A report by Dana Massey-Todd. As we’ve mentioned earlier, local food truck purveyors of Indian street food (with a twist) CURRY UP NOW is opening a new brick-and-mortar location on Wednesday February 20th.
The latest outpost is on the increasingly Indian food-centric Valencia corridor. It’s 2,100 square feet and seats 70 in the former Pizzeria space, which has been decked out with industrially inspired décor. Owners Akash and Rana Kapoor kept a lot of the original fixtures, including a huge brick oven in which they’ll be baking their naan and roasting many of their coming brunch choices. There are pops of color among reclaimed wood and stainless steel, including a cool tabletop that comes from the side of an Indian cargo truck and upholstered wingback chairs that are waaaay more comfortable than you’d expect from a place where you order at the counter.
The bright chalkboard menu on the wall walks you through the many Indian-with-a-twist options, and there’s plenty of seating for large groups and smaller parties. There is also a private room that groups of up to 20 can reserve, but note that no other reservations will be taken. There are plans for sidewalk seating soon, though not quite yet.
On the menu, you’ll find many of the classics from the food truck menu, like deconstructed samosas, sexy fries, naughty naan, and the tikka masala burrito. It’s very easy on the wallet, as almost all of the dishes are $10 or less, and there are vegan and gluten-free menus for those with dietary restrictions. Weekend brunch will be added in two weeks, which will be served all day and will highlight different choices from various regions of India, with dishes like dosa, chana bhatura, and pav bhaji.
A beer and wine license is in the works, but for now you’ll find self-serve drinks like housemade lassis and ginger mint lemonade. The menu is available for dine-in or takeout, and catering will also be offered. Look out for delivery in the coming months too. Curry Up Now will be open Mon-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 11am-9pm. 659 Valencia St. at 18th St., 650-477-1001.
Also joining the Indian food explosion in the Mission is the new NAMASTE INDIA MARKET, which, according to Scoop, will be coming to an old CalTrans lot under the freeway on Valencia. For anyone who has been to a market in India, they are definitely something to see (check out the carrots at the right!) We’ll have to see how this one pans out.
The market will be an open-air collection of as many as 40 vendors, offering food, cooking demonstrations, crafts, and music. The first market kicked off this last weekend, and while the next one hasn’t been scheduled yet, the plan is for it to be a biweekly affair. The next one will be posted on the Namaste website when it’s a go (and on Twitter). 160 Valencia St. at Duboce.
Photo: Dana Massey-Todd. © tablehopper.com.
