Curry Corner

This past Saturday, after doing our dreaded taxes, Jeff and I decided to try out a newly placed Indian Restaurant called The Curry Corner.  Indian is one of our favorite cuisines and we wanted to see how this small restaurant compared with its competitors-Indian Cuisine in Portage and Saffron on West Main Street.

Jeff previously visited The Curry Corner for their lunch buffet on one of his Friday lunch hours.  Then, On a separate occasion, Jeff brought home their carry out and surprised me with my favorite Indian dish of all time-Palak Paneer!   This dish consists of Indian homemade cheese with spicy creamed spinach, naturally served over simple rice.  The Palak Paneer at The Curry Corner was one of the best I have ever tasted.  Come to find out, Nira, the owner and recipe- inventor makes her Palak Paneer with mustard greens instead of spinach.  She says it gives the dish a stronger flavor.

Sambar

After tasting their carry-out, I was excited to dine in.  Nira greeted us at the door and sat us at a nice table for two.  They had several specialty drinks, but Jeff and I were content with water and tea, which were both included in the buffet price of $8.99.  The tea was a fragrant orange pekoe tea from India, steeped with hot water, and milk.  I especially took note of Nira’s high quality H20, she used in the tea, as well, as in our drinking water.  When it comes to water, I can be a bit of a snob.  I am not a fan of our well water or the city water of Kalamazoo or Portage, so filtering is key to clean cooking.  It’s all in the details.

The buffet had six courses, three of which were vegetarian.  We both started with the Sambar, which is described as a sweet and sour soup.  I normally don’t care for the combo of sweet and sour, I am more of a spicy, salty kind of girl, but the soup was just that-spicy and salty.  After the soup, I had a little bit of all three vegetarian dishes with fluffy rice with peas on the bottom.  The first dish, Dal Makhani, had lentils combined with spices.  I didn’t have seconds of this one because the others dishes were better.  The second dish was Kadhi and I was surprised to see it was made of pureed chickpeas with curry.  It was pretty spicy and had almost a lemon butter flavor that was one of a kind.  My favorite dish was the Bindi Masala, which was made from baby pumpkin.  I never would have guessed pumpkin was the main ingredient.  The sauce was super spicy and delicious.  Come to find out Nira invented that dish while sleeping one night and now it’s her husband’s favorite dish too.

Jeff's Plate

Jeff loved the vegetarian dishes, but his favorite of the meat dishes was the butter chicken. The sauce was a nice blend of cream and spice and he went back for seconds.  There was one goat dish, but Jeff opted out of trying that one.

We definitely recommend trying the Curry Corner if you like Indian Food, or even if you are just looking for something new to try. Take out is a great option to; just call ahead and pick up your order on the way home from work.  The food is made with care and love and it is really like a true Mom and Pop kitchen.

Curry Croner
7630 S Westnedge Ave
Portage, MI 49002
(269) 327-6325

ChocolaTea

If anyone knows me well, the first thing they know is how much I love tea. Tea became an obsession of mine when I was just a young girl. My mom made me “sick tea” consisting of orange pekoe tea, milk, and honey. My sister and I still joke about who’s going to inherit my great grandmother’s tea cup set. I have a strong case against her because of my love for specialty and fair-trade teas.

I first stumbled upon ChocolaTea last summer while driving to Centre St. for work. As I walked in, the clean, bitter tea leaf aroma excited my senses. My eyes were busy examining a few of the dozens of tea blends they have stacked on wooded shelves. All of ChocolaTea’s are organic and most are fair trade. I can spend an hour just deciding on which tea to go for. After purchasing about four little Ziploc bags of loose leaf teas, I knew this would be my new favorite place to spend my time and cash.

Yesterday, I showed Jeff the tea shop and he understood my fascination. After a long day of doing stressful errands like taxes, my stomach felt upset. I asked for something soothing and on the mild side and ended up with a Dragonwell green tea, with crushed ginger. Naturally, Jeff ordered their strongest blend of Costa Rican coffee. My tea did wonders for my nervous stomach and my soul. Jeff’s, on the other hand, was luke warm which is not what you want on a cold winter day.

Cosa Rican Coffee

Of course I couldn’t leave without a fair supply of loose leaf tea, so I selected my favorite type of tea, an Earl Grey; however, this blend had Lavender flowers added-perfect combination! Earl grey always has a strong, Bergamot flavor with sweet undertones. It’s wonderful infused with some steamed milk because the sugar in the milk provides a dessert flavor without the horrible sugar-brain and calories. Next on my list was a decaf orange pekoe black tea infused with flecks of real caramel. This one is also excellent with a little milk and honey, a step up from my mom’s “sick tea” recipe from my childhood. The last blend, I could not leave without; its ingredients are: flowers of chamomile, rosebuds, lavender, and spearmint. “Peaceful” was a fitting name for this combo of healing flowers. One cup after a stressful day knocks me right out. Instead of using Tylenol PM or other sleep aids, I opt for safer and healthier alternatives to sooth my soul and calm my thoughts.

