TL;DR: This is a cut above most of the Indian places around town, possibly for the sheer attention to detail with every morsel that was cooked. The unusual range of offerings also helps shape the reputation of the place, and it is not bad to see some Nepalese influence mixed in there as well. Overall, this is definitely worth a go.
If this the right place where I got my delivery from, the experience could not be any different than what many others implied around here. Much of the food was not only delicious, but it at some points came across as chef-level quality. With a whole lot Indian places having been done over the years, from the whole blur of them many have stood out for regarding their quality and this may well be among the best of them.
It was quite the weekend for a fan of the WWE, when back-to-back PPVs are showing on the WWE Network that is a time to get excited. As a fan who touts Money in the Bank being the favourite, and I am not in a minority there either, for it to be treated as one of the big ones (i.e. an NXT Takeover being there in conjunction) was like Christmas coming early. Nevertheless, the usual ritual when it comes to those PPV events was in place. Arrange some delivery to the home place, and eat it in front of it. What a night it was.
No real rhyme or reason was put in place for choosing the place, though in saying that Indian has often proven itself to be more than reliable on numerous occasions. There always seems to be one popping up, or one that becomes elusive for several months until it is pointed out. The Coorparoo Curry House was just that. Two times to attempt getting it all right via UberEats, and the rest was just to sit and wait it out for the food to arrive after putting on the rice.
Again, not too much in the way of service to be critiqued. Big order again, which understandably made the ETA a bit delayed - that was a good touch for customer service - and the important thing is that the food arrive promptly, still piping hot and delicious to eat. What makes this all the more better, is the food made fresh to order which gives it that edge of quality, and customer service.
It may well be the menu that helped distinguish this place out from the rest of them. Sure, for those clients who like one of the usual curries, those are there. One of the aspects of the menu is a selection of Nepalese snacks and meals, but that is not what really stood out. What stood out was some of the inventiveness of the curries, which come more like someone in the kitchen trying a new approach to a curry they often cook instead of being a flashy Michelin showman.
From the get-go, everything that has been stated so far about the food becomes apparent with the starters. The selection is not too big here, mostly a range of different pakoras. After that, it is time to get onto the curries - and we start off with the classics. These can be gotten in the usual increments of mild, medium, and hot, with the main meats of beef, lamb, and chicken. After that lot, the following selections of curries are specials - mostly chicken ones that are a range of favourites, of Indian specialties and ones starting to show the inventiveness of the place, and that latter one segues into the signature dishes. Goat, lamb shank, and chicken kofta are just some examples for the basis of the dishes.
For those who like a bit of seafood, or prefer to get a vegetarian curry, they also have those on offer. A plus is that the vegetarian selection is definitely more than a merely lot of paneer curries, since there is potato and dahl one in addition to that. Finishing off the Indian part of the menu is a few lots of rice dishes, a generous round of naans (all pretty a-steal as well), and the usual lot of accompaniments.
With the Indo-China/Nepalese section of the menu, it is considerably smaller but has the range of interesting delights on offer. The starters are a whole lot of momos, and some more basic meaty bites. Much like the Indian part of the menu, the meals are able to ordered according to desired spice levels. Whether they are representative of Nepalese cooking as a whole is debate I have no horse in, though from an analysis some of the meals have a semi-Chinese vibe to them with some of the others definitely having a curry-based influence to their make-up. All of this creates one unique selection of goodies that is sure to delight almost any patron.
To begin the meal, it is always a case of getting some starters. With so many to chose from, and they all looked so good, going for broke was the idea. They had a tasting platter on the menu, which gave two apiece of chicken tikka, onion bhaji, tandoori prawn, and vegetable samosas plus the sauces that often go with the said bites.
Right from the start, this proves to be a tasty number. This may be the one time that I cannot list it in order for what was the best, because it was all good, and every one had a good flavoured marsala in them. The samosas were giant, and filled with a mild mixture of potato and peas. Around it was a thick, solid and slightly buttery pastry that really held it together. Samosas can be a bit on the passe side, but this one was alright.
Onion bhajis are usually the indication for how good the Indian place is, hence why it often seems that they are ordered. This time around the consensus was pretty good. They were more shaped like patties than anything, had the same slightly sweet flavour to them from the caramlised onion and the mixture of spices made it even better. So far so good.
The tandoori prawn was delicious, and the sauce around it had a slightly tomato-like taste. It was sweet and tender, and had a tempura batter going around it. This is how prawns are done best, and that is all that needs to be said there.
Last and certainly not least comes to the chicken tikka. Boneless bits of chicken, which must have been some of the most tender morsels that are around, were marinated in a yoghurt mixture as well as the usual tandoori spices before the grilling began. And that made for an endlessly delicious, moreish and irresistible recipe.
It was not only that, one more starter that I could not go past was their Camembert Bollywood. Essentially a pakora made from the titular cheese, it was cooked in a tempura batter flavoured by fennel, ginger, and coriander. As much as it can begin to melt, that what it was doing making a rich, and gooey texture plus the taste was its strong characteristic self. The flavours around it were pleasant, and regardless of what kind of restaurant this came from it was an inventive, and moreish little number. It may well be the pinnacle about how this place ticks.
Trying out the main part of the menu, a couple of curries were gotten. With the big range of less usual curries available, that is exactly what I steered towards. That was a two-fer with the lamb rara, and the chilli chicken. The lamb rara was cooked in a thick curry gravy that was flavoured by an unusual array of spices. A misnomer aside with the kind of meat used (it said lamb mince, but it was distinctly bits of fillet), nevertheless the lamb meat was really tender, the texture of the sauce was thick and buttery, and how it all hangs together works a treat.
For the chilli chicken, it was kind a mix between a curry and something along the lines of sweet and sour pork. By that, the bits of chicken were probably fried, and cooked with a combination of capsicum, onion, and red chilli with a thick sauce. The amount of pieces were plentiful, and they went down a treat. This was ordered hot, and I asked for it quite hot, and that it did not disappoint.
Another aspect that works quite well in their favour is the portion sizes. Even just one of these would be a decent enough meal, even between a couple of people, and two did a dinner and possibly a couple of lunches. Just imagine a big group together ordering so many dishes from here - that is an overlooked mark of a good place.
Add onto that some naan - a cheese and garlic one this time around. Now when it comes to the naan, this is the kind of thang I am talking about. The serving size was pretty generous, and it came folded/cut into two pieces. Plus, there was an unashamed layer of oil and butter drizzled over the surface, with the bits of roasted garlic glistening as a result. This made all the difference, and combine that with the texture of the bread being cooked to just the right consistency - it was pretty much perfect.
Indian is often a major winner when it comes to going out, or when it comes around to some delivery. It rarely ever goes wrong. Going to the other end of the field, what really causes attention to be grabbed is not when it goes just right, but when something really stands out about it - whether it is readily apparent or not. The Coorparoo Curry House is definitely it, and it has completely changed my perception when hearing the term "curry house". What definitely needs to be done, is to try this place out, seek it out, and enjoy the fare that they have on offer.
Final rating: 4.5 - if there was some lassi on the menu, or a possibly of a sweet (even a mere gulab jamun) being available, then it is quite likely this would have secured and scored that sweet 5.0-score. And I don't give them out for merely being all-round good. If what we had here is any indication, it would definitely be good to see what the chef's could spin regarding sweets.
Make a reservation
Order online
Find the best restaurant in Brisbane
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes