Curry Hill
Formerly known as Murray Hill, Curry Hill is tucked into the neighbourhood of Rose Hill running from here until 40th Street on Lexington Avenue. Apart from Jackson Heights, Curry Hill is another “little India” that’s home to a lot of Southeast Asians. The entire stretch houses popular Indian restaurants and shops. If you’re craving Indian flavours, you’ll have a hard time deciding from Mumbai’s fast food franchisee Kailash Parbat to Chennai’s iconic South Indian restaurant Saravaana Bhavan. And for a taste of New Delhi, pick between Chote Nawab or Bhatti Indian Grill for scrumptious homemade butter chicken alongside butter naan. All located on Lexington Avenue, this area can be a quick cure for homesick Indians. Next I entered a spice shop called Kalustyan’s
(kalustyans.com; open daily 10am-8pm, Sundays 11am-7pm), simply because I was drawn in by the aromas while walking past it. Judging from the crowds here, it is an easy guess that this store has been popular amongst the people of Curry Hill since 1944. Apart from offering a variety of Indian spices, the shop retails condiments, readymade Indian snacks as well as spices from countries like Armenia, Bangladesh, Egypt, France, Guatemala, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan and Morocco.
Curry Hill is definitely a debauched visit for the hungry soul.