It’s National Curry Week, everyone!

In light of the event, I decided, with the help of my editor, Eric, that I should celebrate — especially because I’ve never actually eaten a curry dish in Eau Claire.  It’s my last year here and I’m missing out on neat (and delicious) parts of the Eau Claire restaurant scene.

So, after extensive Googling and a few takeout orders, I’ve listed what I see as the three restaurants worth checking out as you celebrate National Curry Week in the area.

1) Jewel of India, 205 S. Barstow St.

This Indian restaurant opened about a year ago and is about a 20 minute walk from campus. I headed over there in time to take advantage of the lunch buffet and splurged on tangy Curry Pakora, potatoes, cauliflower and Tandoori Chicken all for about $9. I’m a huge fan of all things spicy, so I really loved the potatoes and cauliflower with its slow heat that showed up after a minute or so of my first bite. The Curry Pakora was extremely rich and tangy; it is one of several vegetarian options on the menu. If that doesn’t appeal to your taste buds, there are numerous beef, lamb, chicken and other vegetarian entrees and appetizers, with options on a few of the menu items for mild or hot flavoring.

2) Pad Thai, 203 N. Barstow St.

It took a lot of menu-perusing before I settled on the Green Curry — it all sounded so promising. The spice melded with coconut milk, peas, peppers, bamboo, basil, chicken and shrimp was good enough. I wasn’t in love with it because I’m not a huge fan of coconut milk. However, the sweetness of it cut the spiciness of the curry, which would make it a great dish for those who are interested in spicy food. I can’t wait to go again and try another curry on the menu because there are a multitude of options and feature different types of curry, such as green, red and yellow varieties. I paid about $10 for the dish.

3) Shanghai Bistro, 2930 Craig Rd.

I haven’t tried this because I wasn’t able to make it to the restaurant by my deadline. However, in celebration of National Curry Week, I will be ordering the Coconut Curry Shrimp ($12, according to the menu) when I go again, complete with its Malaysian curry paste. If you get there first and try it, let us know what you think. You can tell us about it and other curry dishes you’ve tried in the Chippewa Valley
on Facebook.

Let us know what you think!