Kurry Xpress

10841 Q Street (Southwest corner of 108th and Q, tucked inside a strip mall)
Omaha, NE 68137
(402) 934-5054
Open for lunch and dinner, closes in between, closed Mondays
www.kurryxpress.com

Navratan Korma--
"Mixed vegetables cooked in a kurry sauce and topped with cream," kutting too many korners with the frozen veg.

Chicken Vindaloo. Or something like that.

I'm not afraid of so-called "hole-in-the-wall" places. Bare bones, no frills and inexpensive, sometimes with questionable cleanliness and suspicious service. It's no secret that these kinds of locations often serve up the best-tasting, most authentic and interesting cuisine. That said, it wasn't the lack of music or unexciting atmosphere at Kurry Xpress that bothered me. It wasn't the disposable plates and cutlery, though I do wonder if they are properly equipped to wash their cooking utensils somewhere in the depths of the curtained kitchen. It wasn't the 20 minute wait for my food at this "Xpress," or the extra charge for charging it to your credit card, or the curt counter guy. The problem with this place is the sucky food. There, I said it. This place has fans, and I don't know why. The frozen vegetables in the Navratan Korma were drowning in the extremely thick cream sauce, so much so that it took me a while to figure out which vegetables I was actually eating. The sauce was bland to my taste buds, just a hot and heavy mess of calories I ultimately couldn't justify ingesting. The Chicken Vindaloo was marginally better, though it did remind me of cheap Chinese food, as if the salty sauce came from a packet full of MSG. For a dish known for its spice, it had my tongue tingling about as much as a packet of Taco Bell Fire sauce. The basmati rice was remarkably dry. The star of the meal, and the only thing I finished, was the portion of fried onion strings that came on my styrofoam plate.

The Indian hot bar at Whole Foods blows the socks off this place. And so, the search for the best Indian cuisine in Omaha continues... Please don't make me stock my freezer with Tandoor Chef and Ethnic Gourmet!