It was time for Moms Night Out again, this time with my new mom’s group (two of the original members moved out): Parker (of course), Aamani, Dolores and me. I wanted to go somewhere cheap, and Parker suggested Naan and Curry – or at least that’s what I thought – because we ended up at House of Curries on College Avenue instead. House of Curries is similar to Naan and Curry in that you order at the counter and sit where you can. They do bring the food to the table, however, and the place in general is a little bit nicer than Naan. Still, it’s the same type of formula. They are also a chain with several locations in Berkeley and one in Oakland.
I was quite happy with the food. They did not have lamb (or chicken) korma, but their lamb curry ($7), was quite tasty – with moist, tender lamb and a pleasant if pedestrian curry sauce. All the other lamb dishes have vegetables, so I would probably end up ordering it again. The chicken tikka masala ($6) was much better. The smoky sauce was just delicious, barely spicy and well balanced. I’d definitely order it again, though I thought that the chicken was somewhat dry. The fish tandoori ($10) was also a winner. I didn’t try it, as the fish was salmon which I dislike, but Parker was happy with it. She also liked the Sada Bhindi (okra cooked with ginger, garlic & spices – $6), though she didn’t think it was as flavorful as it could be.
The sweet ($3) and mango ($2) lassis were quite good. Self-yourself chai is free with the meal and they also have canned sodas for purchase.
The naans ($2 for garlic, $3 for keema) were huge and quite nice, though the keema filling had fallen all to one side and I was left with just the bread. I’d definitely order them again.
Dinner for the four of us, including rice, came to $13.50 each after tax – a bargain for our moms’ night outs.
If I was in the neighborhood, I’d definitely eat here again.
House of Curries
2984 College Ave.
Berkeley, CA
510.841.1688
www.houseofcurries.com
(branches also on Telegraph/Durant and Solano, and Hegenbergor Road in Oakland)
