, 68 Indian could get pricey.

 

Not only was the food tasty, but it avoided a few pitfalls I’ve encountered elsewhere. First, everything was at the desired level of spiciness (2 on a 1-4 scale, in this case). Next, the consistency of the palak paneer was spot-on. Rubbery cheese has ruined some renditions of this dish, but 68 Indian got it right. The samosas were also considerably larger than I’ve had elsewhere, and they paired very well with the accompanying tamarind sauce. Strangely, the only thing that wasn’t up to par – or better – was the naan, which was thinner and chewier than expected.

 

I’d still give Taaza Bistro the nod as the best Indian eatery in the area, but for High Point folks who don’t want to make a trip down Wendover, 68 Indian merits investigation. 

Salt & Pepper

Located at 3793 Samet Drive in High Point, Salt & Pepper serves Indian cuisine for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Delivery is available, and the restaurant has a loyalty program (accessible via its Facebook page) with monthly promos/discounts.

Given BBQ Nation’s declining service, this new Indian establishment is a welcome addition to the High Point dining scene. There are a few areas for improvement, but there is also a lot of promise here.

Housed in a plaza between Samet and Tinsley, Salt & Pepper can be difficult to find. Should you locate it, however, prepare to be impressed by the interior. The white and wood look is crisp, clean, and bright, and the chic bar area is an eye-catcher.

Visual appeal extends to the menu as well, which has plenty of recognizable favorites: samosas, pakoras, tandooris, biryanis, masalas, naans, and desserts. As with many Indian eateries, there are quite a few vegetarian options.

For our first visit, my wife and I shared vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis. The quintessential Indian combo platter, each thali came with an app (samosas/pakoras), rice, naan, a dipping sauce (tamarind), and two entries. Here the entrees were chef’s choice, and while that bit of mystery may unnerve those who want to know what they are ordering, we were willing to roll the dice.

Overall, the food rates as good but not great. The non-veg thali came with chicken tikka masala and goat (?) saag. While the chicken was just short of overcooked, both sauces were excellent. The creamy tikka masala was one of the better versions I’ve had, and the hearty green saag was well-spiced and richly flavorful. The vegetarian thali came with palak paneer (usually one of our favorites) and a daal. While the creamed spinach was fine, the lentils were bland and, confusingly (the rest of the food was up to temperature) lukewarm.

Service was friendly and attentive throughout the meal. Some confusion regarding the point of sales system caused a brief delay when paying the bill, but the matter was resolved quickly. Speaking of that bill, thanks to one of Salt & Pepper’s promo offers (BOGO entrees – seriously, check out their Facebook page), it ended up being a steal at $16+tax and tip, but even full fare would have been reasonable for the amount of food.

Salt & Pepper may be the kind of place where you have to order carefully, but what they do well, they seem to do very well. Add a great-looking space and pleasant staff to the mix, and it gives High Pointers a good alternative to braving Wendover traffic to get to Taaza.

BBQ Nation Indian Grill

Located at 3928 Sedgebrook Street in High Point, BBQ Nation serves Indian cuisine for lunch and dinner seven days per week. There is a lunch buffet, and food specials change regularly. Online ordering and catering are available.

When BBQ Nation opened a few months ago, High Point went from having not a single Indian restaurant to joining the conversation for best Indian cuisine in the Triad. This is in many ways a departure from a typical Indian restaurant though, and there are a few quirks to eating here. However, the good definitely outweighs the bad.

Housed in a former KFC, BBQ Nation is bright and clean though not as well-appointed as the likes of Saffron or Taaza Bistro. It’s a somewhat compact space, but it’s laid out (via pushed-together tables in the front and middle) to handle large groups, and the buffet is logically placed in the back.

The menu here is impressive in its breadth and ability to accommodate various diets. The offerings are 100% Halal and includes the expected apps, breads, and chicken dishes. To that, BBQ Nation adds an array of biryanis, vegetarian dishes, Indo-Chinese dishes (think fried rice and hakka noodles), and South Indian dishes (crepe-like dosas and thicker pancake-like uthappams). And then there are the grilled offerings that give the restaurant its name. Each table has a well in the middle into which a grill that holds four skewers may be inserted, a feature unseen in other local Indian establishments.

I got my first taste of BBQ Nation during a Yelp event, which offered a chance to sample multiple dishes via the buffet. The Golbi Manchurian (Indo Chinese spiced fried cauliflower) and Chicken 555 (sauced fried chicken with cashews) were standouts, and I was impressed enough to take a small group back a few days later. The Chicken 555 was a re-order, and our party also split the Saag Paneer (Indian creamed spinach), Malabar vegetable curry (carrots, potatoes, and peas in a coconut/green curry/mint sauce), and a vegetarian BBQ with paneer (cheese), potato, pineapple, and watermelon (!!).

