Dishes with unique twist at Curry Flavours

Chilli is a prominent ingredient in Indian cuisine so much so that when you go to an Indian restaurant and order a meal with curry, you should always specify how hot you want your food to be.

When I was invited to try the new Curry Flavours restaurant at Concord Hotel, I instantly guessed it was an Indian restaurant just from the name. ‘What makes it different from the rest?’ I wondered.

Pleasant starter

Located on Wangapala Road, a walking distance from Diamond Plaza Shopping Centre, Concord Hotel has six restaurants: Bonhomie (continental cuisine, open 24 hours), Curry Flavours (North Indian cuisine), Aroma Mocha Café and Coffee Shop, Pied Piper Sheesha Lounge and the Oasis Poolside Bar.

Curry Flavours is a brightly lit space featuring homely décor from large family tables to low, casual, tables. Instrumental Indian music played in the background creating a warm ambiance.

Being relatively new (the restaurant has been open for just over two months), the menu was still being developed, but we were lucky enough to try a variety of chef-selected meals from each course.

From dahl to butter chicken, each meal had a signature feature unique to Curry Flavours. The Dahl Aur Sing Daaney Ke Kebab (curd patties infused with peanuts) were a pleasant starter: soft, creamy and succulent. We also had the Meethi Neem Ka Amritsari Jhinga; prawns marinated with curry leaves and pounded spices, skewered and grilled over a charcoal oven.

Not only were the prawns huge but they were spiced just right. Should you find yourself in Curry Flavours, make sure you order these starters.

Special species

The Dal Concord (black lentils cooked in creamy gravy), Murgh Makhanwala (chargrilled pieces of chicken, cooked in a rich tomato sauce with a blend of special spices) and Dilkhush Paan Ki Biryani (basmati rice with vegetables, betel leaves and sweetened rose petal) stood out in our main course options.

The lentils, cooked for three hours in cashew gravy, were creamy and smooth and we happily wiped it off our plates with the delicious naan. The tandoori style chicken had a great smokey taste from the clay oven.

All the meals were accompanied by tasty cocktails; Summer Breeze (a gin based cocktail with pineapple and cucumber), Under The Blankets (rum mixed with beetroot juice) and Whisky Sour. After a brief break, dessert arrived.

We had the Gulab Jamun (dumplings of dried whole milk dipped in rose scented sugar syrup) with vanilla ice cream. The combination of warm and cold in one serving was exciting and the two came together into a soft, spongy treat.

This sweet dessert is popular in Indian restaurants and a must-have for anyone with a sweet tooth. Curry Flavours is a pleasant surprise and the twist incorporated in the usually standard Indian dishes gives it an edge. If you have a family celebration coming up or are looking for an Indian restaurant with a difference, Curry Flavours is exactly what you need.