EVERETT – The “Curry in a Hurry” sign made me turn off 128th as I headed for home. But Curry in a Hurry is a lunch special, in addition to a two-dozen-item lunch buffet, and my visit happened on a Thursday night.
A brief glance at the dinner menu at Taj Majestic made missing the lunch special and buffet OK. I ordered a mango lassi ($2.95), a traditional yogurt-fruit drink, and a plate of samosas ($2.95), which resemble pastries stuffed with potatoes and vegetables. Then, I spent a little time finding my way around the kitchen’s offerings.
The menu lists 75 dishes for lunch or dinner, plus it promotes other restaurant attractions, which include a banquet room, karaoke machine and a stage. There are helpful hints along the way, such as “An Indian meal is incomplete without a rice dish.”
There are four biryanis dishes that combine basmati rice with onions, cashews, raisins, Indian spices like saffron or cumin and a choice of meat, if desired, or vegetables ($11.95). I ordered a bowl of steamed jasmine rice ($2.95) to accompany my entree.
Taj Majestic serves main-dish favorites such as curries, tandori (grilled) chicken ($10.95) and butter chicken – marinated boneless chicken that’s cooked in a clay oven and then fried in a buttery tomato sauce. If you’ve never tried Indian cuisine, start with either of these. There are lots of lamb and seafood selections and a lengthy list of vegetarian choices.
I decided on the Taj Murg Tika Masala ($10.95), which is oven-baked chicken that’s cubed and cooked in a creamy sauce with raisins, onion and a delightful mixture of spices. I ordered mine with one star of chili-curry powder heat.
When my server brought my samosas with two chutneys, he warned me that the green one was very, very hot and to be careful if I didn’t like intense heat. I put a tiny spoonful on my plate and raked my fork tines through it and tasted. Yep. Heat like Tucson in August. So I was careful and ate more of the red sweet-spicy chutney. The samosas were served so fresh from the fryer I had to wait for them to cool, and I noticed those at tables close to me were also waiting for their food to cool. This is the way restaurant orders are supposed to be served – too hot to eat – but very few restaurants get it right.
The kitchen at Taj Majestic also got my main dish just right. It was a delectable, complex layering of flavors including cinnamon, onion, pepper, ginger, cilantro … This is definitely a dish I’ll order again.
I grabbed a take-out menu as I paid my tab, and the owner explained he was in the middle of raising his prices for the first time since he opened five years ago. How did I miss this great place for so long?
Herald restaurant reviewers accept no invitations to review, but readers’ suggestions are always welcome. Reviewers arrive unannounced, and The Herald pays their tabs.
Contact Anna Poole at features@heraldnet.com.
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