Between the two visits, there was not a single dish that I did not enjoy. Everything was seasoned well and spiced to the desired medium, the cheese was firm without being rubbery, the chicken was not too dry, the curry had just the right amount of mint, and the grilled watermelon was a perfect combination of sweet and smoky. Portions were also rather generous, and the pricing represents a good value relative to other Indian restaurants. The two vegetarian entrees ran $12 apiece, and the buffet is $10 during weekdays.

The BBQ Nation staff that I interacted with were friendly, patient, helpful, and accommodating. That said, service can be a bit chaotic. We dealt with several staff members throughout the meal rather than one primary server, and dishes arrived at different times, giving the experience a haphazard quality. Another caveat: you might find yourself pressed for table space, especially if you order any grilled items.

If these issues are not deal-breakers for you, then BBQ Nation has much to offer. An abundance of well-prepared tasty food and a unique take on familiar cuisine make BBQ Nation well worth a visit.

8/10 

Nawab Indian Cuisine

Located at 129 South Stratford Road in Winston-Salem, Nawab Indian Cuisine offers Indian fare for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Beer and wine are available, as is a lunch buffet.

The sister restaurant to Greensboro’s Saffron, Nawab features a similarly nicely appointed interior and similarly elevated prices. The menus are not identical, however, and neither is the food.

I arrived as part of a group of four about fifty minutes before closing time. Despite the lateness of the hour, service was cordial and largely unhurried. This was definitely a plus, as Nawab’s menu offered plenty of possibilities. While Saffron’s thali samplers were nowhere to be found, Nawab had nearly everything else one would expect: kabobs, tikka, tandoori, curry, vindaloo, and biryani with a full range of meats as well as vegetarian options. Pricing, as mentioned, runs high - $15 for palaak paneer with no breads or sides – but I bit the bullet and shelled out $17 for a lamb biryani and another $3 for some roti.

Generous portion sizes went a long way toward justifying those prices while flavor and presentation largely made up the rest of the difference. The biryani was brightly accented with tomatoes and scallions. The meat was tender, and the seasoning was spot-on. It came at the desired medium-hot, enough to provide a kick but not enough to numb the tongue.

All told, Nawab definitely merits a return visit. Its prices are beatable, but its service and execution are difficult to match.

8/10

Taaza Bistro

Located at 1216-M Bridford Parkway off of West Wendover Avenue in Greensboro, Taaza Bistro serves Indian cuisine for lunch (buffet style) and dinner (a la carte). There is a full bar, and catering is available.

When this established Burlington eatery expanded into Greensboro over the summer, it entered a market that already featured a few decent options for Indian food. But whereas some were inconsistent or limited in their offerings or muted their flavors, Taaza has so far managed to avoid all of those pitfalls. As a result, it has emerged as unquestionably the best Indian lunch buffet in Greensboro.

Small but stylish, Taaza ditches a lot of the classic iconography in favor of a more modern look. The bar area is well-lit, and the sleek interior is inviting.

The buffet offers a good balance of vegetarian (pakoras, daal, and curried vegetables) and non-vegetarian (tandoori chicken, chicken tikka masala, and curried mussels) dishes along with chutneys, sauces, salads, a goat soup, and two different kinds of rice. Kheer and mango custard are among the dessert options, and servers deliver complementary naan to each table. Though the buffet offerings rotate, it should still be easy enough to find something to your liking.

The execution is, for the most part, spot-on. Whereas some Indian restaurants will tone down their buffet offerings for mass consumption, Taaza’s curries are aromatic, appropriately seasoned, and deliver the expected complex flavors. The tandoori chicken had a nice char note, as did the buttery naan.  The sauces and chutneys allow you to cool down or heat up as suits your palate.

At $10, Taaza’s buffet is competitively priced. The servers are also attentive: you won’t go long without water. While there are a few minor quibbles – the floor is overly slick in places, some of the buffet items can be better labeled – Taaza otherwise makes for an impressively tasty lunch destination.

8.75/10

Sona's Indian Cuisine

Located at 1568 Highwinds Boulevard in Greensboro, Sona’s Indian Cuisine offers Northern Indian, Southern Indian, and Indo-Chinese dishes for lunch and dinner. There is a lunch buffet, alcohol is available, and delivery is offered through Dining Dash.

With Agni, Tandoori Junction, and now Sona’s joining the mix, Greensboro has seen an influx of Indian during the past two years. As is the case with the others, Sona’s reception has been hit and miss. If you are partial to a local favorite like Saffron or Tandoor, this newcomer is unlikely to win you away. But those without any such allegiances may find it a serviceable, if not superlative, alternative.

Housed in a shopping center near the Fresh Market off of New Garden, Sona’s is housed in a clean but simple space. It’s not unappealing, but don’t expect decorative wall art or music from the subcontinent.

