When Matt & Meera closed, we were sad to see a local spot — especially Indian — on Washington Street go. But luckily, there’s a new Indian fusion restaurant taking its place {and elevating things to say the least}: Soul Curry is a celebration of regional Indian cooking using seasonal local produce, started by Jersey City resident and chef, Hari Nayak. The innovative menu gives a nod to the traditions while offering a globetrotter’s spin on comforting Indian classics. We’re sharing a peek inside this Indian restaurant which just soft opened, located at 618 Washington Street in Hoboken:
While the name creates a thought of curry being the main dish of the space, Hari shared with us that it is far from a “curry” emphasis at this locale. “Curry is such a misrepresented term for Indian food,” he explained. “Most people think it’s a bowl of greasy food, but it’s so much more than that. Our menu has many unique items that you may or may not recognize that truly elevate flavors and dishes.”
The restaurant is a fusion of Indian cooking — while keeping true to local NJ roots. Hari noted that they support local farmers in their purchases, buying chicken from local New Jersey farms, and making things farm-to-table fresh daily. “We adapt local and global ingredients for a lighter, delicious taste,” he noted. “I am drawn towards market trends and the seasonal produce available locally. I am a very spontaneous cook – there could be an ingredient, something I tasted during my travels, or just my childhood memories that get me going.”
And this isn’t just your average restaurateur: Hari is a cookbook author and culinary consultant to many restaurant brands from Dubai UAE, Bangalore Indian to Bangkok Thailand. He also has a range of food products available in major supermarkets including Whole Foods Market. Yes, literally turn over some Cafe Spice boxes in Whole Foods and you’ll see his face.
A few of the must-haves on the menu, {and a few of the dishes that we tried}:
Summer Corn Bhel {above left} — a roasted and puffed sweet corn, cumin chilli vinaigrette. It was light and fresh, with basically cornflakes {we’re being crass by saying cornflakes — it was delicioso and so yum; a perfect starter}.
Naanchos — bhel chutneys {sauces}, roasted naan {in chip form}, and a masala cheese sauce {above right}. This was out-of-this-world good, and a fresh Indian spin on an old nacho classic.
Chimichurri Chicken Tikka {below} — this dish is not for the faint of heart; spicy with a pretty good kick, but the chicken was tender and smothered in the chimichurri sauce.
Butter Chicken Lollypop Wings {below} — wing lovers, you will *NOT* be disappointed with this bad boy. Think wings, but elevated {and melt-in-YO-mouth}. These beauties are accompanied by Sriracha naan bread and blackened chickpeas.
Braised Beef Brisket — while this wasn’t ordered for this visit, according to Hari, it’s a must-try.
And the last {but DEFINITELY not least} menu item that is a necessity to order: The Burrata Butter Chicken, a heavenly bird {Tandoori chicken} sautéed in a smoked tomato makhni with, you guessed it, burrata cheese on top. To. Die. For. {If you get nothing else, order this.}
The Burrata Butter Chicken = d.e.d. ded.
For our vegan and veg friends, there are many vegetarian options, but vegan is a little harder to come by. “We do offer many options currently and working on creating a separate vegan and vegetarian menu soon due to popular demand,” Hari shared.
Dinner was finished with a Gulab Jamun aka Indian take on creme brûlée and Mango Lassi Popsicle, nice endings to a flavorful and delectable meal. Afterwards, we snuck a peek in the kitchen, where Hari showed us the mothership — the 1000-degree oven where the naan and Tandoori chicken is baked. It takes about 40 seconds to make the naan bread with an oven this hot. Not complaining, that’s fo sho.
Soul Curry is soft opened at the moment, but lunch will begin full service at their September 4th launch. As far as hours, the Indian fusion restaurant is closed Mondays, but open Tuesday – Friday 12-3PM and 5-10PM {till 11PM on Fridays}. Saturday they’re open 1PM to 11PM and Sunday 1PM to 10PM. They’re BYOB, but they have a menu of wines where you can purchase {cash only} to enjoy a bottle of vino at the table without having to schlep it there.
If wanting to go the delivery route, Grub Hub, Uber Eats, Postmates, Delivery.com are available currently, and their website will be offering delivery coming soon.
Make sure to stop by in the coming weeks and say hello, order some apps/dishes, and get a taste of Indian with an elevated vibe. It’s clear a lot of thought and love went into this new local restaurant, and we wish them luck in their opening weeks.
Have you tried Soul Curry yet? What did you think?
