"Curry Up Now" chain to expand to the rest of California

[Toliver]

"Curry Up Now" is currently a San Francisco Bay area chain of fast-casual Indian food restaurants. You can read more about them here (click).

They're going to launch statewide soon.

I am curious as to how good the food is.

Has anyone up in the Bay area eaten there? What's your opinion? How's the cost versus what-you-get-for-it ratio?

[Shalmanese]

The original Valencia St location was just a few blocks from my house. I think I ate there maybe 3 or 4 times in the 3 years when I lived around there. There was much tastier, more authentic Indian food within just a few blocks walk and there were much tastier, cheaper options right next door so it was rare that I had a specific hankering for Curry Up Now. Most of the times I went there was because I was meeting a friend and they proposed that location.

 

It definitely felt like dumbed down Indian food to suit a white palate. The basic flavors were there but it didn't have the punch of my favorite places in the Mission (shoutout to Pakwan!). From a quick glance at their website, they seem to have considerably expanded their menu and included several menu items that I would actually want to eat. I wish them all the best but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to try them.

Edited April 26, 2018 by Shalmanese (log)

[Toliver]

Thanks for the response. That's interesting about the flavors being "tamed down".

There's an Indian buffet across town that I try to eat at when I get over to that area. But other than that restaurant, there's a paucity of Indian food here. I'd welcome the Curry Up Now restaurants if just for the added variety.

[Shalmanese]

7 hours ago, Toliver said:

Thanks for the response. That's interesting about the flavors being "tamed down".

There's an Indian buffet across town that I try to eat at when I get over to that area. But other than that restaurant, there's a paucity of Indian food here. I'd welcome the Curry Up Now restaurants if just for the added variety.

 

According to Yelp, there's currently 10 different Indian places in the 2x8 block Valencia/Mission corridor where Curry Up Now was located so there was an embarrassment of choice for authentic Indian of all stripes. I can see how it would be a different story in a town with much more limited options.

Edited April 27, 2018 by Shalmanese (log)