Restaurant Ratings – Xing Yen Quek
Curry Indian Bistro, a new establishment in Diamond Hills Plaza, serves exotic Western Indian fusion dishes. Located in the center of a Diamond Bar hotspot where flocks of students gather after school each day for boba at Tea Rush or frozen yogurt at Cherry on Top, this restaurant is hard to miss. Curry serves authentic Indian food while accommodating conventional taste buds.
Due to its heavily tinted windows, the outside of the restaurant does not seem inviting. However, as I entered the restaurant I was immediately greeted by a friendly waitress who kindly offered me a table. The eatery was decorated with ornate pictures of exotic Indian spices and simple wall embellishments. Its dim lighting gave off a romantic and calm ambiance.
My first entrée consisted of three types of vegetarian curries: baingan bharta, an eggplant dish, daal makhani, a dish that blends lentils with a variety of Indian spices, and mattar paneer, green peas curry. The curries were complemented by naan, a flat leavened bread, and basmati rice. My overall experience with the curries is one of apathy. All three of the curries were slightly too salty for my preference, even with the naan and rice.
For my next dish, I was presented with a pleasant array of marinated chicken and lamb meat. The tandoori platter is composed of tandoori chicken, red pieces of chicken grilled with tandoori spices, garlic chicken kabab, a regular grilled chicken marinated with garlic, and lamb boti kabab, tender lamb pieces blended with a variety of spices. The meat from each variety was tendered with just the right amount of spices; This dish would defintely be number one on my recommended list.
For my drink, I ordered the mango lassi, a unique Indian drink consisting of yogurt, milk, and mango flavoring. It had a smooth and creamy texture which resembled that of a mango smoothie. Considering the sweltering weather outside, the lassi was refreshing and delightful. Along with its cooling taste, its sweet and aromatic flavor complemented the entire meal well.
Dessert, gulab jamun, was included as part of the lunch set menu. This small ball caramelized with lightly sweetened syrup tasted just as foreign as it sounds. My taste buds were unfamiliar with the dessert’s glutinous texture. The ball itself tasted like an extremely sugared donut and its viscous syrup had a strange hint of spice.
Curry left me with an unforgettable experience because it introduced a selection of dishes that I was foreign to before. Unfortunately, the experience did not surpass my initial expectation of the restaurant. However, the dishes I had at Curry were only a small part of the variegated menu. There are many more exotic discoveries that I have yet to explore.
