Many, like Allison Trask, are “a little suspicious” of food served in a gas station, but her fears were quickly allayed when tasting the chicken tikka masala at the Curry Express Indian Kitchen in White Hall.
There, customers are offered a selection of prepared dishes, fresh vegetables, and dessert — presented buffet-style — occupying about a third of a Shell AM/PM gas station at 8539 Sheridan Road.
Hungry guests are welcome to dine in or opt for takeout from the buffet or from the menu.
“I was skeptical but surprised,” Trask said about a lunch invitation from her friend, Kenyon Daily, but, she continued before taking a sip of her mango lassi, “It’s fresh and the food is amazing.”
Bunny Ghosh, Curry Express manager, said the establishment has been open for about 18 months.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“We change and swap the buffet food (choices) every day, and if our guests want anything from the menu, we serve that all day,” he said.
At some point in the future, they may consider opening a stand-alone restaurant, but for now, this works for Ghosh and the restaurant’s owner, Bobby Singh.
Trask said she would recommend Curry Express to friends and plans a repeat visit.
Daily is a fan, also recommending the chicken, as well as the lemon rice and chili mushrooms, which he describes as “having notes of chili but it’s not so hot that you don’t taste it.”
It was Clarissa Wallace’s first time, too.
Wallace, of East End, decided on takeout.
“I packed my to-go container with a sample of each thing. It was all really tasty. By far my favorite was the garlic chicken, chili mushrooms, and lemon rice. I was very pleasantly surprised,” she said.
Like Trask, Wallace said, “I will definitely eat there again, and I’ve already recommended it to my friends and family in the area and to my colleagues who travel through that area for work.”
She added, “I was surprised that it was in a gas station. Not typical gas station food.”
That noon, the buffet included gobi pakora (fried shrimp), dal makhani (a blend of black lentils and red kidney beans), chicken bhuna (chicken in a rich spice blend, onions, tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste), basmati rice, garlic naan, and mango mousse for dessert.
The naan is only prepared when an order is placed.
Curry Express is the accidental culinary collaboration of Ghosh and Singh. While visiting New York, Singh met Ghosh and was impressed by him; later, when looking to start Curry Express, he called Ghosh.
It was a perfect fit for Ghosh, who had traveled and worked as a bartender in different areas of his home country, India. He collected family recipes — he’s from Kolkata, in Eastern India — along with recipes from different regions of the country, and said, “I wanted to keep the dishes authentic.”
Ghosh was excited to start a new adventure in White Hall.
Not only does Curry Express feature a food buffet and booths and tables — with real plates, silverware and cloth napkins — for dining in, but nearly half the restaurant’s space is dedicated to its kitchen, where food is made fresh and spices are prepared.
“Spices are the most important thing, and depending on what food we’re preparing, we use different spices,” Ghosh said.
He described spices as the “emotional component to my dishes.”
The restaurant closes the last two Mondays of the month; otherwise, it’s open daily from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m.
Ghosh said that for him, “I am passionate about food. It is an expression of love and my concern for others.”
His zeal for his work shines through as he talks with new and repeat customers, said Jeff May, White Hall deputy mayor, and a loyal Curry Express customer.
It’s essential that his customers are served his best, and he added, “I want it to be a lovely and tasty experience for every person.”
