[Written by Dale Butler]
It is always a joy after morning chores to pick a take-out restaurant I have never attended in order to satisfy my one meal a day journey in life that started four years ago.
Having seen the Curry Leaf advert online, I was impressed and became even more determined to find it and erase a perception of what has always been a “one stop variety store” on the corner of Deepdale and Parsons Road, best described as being on the same side of the historic Evening Light Tabernacle, which is also famous in my mind because I attended a Central School Annex class there for a year when we had families of eight plus and the main school building was bursting at the seams.
Curry Leaf opened on November 29, 2022. It is a take-out restaurant that specializes in Indian cuisine and Indian roti. Located in a quaint purple roadside cottage, there is a large yellow flag at the front with its name on it.
The Curry Leaf is a shrub or small tree which is widely used in Indian cooking. Curry leaves are native to India and Sri Lanka and add taste to curry and are a rich source of folic acid and iron.
When you enter, you will not see the usual buffet. The entrance is the variety store and the kitchen is in the second part of the building. It offers tacos, roti, Indian dishes, naan bread, and local favourites like fish and chips and wahoo nuggets [the full menu can be found on their webpage].
I acquired a taste for roti while a student in the UK and it was reinforced with my first trip to Trinidad in 1978. I went to an amazing place which had a buffet set up that allowed you to pick what you wanted in the roti. Most recently, during the Antiguan general elections in January, I met their Roti King, Jim Tahir, and in September ate at the Roti King in London. I have also frequented Bermudian retreats that serve it.
The roti skin or dough is a whole flour known as chapatti/atta and is usually wrapped with either beef, chicken, shrimp, conch or vegetables. I have always gravitated to chicken, and Curry Leaf did not disappoint. Reasonably priced at $20, it was enough for two people and came with a very fresh salad on the side and condiments.
You can request they make it mild, medium or spicy. Mild is always my choice and I can say it was filled with seared chicken, vegetables, Caribbean curry, chickpeas, celery and carrots in a delicious and appetizing sauce. Very satisfying indeed. My guest had chicken wings [describe by him as moist and tender]; Saag: onions, garlic, tomato and spinach [which looked too green for me but turned out to be delicious] and coconut and raisin naan bread [more than satisfying].
Curry Leaf does catering, offers party platters, outdoor catering and can cater to your corporate office. In keeping with our lobster season it has a special offering of broiled, curry or thermidor style. Chef Raul would be excited to see you. You can contact them at 621-2879 or icurryleaf.com or [email protected]. One thing I can say is that I will definitely be back.
I salute Chef Abdul who has taken on the big boys in Indian Cuisine who have a head start in Bermuda but he is laying down a good track record and the meal I had proved that there will be bigger things in the future if he wants.
Today, I would like to provide my readers with an opportunity to become an anonymous reviewer. Send me an email letting me know which of my many restaurant reviews was your favourite and I will pick one name. You and a second person can pick any restaurant in Bermuda I have not reviewed and go for dinner at a time you decide at my expense. At the end, your comments will be revealed to the readers with or without your name. Deadline to apply is November 11th at 5.00pm.
– Dale Butler is the Professor of Bermuda Music and writes a variety of reviews and articles for Bernews. Coming soon is the offer above and a few other exciting things in the realm of music. He can be contacted at [email protected] or 595-9841.
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