Kabab and Curry - Raleigh — Restaurant in Raleigh

Kebab and Curry. I used to frequent this place a couple years ago when i lived in the area, but this is my first time back since moving out of the neighborhood!

Order components: 1 Malai Kofta : Extra Spicy 1 Balti Chicken : Extra Spicy 1 Chicken Biriyani : Spicy 1 Raita

Note: A very big thumbs up for every one of these dishes ACTUALLY BEING SPICY. Whenever ordering at a restaurant I request the max spice level and AT LEAST 50% of the time it comes back to me with barely any.

Breakdown: MALAI KOFTA: 3 stars This became my favorite dish of all time after falling in love with it about 10 years ago when I lived in NYC right next to a North Indian joint. Since its my favorite and I've had it at maybe.... 30ish different restaurants I'm admittedly more picky about it.

Immediately when I took it out of the to go bag today I knew it wasn't going to be my favorite judging by the color of the gravy. Too much cream was added, which ends up masking the flavor. The kofta balls were decent but all around it lacked that depth of flavor that makes it distinguishable and ohhhh so delicious. Also it had no cashews or white raisins in the gravy which made me sad. When those components are present, the flavor that bursts on your tongue is absolute 100.

BALTI CHICKEN: 3.5 stars? I've never had this before and am not the biggest fan on the bases that don't incorporate cream. If you aren't a fan of cream or have lactose issues and would like something purely tomato based -this would be a good dish for you.

It has nice chunks of red and green peppers in it and a generous portion of chicken. The menu said this dish is on the Afghani side which is why I purchased it; however, I didn't find those characteristic flavor profiles present in the dish. I wouldn't order it again personally, as its just not my thing and too closely resembles the flavor of American style dishes my mother would throw together in a crockpot. Giving 3.5 instead of 3 because I'm not familiar enough with the dish to dock it down simply because it's not my thing.

CHICKEN BIRIYANI: 3 Generous portion. This is a "dry" rice dish that doesn't have a gravy and the rice is the star. That being said, i do think it was lacking enough of the chicken component. I had to dig around to find chicken. The rice was nicely coated and spiced throughout but was lacking that "IT" factor that biriyani is known for. It was garnished well (see picture) but both of us agree it was missing the magic. But that is kind of to be expected with a biriyani that is not at a "fine dining" establishment.

I'm not going to rate the raita because this review is far too long already.

SYNOPSIS: I rated everything 3 stars and yet am leaving a 4 star review. It's contradictory but I'm gonna go with it. I know that i could order the same dishes here tomorrow and end up with a completely different review. That's just kind of how it goes with Indian restaurants...its never going to be the exact same as it was last time. There was nothing that would make me NOT want to come back here. The portions were generous and they actually made the food spicy...which I've somehow not been able to get in my past 5 orders at various other Indian places.

Try this place and then try other places...you'll figure out whose...

This is without a doubt my favorite Indian restaurant in Raleigh. Bear in mind that Indian food is my favorite type of food, thus I have been to the vast majority of Indian restaurants in the area. Their buffet, which finally reopened on September 1st (had been closed due to Covid-19), is astounding. As a vegetarian I am pleased to say they always have at least 3 but usually 4 vegetarian options (Chana Masala, Chana Saag, Saag Paneer, Paneer Tikka Masala, Tarka Dal, Aloo Gobi, Dal Makhani, Palak Paneer, etc.). Of course they have a similar number of dishes with meat; so overall it’s a nicely split variety. I’ve yet to try a vegetarian dish that I did not like; not even kidding. For what it’s worth, their veggie pakoras are to die for. Their buffet is open from 11:30-3:00, I believe every day of the week (but not positive about that). Naturally, you can always order from their menu in lieu of opting for the buffet. However, imo at least, the buffet is wonderful due to the variety of options. The staff are always friendly and attentive. The restaurant itself is always clean. The only downside is the parking situation, which is not their fault. Kabab and Curry is located on Hillsborough Street, right across from NC State’s campus. As you might imagine, parking can be a pain. I suggest going down a side road and finding a parking lot. Whether you do that or are able to find a spot to park on the side of Hillsborough, you will have to pay for parking. Usually $2-$3, depending on how long you intend on staying. Despite that, going to Kabab and Curry for a meal is totally worth it. I have been going to this establishment for years, and I’m not lying when I say I love this place. You won’t find a better Indian joint in the area. If you’ve never been here, do yourself a favor and give it a try. Unless you dislike Indian food (then why would you go?), you won’t be...

So found this place on Yelp with the most reviews mainly positive and it said Indian restaurant until we went and saw the sign iys Indian and Nepalese. Now keep in mind the dishes name are the same but the spuxes and cooking styles are a bit different from indian to Nepalese cuisine. We ordered 2 Samosas, 1 Papri Chat, 1 Chicken Karahi, Cheakpeas and one half tandoori chicken and naan separately. You get only rice and can't substitute. The quantity is very less and most importantly the food just didn't taste good. It was our first day here in Raleigh and we were very disappointed with the tatse. The tandoori Chicken didn't even taste like tandoori it tasted more like an oven cooked chicken. The prices are extremely high for the quantity they serve. The karahi had only few torn pieces of boneless chicken. Didn't like the taste. In fact didn't like the taste of anything. Starting from the Appetizers to the entrees. Another weird part they had no side of chickpeas. We had to order a whole bowl for $12 where its always available on the side dishes. I guess you don't get it on Indian or Nepalese restaurants. Parking is another issue there. The only good thing about that place was the service and the server who took care of us. Tomorrow is our last day here and will definitely check for a better place to have lunch. Its like tasteless food but...