Chocolates and Treats

The atmosphere at ChocolaTea is exactly as it should be-clean and cozy. There are tables with bar stools for the bloggers, or couches and ottomans for the conversationalists. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. Jeff couldn’t stop inquiring about a novelty in the bakery. They had chocolate covered bacon! Being a vegetarian, I did not go near it, and Jeff was tempted but opted to pass until next time. They did have rows of pies, cookies, cakes, and chocolates that are hard to turn down. I saw a mom with her little red-haired boy; it reminded me of a Norman Rockwell painting. They were deciding which candy to choose from and he preferred to try a new candy every visit to this store. Now that is what a candy shop should be about, once a week or so, indulging in a small, but exquisite piece of quality chocolate. I overheard that he didn’t want to try the chocolate covered potato chips this trip, instead he went for a more traditional sweet treat. The experience reminded me to cherish what we put into our bodies, like they did in the old days when tea, pies, and sweets were a special treat to enjoy with loved ones and less about the instant gratification of fulfilling an urge.

ChocolaTea
7642 S. Westnedge Avenue,
Portage, Michigan 49002
(269) 903-2447

Zooroona

Tonight for dinner we were craving something different. We were not hungry at all for the typical pizza or burgers and fries. Both Jeff and I really enjoy ethnic foods so we decided to try Kalamazoo’s newest Middle Eastern restaurant, Zooroona.

Zooroona in Arabic means ‘come visit us’-which explains the welcoming atmosphere and the fresh, authentic tasting food. Located on the end of the same plaza as the well known Tiffany’s beer and wine store, Zooroona opens the doors to an exciting dining experience. Jeff knows Saad Mandwee, the owner of Tiffany’s, through the natural and specialty food market in Kalamazoo. When we heard that Saad and his brothers opened an authentic Middle Eastern restaurant, we knew we had to visit.

Iraqi Tea

The manger, Rafet was first to great us and offered us a seat. He was very friendly and seemed like a very genuine person who takes pride in his work. When he asked us where we wanted to sit, we had the option of a booth, a table, or a raised area with curtains and uniquely crafted walls for privacy. There was a low table and the seating was on some pillows that were placed on the ground. We have never dined while sitting on the floor before, at least not at a restaurant, but we thought we would give the Majlis seating a try. The Majlis looked like a little romantic room that had antique doors as walls on one side and rich, imported drapes on the other. Rafet asked us to take off our shoes, which I clearly didn’t plan for, or else I would have worn some cuter socks. Jeff let me know that culturally, it is disrespectful to show the bottom of your feet so I was mindful of not showing the fellow diners and restaurant employees the soles of my feet.

Lentil Soup and Fattoush Salad

While trying to keep our backs straight and our legs from falling asleep, Jeff and I were warmly greeted by an old friend of mine who, by chance, turned out to be our server. Her name is Jen and her enthusiasm for the quality of the food at Zooroona made us both very excited for the meal to come. To start with we ordered a small pot of the Iraqi tea which is a delicious black tea with cardamom.

For appetizers, I had the lentil soup which came with my meal. The soup is by far the best lentil soup that I have ever had. It’s a crushed lentil vegetable soup that is mixed with a dash of lemon and is flavored with Arabian spices. Jeff had the fattoush salad which he thoroughly enjoyed. The fattoush is a mix of romaine lettuce and greens with tomato, cucumber, radishes, and parsley which is tossed together with Zooroona’s signature dressing and topped with crispy Arabic pita.

Veggie Dish

For the entree, I ordered the veggie dish which consists of hummous, falafel, dolmeh, muttabbel, and tabouleh and is served with tahini or garlic sauce. The dolmeh or grapeleaves, had the freshest flavors of lemon, and tasted nothing like grape leaves from the jar. The muttbabbel, which some call baba ganoush, had just the right amount of salt infused with roasted eggplant. I usually steer clear from baba ganoush and opt for the standard hummous, but both were the best I’ve tasted.

Tekka Tekka Beef

Jeff ordered the Tekka Tekka Beef, which basically is a deconstructed shish kabob. All the vegetables were roasted whole; the onion still in tacked with the skin on and the green pepper had the seedy middle. Jeff’s side dish was light and flavorful saffron rice. The beef was cooked perfectly and pairing the beef with the roasted onion, pepper, or tomato and dipping it in the tahini sauce was absolutely delicious.

We were both very impressed with quality of the food at Zooroona. The ingredients were simple, but the flavors were not. You can tell that the food is fresh and great care is taken in choosing the ingredients that are used. We asked our server Jen more about the food and she told us that Chef Loui is a traveling musician and chef from Syria who has settled down to head the kitchen. He takes great care in the quality and authenticity of the food. In fact, he even called his mother back home in Syria to learn her secret ingredients for the falafel.

At Zooroona, you will find authentic Middle Eastern cuisine, great customer service, and beautiful décor. If you are looking for a romantic night out, or just a good place to share a meal and a conversation with friends, then you are going to love Zooroona.

Zooroona Restaurant and Lounge
1710 West Main St
Kalamazoo, MI. 49006
269-382-4444
www.zooroonarestaurant.com