CLOSED: Provo Restaurant takes fast food approach to international dish
Pineapple curry at Curryosity in Provo on Tuesday, May 22, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
A currito, a burrito smothered in curry, with chicken korma at Curryosity in Provo on Tuesday, May 22, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
A Vietnamese spring roll, curry bread, and naan, served with peanut sauce, at Curryosity in Provo on Tuesday, May 22, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
Pineapple curry at Curryosity in Provo on Tuesday, May 22, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
All curries are not created equal, but at Curryosity in Provo, all curries are created equally tasty. The name and brand will be familiar to sports fans who have sampled Curryosity’s wares during Brigham Young University basketball games at the Marriott Center, but the restaurant space, on the premises formerly inhabited by Doc’s Pizza Buffet at Plum Tree Shopping Center, is relatively new.
Curry is a world food, and Curryosity takes a global approach to it, inviting diners to sample curries from several different corners of the planet. And if you’re the type who hates making decisions, then you’ll likely be pleased to learn that you can test drive multiple curries on the same visit by ordering a curry duo or curry trio instead of the more standard curry bowl.
Also, because we live in America, you can make any curry bowl (or duo or trio) a combo, which adds a soda and half-side to your order.
The restaurant has a cafeteria-style layout, with a large counter for ordering and a spacious, somewhat Spartan (but very tidy) dining area. We visited on a Thursday night about an hour before closing and were greeted right away by a friendly server who invited us to sample each of the different curries before making our selection.
If that was a ploy to convince us to try a little bit of everything, then it worked. We doubled up on curry trios and added a “currito” for good measure.
The currito closely resembles its Mexican cousin and could well become Curryosity’s signature entree. It’s prepared burrito style, a large naan (a south Asian flatbread similar to, but thicker than, a tortilla) filled with vegetables, grilled chicken and rice and smothered in your choice of curry. Curryosity makes very good naan (you can also order it as a side), and the currito is an excellent and unique application of that expertise.
The curries are mild, medium or spicy — something for every palate — but none of them are so spicy as to be overwhelming. I especially enjoyed the Korma, an Indian curry with a yogurt base, and the Gang Masaman, a mild Thai curry with potatoes and carrots. The spicy Vindaloo curry, a hybrid Indian-Portuguese curry, is also very good, and the west African peanut chicken curry is a great “gateway” curry for first-timers.
There’s also a cool side called curry bread that’s deep-fried and apt to disappear from your plate as quickly as it arrives, and you can wash it all down with a smooth, creamy mango lassi, a yogurt-based drink sort of like a milkshake that’s a vastly preferable alternative to the standard-issue fountain drink station.
If you can’t get no satisfaction from ordinary fast food, then it just might be time to indulge your Curryosity.
Curryosity
Where: 2250 N. University Parkway (Plum Tree Shopping Center next to Buy Low Market)
Hours: Monday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Prices: Most entrees $5-$10
Info: www.facebook.com/Curryosity/