Kabob and Curry

Kabob and Curry
261 Thayer Street
Providence, RI
(Visit their website)

This is a nice two story restaurant right near Brown University. I had the lamb barba kabob salad, which consisted of lamb kabobs over lettuce, diced cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes. The salad also included walnuts and cranberries. I had it with balsamic vinaigrette but this dressing tasted different than the regular variety. I'm not sure if they added some sort of Indian spices to it or something but it was very tasty.

The seating was a bit crowded but the food was decent and the service wasn't bad when we first got there. Lunch hour is a busy time though but it looked like the wait staff worked well together.

The mango chicken was also very tasty but the portion seemed a bit small.

Kebab Factory

Kebab Factory
414 Washington St.
Somerville, MA 02143

This Indian spot in Somerville isn't terrific. The decor is interesting (check out the tables with the seeds and grains) but the food didn't really impress me. This chicken dish was pretty watery and the chicken itself was sort of dry inside. That's what happens when you don't cook chicken breast meat properly. The drinks were OK and the service was pretty good. Overall though, I think there are better Indian places in the Boston area.

The tables are cool.

(Images by AG)

Himalayan Fusion

Himalayan Fusion
520 E. Main Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902

This recent addition to Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall is gaining quite a following. The menu posted outside this restaurant plus the rave reviews it got from people who had been there lured me inside even though I generally don’t’ like Indian cuisine. Of course, this isn’t exactly Indian cuisine. Whatever the difference, it makes Himalayan Fusion much tastier.

Their buffets are pretty awesome. Go on weekends and get free soft drinks and some special dishes too (for a bit extra). The general buffet isn’t bad though. Still, I’m sold on the weekend meals. Their vegetable dishes can vary in taste. I can’t remember what I had the first time but it was pretty delicious. The broccoli with mushrooms (pictured here) aren’t special but they’ll do. The salad is a bit bland with lots of onions. But their strength is in what do they do with their meats and noodles. I don’t know what they put in these stir-fried noodles with vegetables but the taste has you wanting more even though you are completely stuffed.

The fish curry is pretty good although I think there was one with more coconut milk, which was a lot tastier. Still, the meat is nice and tender. The rich flavor can be a bit overwhelming but that’s where the nan comes in. The problem is that they often run out of nan and they don’t put it in the buffet as much. Sometimes they’ll tell you that they’ve run out or that the chef is working on making more. With a staple like nan, you should have tons on hand. Does it go bad if it is left out too long? Their nan, however, is worth the wait and it is tasty.

How much nan can a person eat though? The waiters will sometimes bring you a basket of nan when it’s not available in the buffet. But the deal with the buffet is that you can police how much nan you consume. Here, I had to waste a few wonderful pieces just because I was already stuffed. They should certainly reevaluate their nan policy.

(Since originally writing this review, I have gone back to there and they seem to have taken note of the waste of nan and so it seems to now be in the buffet line.)

In the past, service has been poor but recently they have made additions to their wait staff and I have no complaints about them. One last point, they should vary the dishes in the buffets. I love chicken but I’m sure there are other meats that these folks can make scrumptious.

(Images by AG)