THE PINT-SIZED FOODIE: An introduction to Curry Junction

Each month, our 11-year-old resident foodie visits a different Charlotte-area restaurant that’s kid-friendly—but not a kid-topia. He orders something he’s never tried before and reports back with his recommendations for kids and their parents. Here is his review of Curry Junction at The Arboretum.

What we ordered:

My sister got Chilli ($17), which was kinda like popcorn chicken. Daddy got Chicken Tikka Masala ($19), Mommy got Chicken Makhani ($19), and I got Lamb Vindaloo ($20). Also, an order of Garlic Naan ($3.50).

How it works:

It’s like a regular sit-down restaurant with tables and booths, and there’s one flatscreen on the wall. They brought us bottles of water and a plate of cantaloupe to eat while we looked at the menu.

Why I liked it:

They let you choose your level of spiciness from 1 to 10. My Vindaloo Lamb was already pretty spicy so our server said I should get like a 2, but I LOVE spice so I got a 7. 

What I didn’t like:

Everything comes with a bowl of rice, so the table gets too crowded and there’s not enough room to put everything.

What I tried for the first time:

The only thing I had before was Tikka Masala and naan—everything else I hadn’t tried before. Chicken Makhani was just like butter chicken, though, so that wasn’t that different. The Chilli tasted like the General Tso’s Chicken you get at a Chinese restaurant.

Why other kids should try it:

They have a kids menu with Chicken Nuggets ($6) and French Fries ($4), but I think most kids would like the Chilli if you don’t get it spicy.

What I liked best:

The Vindaloo! It was really spicy how I like it and it tasted good when you dip the naan in it.

Why parents will like it:

If you like Indian food and curry, you’ll like this. And you get a lot of food, so you’ll probably have some to take home with you.

Why I would come back:

Vindaloo!