Curry in the Box — Restaurant in Fitchburg

Despite sporting a name befitting a West Towne food court stand, Curry in the Box is one of my favorite South Madison lunch options. With clean flavors, a lunch menu loaded with affordable options and an efficient kitchen that churns out my meal in less than 10 minutes, there a lot to love about this strip mall outpost on Fish Hatchery Road.

I dined in during my first visit to Curry in the Box. The menu is posted on the wall as you enter the restaurant. A floor display lists a set of nine lunch specials, affordably priced from $6.29 to $7.49. I ordered the Chicken Kapow (Chicken breast, bamboo shoots, onion, mushroom, and basil stir fried in fresh chili sauce) for $6.29, paid the cashier, picked my number and found a table in the surprisingly large, well-lit dining area.

Five minutes later, a smiling server delivered by meal, served in a large white bowl. While Chicken Kapow is a standard Thai dish, the kitchen showed a great deal of skill in preparing this dish, stir-frying the vegetables to coax a mouthful of flavor in every bite. The cooks applied the chili sauce with gentle hand, using the sauce to complement the other ingredients, not overwhelm them. My only gripe was with the rice, far too gummy for my preferences.

The following day, I ordered the Japanese Pan Curry (crispy chicken breast with diced potato in a yellow curry sauce) as takeout. While the double starch combo of cubed potatoes and rice seemed redundant, the dish delivered clean flavors and just enough heat to warm my bones on a frigid afternoon. I felt the serving size provided great value for the $7.49 I paid for this meal.

Though not my overall favorite Asian restaurant, Curry in the Box will be a frequent lunchtime destination where I can procure great a well-prepared meal in less...

Customer service FAIL! Food was good, actually some of the better curry I have had in the Madison area. However, my wife has some food sensitivities (I know.. one of those people) but it clearly states on posted signs that they can make most any dish to order. My wife doesn't like, and is sensitive to bell peppers.. green, red, etc. She asked for them to be excluded from the dish which they said they can certainly do. Food arrives, and sure enough has red pepper in it. The owner / manager was helping serve the food and said.. "no, there is no pepper in this.: My wife looking right at it pulled it out and showed her.. the owner / manager then says "well just pick it out." Which was not something I have EVER heard a server, manager, owner say to a customer before.. except maybe a fast food place. The dish should have been remade.. end of story. We are all pretty blown away by how horrible her response was to the dish being made incorrectly.

It's a shame because the food was great, but with great food should come great service as well.. which this place is lacking BIG TIME!

If you don't care about customer service go for it.. if that is at least somewhat important to you, dine at...

This feels like a fast food curry place. Food was average at best. I had Chicken Karee ($9.59) and I substituted crispy chicken ($1.50 up charge) and brown rice ( $0.49 up charge) and got "as is" which is a "little spicy". If you like spicy be sure to add spice because this did not feel spicy to me. Chicken seemed a little greasy and slightly over done. Regular chicken may be better. Curry was ok but did not give me that strong curry flavor that I was looking for. Cashews were modest in proportion. I added one piece of flatbread ($1.69) which was thick and doughy. I prefer my flatbread thinner and cooked more. I also added 2 Samosas ($4.99) which seemed thin and overcooked. Outside breading was slightly too hard. Sauce was very sweet. Total after tax and up charge was $19.26. I would not go back to this place as I've had much better Curries, Samosas, and flatbread at any local...