Quick Reviews of Eating Places in and around Janakpuri, Dwarka – Hot Curries

Hot Curries is one of the many neighborhood establishments that are competing for the top slot in the niche of reasonably priced, always accessible eating joints. The place is neatly located, just around the corner of Janakpuri’s road that takes you along the lane that houses Tihar Jail. I and Moha decided to try it out as a part of our Sunday gastronomic ventures. Overall, the experience was good but could have been better and I can recommend this place to other foodies out there.

First Impressions

Hot Curries does not try to do anything spectacular and this is perhaps why it manages to succeed. The ambiance is laidback with some outdoorsy spread also. The chairs and tables are typically made of discounted type plastics that don’t lend an upmarket appeal to the place but then Hot Curries is not a fine dining destination. You have the option of eating upstairs in the air-conditioned indoor space also but at the time of our visit, the place was at the center of a very lovable windy period. The air was somewhat refreshing.
Flowing water pedestals, complete with the Buddha statue and incense sticks, make you believe that the place understands the basics of making dining more amicable. The lighting in particular was comforting and the electronic mosquito killer was rather busy, striking down them insects in the most unapologetic manner!

The Food

Expect decent quality, small serving but fresh maal. This is the right place when you want a meal for two to be wrapped-up within 1K. This is not meant for V-day date nights. The place is frequented by families, especially on Sundays. The preparations don’t take too much time. The service is quick but the staff a bit short of being professional. Our waiter took away our plates! The first serving of butter naan came without the butter! You have to be slightly vocal when eating at Hot Curries, Janakpuri. Not meant for those who want expertise in every bite. The chicken tikkas were utterly fresh, lightly spiced and slowly cooked – just the way I like them. The Makhni Dal was creamy and well-cooked without too much cream or butter – just the way I like it. I tend to eat lots of onion and to my surprise, I got pickled, vinegar-ed and raw onions rather easily!

Serving Portions

Slightly disappointed here. For a place that is new and trying to grab attention, trying to convert first-time diners into repeat customers, Hot Curries does not impress you with the servings. Even the curries are served in flat-open bowls that don’t have any depth-related credentials. You expect a bit more stuff down there in the bowl when you look at the prices. I am not saying Hot Curries is expensive but it falls short in this particular regard. Again, serving tandoori stuff in cane serve-ware that is used to serve dim-sums is not a particularly great idea as the steam and moisture tends to melt-away the spicy coating!

For Janakpuri Hot Curries - [*****] means the maximum!

Food                                                 [***]

Prices                                               [***]

Ambiance                                        [***]

Surroundings                                   [***]

Novelty Factor                                 [*]

Value for Money                              [****]

Recommended for veggies              [***]

Recommended for carnivores          [***]   

Recall value                                      [***]