I always visit one of the great Indian food buffets while in the NWA area. Previously, Flavors had been my favorite. Not anymore!
I decided to try a new (to me) lunch buffet Sunday at Curry Point. Located near Flavors in Bentonville, it looks like a typical Indian food buffet joint, inside and out. Nothing fancy, but who cares?
Plate #1
To keep this short and sweet, the buffet was one of the most unique Indian buffets I have been to around Arkansas. Besides my normal favorites (they have truly delicious tika masala and very good butter chicken), I got to try many new favorites.
Ever heard of skillet fried bitter root? Me neither. It looks like nearly burnt okra, which doesn’t look too appetizing. However, it is delicious!! It is sweet and savory, crispy and chewy. It was one of the highlights of the buffet and one thing I’ll definitely be trying at home, if I can find this rare root.
I loved a take on tandoori chicken: tandoori cauliflower. This was even better than the chicken because it was crispy.
I really enjoyed a simple Indian take on jalapeño poppers. They were jalapeño halves covered in a cornbread-like batter and fried. Very tasty and perfect for dipping into sauces, in case the naan got a little boring.
Finally, I really enjoyed for dessert these dried fruit and nut balls. They were surprisingly juicing in the middle, while also full of chew and crunch. The texture almost reminds me of baklava, but the flavor more bright. So yummy.
Plate #2
While this Sunday lunch buffet cost around $14, it was worth it. I barely got to try everything before I was stuffed to the brim. I will definitely be back. Give this place a shot!
I have never been a fan of crepes, honestly. The crepes I have tried have always been too mushy and one-toned in their flavor. But the crepes from Crepes Paulette changed all that. These. Were. Awesome. Here’s the breakdown:
The Environment
There are two locations for Crepes Paulette: one is a food truck and the other is a permanent building. I have never been to the food truck, but this large, modern building was open and clean and a great place to enjoy a perfect crepe.
You order at a counter which is next to a window where you can watch your crepes being made. When your meal is ready, they bring it out to you.
The Food
The menu is huge! There is one whole page full of savory crepes, most of which are made with a buckwheat crepe, which is organic and gluten free. Then the other page is full of sweet crepes, which are made with a sweeter, traditional crepe.
The Garden $7.15 Description: pesto, spinach, mozzarella, egg.
Top: The Garden Bottom: The Thai
Even though I ordered this without the mozzarella, it was still delicious. I expected a whole egg to be in the crepe, though they just do a simply eggwash on the crepe when cooking it. Doesn’t a runny egg in a crepe sound divine, though?
Anyway, back to this crepe. There was plenty of spinach and just enough pesto to give it great flavor. I would suggest adding tomato to give it a little acidity. The buckwheat crepe was delicious. It was crispy around the edges and savory, not sweet at all. I really enjoyed it on both of our savory crepes.
This crepe was, by far, my favorite of the three we tried. It was like a banh mi crepe. It was full of tender chicken and crunchy veggies. I ordered it with a medium heat (they explained this just determines how much sriracha they put in it) and it was perfectly spicy, with just enough of a kick to give it great flavor, without burning your mouth.
The gingery peanut sauce was delicious. It was also significantly larger (had more filling) than The Garden. So, I feel like this is a good deal for the price, as well. I loved this crepe! I would eat this every day if I lived in the area.
The Turtle $6
Description: Fred’s sweet and salty caramel, dark chocolate ganache, and pecans.
This sweet crepe was darn near perfect. The sweet and salty mix of caramel and chocolate ganache was very tasty. The best part, though, was that these sauces settled at the bottom and were perfect for dipping each bite into…..and then drinking the rest of it when the crepe is gone. No shame.
The pecans were a nice contrast of texture, though they would be even tastier if they were toasted.
The sweet crepe also has crispy edges, but not much flavor. That was fine with me, though, because the chocolate and caramel were all the flavors I needed.
Overall
I love this place. I hate it is three hours away from my house. If I were to make a list of reasons to move to Northwest Arkansas, this would be in my top 3.
The only complaint is how long it takes to get your food. I knew from online reviews it would take a while, especially if it were crowded. So, we showed up and ordered by 10:40 a.m. It took 20 minutes to get our savory crepes and only about 10 minutes to get our sweet one, which we ordered afterwards. By 11:15, the place was getting packed. I can’t imagine how long it would take to get lunch here around noon.
If you have a favorite crepe from this place, give me some suggestions on what to try next time!