I opted for the lunch buffet for my first visit. At ten or so items, it isn’t the biggest buffet in town, but the assortment was certainly decent. Quality tended to vary from dish to dish. Both chicken dishes that I sampled – tandoori and tikka masala – were excellent. The meat was juicy, and the expected flavors were there. Speaking of flavors, Sona’s deserves praise for keeping some spiciness in its buffet items, a move that several competitors have been too risk-averse to make. On the other hand, a few of the dishes seemed off. The goat biryani, for instance, contained an unexpectedly colorful rice and very little meat while the palak paneer had some firm, almost rubbery triangles of paneer. Lastly, while the dessert halwa was not bad by any means, it left me missing kheer or mango custard.

The service here is friendly and attentive – I never had to go long without water – but the pricing leaves a bit to be desired. The buffet ($10.99 Monday-Thursday, $12.99 Friday-Sunday) isn’t a bad deal provided that you avoid the weekend, but even their vegetarian entrees start in the mid-teens.

Overall, Sona’s is a mixed bag, offering some things (Indo-Chinese dishes, for instance) that you won’t find elsewhere while falling short in other areas. It may not emerge as your go-to place for Indian, but the service and the chicken alone make it worth at least a try.

7.5/10

Agni Indian Kitchen and Bar

Located at 651 South Regional Road in Greensboro, Agni Indian Kitchen and Bar serves up Indian cuisine for lunch and dinner. There is a full-service bar and delivery is available.

A former fast food location off of N.C. 68 is an unlikely bet for good anything – let alone good Indian – but Agni comes very close to pulling it off. While the outside still resembles the Wendy’s that Agni once was, the interior tells a different story. The décor features bright reds, greens, and blues, a funky combination that nevertheless lends a touch of comfort and class. The layout, however, is logistically suspect. A U-shaped buffet area isn’t conducive to high volume or foot traffic, a problem when Agni draws a lunch crowd.

Fortunately, this did not prove a problem during a recent lunch visit. The buffet’s offerings were chicken-heavy, but there were a few vegetarian dishes and one fish offering, plus the requisite condiments, desserts, and naan. Everything I sampled was executed competently though only a few dishes – namely, the saag and the fish tikka – really stood out. The dishes had a good (but by no means overwhelming) amount of spice and heat, appropriate for a place whose name translates to “fire.”

At $9.99, the buffet wasn’t a steal, but Agni’s ongoing 10 percent discount made it easier for me to feel like I had gotten my money’s worth. That, plus excellent service, make this an attractive lunch spot. Just the same, I would hesitate before trying Agni for dinner: the prices are a bit high (entrees with meat start at $15 – on par with the competition, actually), and the selection, though varied, is somewhat limited (no thalis, no jalfrezzi on the regular menu, etc.).

Despite this — and its out-of-the-way location – Agni comes across as a welcome addition to Greensboro’s increasingly heterogeneous dining scene. It may not be in any position to supplant Saffron, but it still has merit all its own.

7.75/10

Tandoor India Cuisine

Located at 4612 W. Market St. in Greensboro, Tandoor offers a wide assortment of traditional Indian dishes: appetizers, breads, soups, rice, vegetarian and meat dishes, and thali combination platters. There is a buffet during lunch hours, and catering is available.

Saffron remains the go-to name among Greensboro’s Indian restaurants, but it isn’t the only game in town. Tandoor offers a viable alternative at a (comparatively) attractive price.

First, the negatives. Tandoor is located at the far end of a rather sketchy shopping plaza. The décor – light blue walls with pink trim – isn’t the worst you’ll see, but it is dated and stale. The restaurant’s ample seating is also something of a double-edged sword: while you don’t have to worry about being elbow-to-elbow with garrulous diners, the empty tables create a sense of loneliness.

These quibbles aside, there is a lot to like here. You can request food anywhere from mild to Indian hot; medium seemed to strike the right balance. The dishes sampled were well-seasoned, heavily sauced, and generously portioned. Chunks of chicken korma were juicy, and the lamb vindaloo was thankfully none too chewy. Freshly baked naan came in handy for mopping up sauces, and the papadum was downright addictive. Only a bland chicken pakora came in as a disappointment, and not a huge one at that.

Tandoor’s exhaustive 100-plus item menu offers both unexpected surprises (Mango lamb? Crab masala? Biryani with nearly everything?) and compelling values. A $30 non-vegetarian dinner for two included everything listed in the previous paragraph, plus rice, chicken saag, raita, tea or coffee and dessert. That’s a hell of a lot of food for the money. Prices on individual entrees vary, but they top out at $14, and you can find many in the $10-$12 range.

Contrary to some of the negative reviews floating around, service at Tandoor was not a problem at all. Our server was polite and efficient, and the gentleman at the register seemed affable. Lunch might be a different story, but dinner here was a pleasant experience.

Tandoor can’t quite match Saffron’s polish and sophistication, but variety, value, and competent execution make it worthy of your consideration if you are seeking a quality Indian meal.

8/10