You'd never guess, sitting in a comfortable booth in this peaceful Indian restaurant, that you are actually in a storefront in a strip mall on busy Route 9 in Natick. The Curry Leaf has a quiet, peaceful ambience. Maybe it's the Indian music playing softly, or the sparkling white lights in front, or the pretty silver starfish on the walls. Though it seats 100, this place feels small and cozy.
Clearly, the people here are pros. The owners, Vinod and Shikha Kapoor, also own the Bombay Club in Cambridge and Masala Art in Needham, as well as a fast-food counter in Faneuil Hall. They owned the former Kebab-N-Kurry in the Back Bay but closed it when rent increases made it difficult to maintain. The Curry Leaf is the more modest sibling, which is reflected in its more reasonable prices.
But that doesn't mean its menu and its kitchen aren't ambitious. It means, in part, that the real estate is cheaper in MetroWest than in the other locations, which include Harvard Square (Bombay Club) and Needham center (Masala Art). There's also plenty of parking -- a whole mall's worth.
Despite the popularity of his other two hot restaurants, Vinod Kapoor says it is to the Curry Leaf he comes when he wants to eat. "Of all the three, this is my favorite," he says. Its size is the reason why. "When you cook in smaller amounts, it comes out nicer." His wife develops the recipes and mixes her own spices; he is the business expert. The couple, who were born in the New Delhi area, travel to India and London each year to scout out the latest in Indian cuisine and to develop new recipes.
Shikha was 16 years old when she opened her first restaurant with her older sister: Natraj, in Cambridge. She is the one responsible for the winning masala recipe that contains 10 different herbs and spices and is the backbone of many of the Curry Leaf's dishes. By the way, the restaurant is saturated with the soft smell of spices and dishes cooking in the tandoor, traditional clay oven.
We started with the shrimp kurkuri ($9), plump shrimp dipped in a chickpea batter and sesame seeds, lightly fried and accompanied by a cooling cucumber-yogurt sauce and a tamarind sauce. It was a good beginning to a great meal. One of the few southern Indian dishes on the menu caught our eye: the dosa masala ($9), a crispy footlong crepe stuffed with a soft potato and pea mixture. ("A crepe for Shrek," remarked the poet in our party). It came with a spicy lentil broth for dipping and a cooler coconut chutney -- a pleasing combination of tastes and textures.
The restaurant has a full liquor license, makes the latest cocktails, and has a decent wine and beer selection. A nice alternative is the mango lassi ($3.50), a refreshing mango yogurt smoothie.
The menu is extensive and broken down in several different categories, to make the browsing a bit easier. Most of the dishes are served in lovely copper pots or pans. Warning: if you like your dishes with heat, ask for a bowl of hot sauce on the side; it is five-alarm and sinus-clearing.
Our resident vegetarian loved the begam thali ($14), found under "chef's recommendations." This huge platter consisted of naan, the traditional leavened bread, plus four small bowls of various offerings, to be either rolled or dipped with the bread, including a delicious homemade cottage cheese mixed with spinach and a spicy sort of bean salad. There was a side of saffron rice.
The chicken tikka masala ($13.50), a reliable favorite in Indian restaurants, proved to be more interesting than most versions: The tender pieces of chicken cooked in the tandoor oven were bathed in a tangy orange sauce that was great for soaking up the garlicky naan that we ordered (and could smell a mile away). But a little more chicken and a little less sauce would have been appreciated. Lamb rogan josh ($14) was a bit uneven, with some of the chunks of lamb a little chewier than others. But the yogurt-based sauce was redolent with fresh ginger and garlic. A definite winner is the chingari malai ($15), grilled shrimp on a sizzling platter with carrots, peppers, and onions and served with naan with which to roll it all up, sort of like an Indian fajita.
Finish the meal with chai, the traditional spiced and milky Indian tea that makes the prefab Starbucks version look amateur. Our favorite dessert was the gulab jamun ($4), gently fried dumplings the size of Munchkins that are dipped in a rose water, a very sweet dish for sugar-lovers. The badmi kheer ($4) is a milky rice pudding, more soupy than the custardy style New Englanders are used to. But the almond and cardamom flavorings are delicious.
The Curry Leaf makes its own paneer, or soft ricotta-type cheese, and uses it in many dishes, including the interesting and pleasing dessert, ras-malai ($5), with the cheese bathed in a cardamom flavored milk.
For a tasting of several dishes, try the weekend brunch buffet ($11) or the lunch buffet offered weekdays ($8). The waitstaff here is efficient and helpful, eager to recommend dishes after hearing your particular tastes. Best of all, when the bill comes, you'll feel it was worth every cent, and then some. 