Lynnwood, WA

If you only went to one restaurant that I ever recommended, this is one restaurant you must go to but only if you love spicey food. The India Cafe serves the most amazing Indian food I have ever had the pleasure of savoring and encompasses the very trait that fell in love with Indian food for. Good Indian food should have musical flavors. The spices should be melodious and harmonious all in one bite.

My absolute favorite dish is the Chicken Dopiaza. This dish contains chicken, marinated in yogurt and spices overnight, and barbecued before being placed in a spicy, onion-y sauce of blissful spices. This dish is super spicey so if you’re sensitive to heat, I wouldn’t recommend you eat this as there is an element of napalm and your mouth will burn for awhile. The napalm is required as it adds to its deliciousness.

One of the greatest thing about this restaurant is that you won’t simply see the normal Chicken Korma, you will see a variety of dishes you have not seen at other restaurants but it has the normal, comfortable, trusty Indian food people like.

The staff are attentive, ready to refill your bowl of rice and your half-empty glass of water. Neither my boyfriend, Mikel, or I could drink our glass half-empty before it was refilled. For me, this is normal, for Mikel, the infamous water-drinker, this is amazing. The amount of service provided was nice and it wasn’t too much.

The restaurant, although nice enough on the inside, is located in a run-down part of town in a building that almost looks abandoned from the outside. Across the street from this restaurant is an old Comp USA store no longer in business as well as other dead stores. I almost didn’t go in this restaurant on the first visit because of how sketchy things looked on the outside. One should know you can’t judge a book by its cover because I was so wrong about this restaurant.

While their food is amazing, the prices on the “Indian food accessories” (naan, raita, chai tea…) are expensive. If you read my critique on the Curry House, you’ll see that I prize this restaurant for its inclusion of the Indian food accessories in the price as well as the little pot of tea they provide. You’ll also notice that I mention that I didn’t like it when other restaurants merely give you one cup of tea and charge you 2.50, this is a restaurant that does it. While India Cafe is generous with ice water, it is not so with tea and naan.

If you’re in Lynnwood, you really really need to go to the India Cafe. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate good Indian food and how rare I think it is to find the blissful goodness.

Ferndale, WA

Ferndale, Washington is a small, somewhat-prosperous town. Most businesses seem to do well despite the town’s size and location. The gems of Ferndale are its local ethnic restaurants–one of them being The Curry House. The Curry House is a pleasant surprise for any Bellinghammer disappointed with the city’s Indian food choice. For once, Whatcom County has a delicious, clean, prosperous, stable Indian restaurant. I can’t tell you how rare those are. The best thing about the Curry House, aside from its great food, is the staff. The staff is composed of an Indian family who is warm, friendly, outgoing, and willing to know you.

One of the biggest downfalls of Indian restaurants is the lack of hospitality and friendliness. Humans are what humans are and the fear of the stranger is a known issue. I can relate to an Indian moving from a land where just about everyone looks like them and comes from the same culture to a land where the folks are lighter, speak a different language, and eat bland food. I totally get that one would be shy. Being a restaurant owner and not seeming willing to get to know and welcome your patrons will make that shy Indian seem snobby therefore making the patron feel uncomfortable, unwelcome, and unlikely to visit again. This is a problem.

The Curry House does not have this problem. I have been greeted by the owners and recognized. During my first visit, they made attempts to get to know me. They make it a point to make you feel welcomed and at home and they don’t rush you out the door. They seem to like it if you stay and linger after your dinner for a bit.

Also nice, The Curry House’s food is a good value. For one price (not including beverage), you get soup, entree, rice, naan, and raita. I really don’t like Indian restaurants that do not include rice with their entree price. I don’t like the idea of ordering rice a’la carte and paying 2.50 for it. I am grateful The Curry House is not like them.

I’ve been to The Curry House many times and on my recent visit, I had Curry Chicken. I wasn’t expecting the dish to come with a tomato-based sauce but I really loved it nonetheless. The only downside to this dish is that it came with dark meat. One of my negative critiques of The Curry House is that I can’t seem to find a dish with all white meat.

Ok, so giving patrons a white meat choice (even charging a bit extra for it) would be nice, it is my only critique. And when you visit, you should try their Mango Lassi and their Chai Tea. A Mango Lassi is a mango and yogurt smoothie. I’m in love with mangoes and this beverage is tasty and refreshing. Some restaurants can botch the lassi but The Curry House does a great job. Also a favorite, their tea. If you’ve never had Indian tea before and you’re only experience with Chai tea is Oregon Chai or Tazo Chai, you’re in for a different but amazing treat. Indian tea is a spiced tea boiled with milk and sometimes sugar. You’ll taste cardamom, pepper, clove, cinnamon, and other widely-used spices with warmed milk and black tea. Some Indian restaurants give you a small cup and charge $2.00 but The Curry House gives you a small pot and lets you pour. I don’t know if they’d refill for free as I haven’t finished my pot and needed more yet. I suppose that need may come in the coming winter months.

The Curry House is my Whatcom County Indian food friend and I recommend this place to anyone who likes spice. Remember to order the Chai and the garlic naan if you go. Oh, and don’t forget to save room for dessert. Their desserts are delightfully simple, Indian, and tasty. Have Kheer.